Mitomycin C-induced effects on aerobic methanotrophs in a landfill cover soil

implications of a viral shunt?

authored by

Tanja Heffner, Thomas Kaupper, Mara Heinrichs, Hyo Jung Lee, Nadine Rüppel, Marcus A Horn, Adrian Ho

Abstract

A viral shunt can occur when phages going through a lytic cycle, including lysogenic phages triggered by inducing agents (e.g. mitomycin C), results in host lysis and the release of cell constituents and virions. The impact of a viral shunt on the carbon, including methane cycle in soil systems is poorly understood. Here, we determined the effects of mitomycin C on the aerobic methanotrophs in a landfill cover soil. To an extent, our results support a mitomycin C-induced viral shunt, as indicated by the significantly higher viral-like particle (VLP) counts relative to bacteria, elevated nutrient concentrations (ammonium, succinate), and initially impaired microbial activities (methane uptake and microbial respiration) after mitomycin C addition. The trend in microbial activities at <2 days largely corresponded to the expression of the pmoA and 16S rRNA genes. Thereafter (>11 days), the active bacterial community composition significantly diverged in the mitomycin C-supplemented incubations, suggesting the differential impact of mitomycin C on the bacterial community. Collectively, we provide insight on the effects of mitomycin C, and potentially a viral shunt, on the bacteria in the soil environment.

Organisation(s)

Institute of Microbiology

External Organisation(s)

Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg
Kunsan National University

Type

Article

Journal

FEMS microbiology ecology

Volume

99

ISSN

0168-6496

Publication date

06.2023

Publication status

Published

Peer reviewed

Yes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Microbiology, Ecology, Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology

Electronic version(s)

https://doi.org/10.1093/femsec/fiad047 (Access: Closed)