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Viral glycosphingolipids induce lytic infection and cell death in marine phytoplankton
Vardi, A.; Van Mooy, B.A.S.; Fredricks, H.F.; Popendorf, K.J.; Ossolinski, J.E.; Haramaty, L.; Bidle, K.D. (2009). Viral glycosphingolipids induce lytic infection and cell death in marine phytoplankton. Science (Wash.) 326(5954): 861-865. https://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.1177322
In: Science (Washington). American Association for the Advancement of Science: New York, N.Y. ISSN 0036-8075; e-ISSN 1095-9203, more
Peer reviewed article  

Available in  Authors 

Keywords
    Aquatic communities > Plankton > Phytoplankton
    Marine/Coastal

Authors  Top 
  • Vardi, A.
  • Van Mooy, B.A.S.
  • Fredricks, H.F.
  • Popendorf, K.J.
  • Ossolinski, J.E.
  • Haramaty, L.
  • Bidle, K.D.

Abstract
    Marine viruses that infect phytoplankton are recognized as a major ecological and evolutionary driving force, shaping community structure and nutrient cycling in the marine environment. Little is known about the signal transduction pathways mediating viral infection. We show that viral glycosphingolipids regulate infection of Emiliania huxleyi, a cosmopolitan coccolithophore that plays a major role in the global carbon cycle. These sphingolipids derive from an unprecedented cluster of biosynthetic genes in Coccolithovirus genomes, are synthesized de novo during lytic infection, and are enriched in virion membranes. Purified glycosphingolipids induced biochemical hallmarks of programmed cell death in an uninfected host. These lipids were detected in coccolithophore populations in the North Atlantic, which highlights their potential as biomarkers for viral infection in the oceans.

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