Development of a Genetic System for LR2-5, Model Host for Haloarchaeal Viruses

Overview

Journal Appl Environ Microbiol

Specialties Environmental Health
Microbiology

Date 2024 Mar 12

PMID 38470030

Authors

Colin Tittes

Jeroen Nijland

Anna M C Schoentag

Thomas Hackl

Nadia Di Cianni

Anita Marchfelder

Tessa E F Quax

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Importance: Species from all domains of life are infected by viruses. In some environments, viruses outnumber their microbial hosts by a factor of 10, and viruses are the most important predators of microorganisms. While much has been discovered about the infection mechanisms of bacterial and eukaryotic viruses, archaeal viruses remain understudied. Good model systems are needed to study their virus-host interactions in detail. The salt-loving archaeon LR2-5 has been shown to be infected by a variety of different viruses and, thus, is an excellent model to study archaeal viruses. By establishing a genetic system, we have significantly expanded the toolbox for this model organism, which will fuel our understanding of infection strategies of the underexplored archaeal viruses.

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