This article was originally published in English
The new virus discovered in the Mariana Trench could be the deepest bacteriophage discovered in the ocean, researchers say.
A team of scientists has identified what may be the deepest virus in Earth’s oceans.
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They discovered a new virus in sediments from 8,900 meters deep in the Mariana Trench in the Pacific Ocean.
This trench is the deepest place on Earth, reaching a depth of 11,000 meters near the Mariana Islands.
“To our knowledge, this is the most deeply isolated phage known in the global ocean,” says marine virologist Min Wang. in a press release.
The Ocean University of China team published their findings in the journal last week Spectrum of microbiology.
The newly discovered deep-sea virus, called vB_HmeY_H4907, is a bacteriophage, meaning it infects and reproduces within bacteria.
This bacteriophage infects bacteria called Halomonas, which are abundant in the Mariana Trench and hydrothermal vents – cracks in the seafloor that release heated water.
Genomic analysis of the virus suggests that it is similar to its bacterial host and is widespread in the ocean.
Researchers say the new bacteriophage belongs to a new virus family called Surviridae.
The virus was discovered in the ocean’s hadal zone, which lies between 6,000 and 11,000 meters deep and is named after the Greek god of the underworld, Hades.
“Recent research has revealed the enormous diversity, novelty and ecological importance of hadalviruses. However, only two strains of hadalviruses have been isolated,” the researchers say in their study.
The identification of this new bacteriophage allows us to better understand how viruses from this part of the ocean behave in challenging environments, particularly through coevolution with bacterial hosts.
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The hadal zone is home to several unique organisms that can adapt to the extreme conditions of low temperatures, high pressure and lack of light in the depths of the sea.
Marine virologists are now looking for additional new viruses in extreme locations.
“Extreme environments offer optimal prospects for the discovery of new viruses,” assures Min Wang.