Viral Communities of Shark Bay Modern Stromatolites

Shark Bay's modern stromatolites host abundant single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) viruses, with relative abundances mirroring those found in the Bahamas' Highbourne Cay. This is the first evidence of viral communities in these unique microbial structures, suggesting their global significance. The study used metagenomic shotgun sequencing to identify two putative viral genomes linked to the Genomoviridae family, potentially enriched by phi29-mediated amplification bias. Additionally, antiviral defense genes like CRISPR-Cas, BREX, and DISARM were found in the cellular fraction, a novel finding that may indicate microbial adaptation strategies. These viruses could play crucial roles in shaping microbial diversity and ecosystem function through infection and nutrient recycling.

White, R. A., Wong, H. L., Ruvindy, R., Neilan, B. A., & Burns, B. P. (2018). Viral Communities of Shark Bay Modern Stromatolites. Frontiers in Microbiology, 9. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2018.01223