The flow of DOM and POM through the food web, with the location of the viral shunt pathway noted.
The viral shunt is a mechanism that prevents marine microbial particulate organic matter (POM) from migrating up trophic levels by recycling them into dissolved organic matter (DOM), which can be readily taken up by microorganisms. The DOM recycled by the viral shunt pathway is comparable to the amount generated by the other main sources of marine DOM.[1]
Viruses can easily infect microorganisms in the microbial loop due to their relative abundance compared to microbes.[2][3] Prokaryotic and eukaryotic mortality contribute to carbon nutrient recycling through cell lysis. There is evidence as well of nitrogen (specifically ammonium) regeneration. This nutrient recycling helps stimulate microbial growth.[4] As much as 25% of the primary production from phytoplankton in the global oceans may be recycled within the microbial loop through the viral shunt.[5]
^Robinson, Carol, and Nagappa Ramaiah. "Microbial heterotrophic metabolic rates constrain the microbial carbon pump." The American Association for the Advancement of Science, 2011.
^Fuhrman, Jed A. (1999). "Marine viruses and their biogeochemical and ecological effects". Nature. 399 (6736): 541–548. Bibcode:1999Natur.399..541F. doi:10.1038/21119. ISSN 0028-0836. PMID 10376593. S2CID 1260399.
^Wigington, Charles H.; Sonderegger, Derek; Brussaard, Corina P. D.; Buchan, Alison; Finke, Jan F.; Fuhrman, Jed A.; Lennon, Jay T.; Middelboe, Mathias; Suttle, Curtis A.; Stock, Charles; Wilson, William H. (March 2016). "Re-examination of the relationship between marine virus and microbial cell abundances". Nature Microbiology. 1 (3): 15024. doi:10.1038/nmicrobiol.2015.24. ISSN 2058-5276. PMID 27572161. S2CID 52829633.
^Tsai, An-Yi, Gwo-Ching Gong, and Yu-Wen Huang. "Importance of the Viral Shunt in Nitrogen Cycling in Synechococcus Spp. Growth in Subtropical Western Pacific Coastal Waters." Terrestrial, Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences25.6 (2014).
^Wilhelm, Steven W.; Suttle, Curtis A. (1999). "Viruses and nutrient cycles in the sea: viruses play critical roles in the structure and function of aquatic food webs". BioScience. 49 (10): 781–788. doi:10.2307/1313569. JSTOR 1313569.
The viralshunt is a mechanism that prevents marine microbial particulate organic matter (POM) from migrating up trophic levels by recycling them into...
for recycling ocean carbon and nutrients. In a process known as the viralshunt, organic molecules released from dead bacterial cells stimulate fresh...
Viralshunt As much as 25% of the primary production from phytoplankton in the global oceans may be recycled within the microbial loop through viral shunting...
into the environment, contributing to a process called viralshunt. Tailed bacteriophages shunt nutrients from organic material away from higher trophic...
the viralshunt. In particular, lysis of bacteria by viruses has been shown to enhance nitrogen cycling and stimulate phytoplankton growth. Viral activity...
environments, as they can lyse microbes and release nutrients (i.e. the viralshunt). Viruses also play an important role in the structuring of microbial...
interactions. Microorganisms play key roles in marine food webs. The viralshunt pathway is a mechanism that prevents marine microbial particulate organic...
Primary production Ocean turbidity Photophore Thorson's rule Upwelling Viralshunt Whale fall More... Marine life Bacteriophages Census Fish coastal coral...
Primary production Ocean turbidity Photophore Thorson's rule Upwelling Viralshunt Whale fall More... Marine life Bacteriophages Census Fish coastal coral...
Marine microorganisms play central roles in the marine food web. The viralshunt pathway is a mechanism that prevents marine microbial particulate organic...
of ribosomal shunting is that it can translate backwards allowing more information to be stored than usual in an mRNA molecule. Some viral RNAs have been...
insertion of a temporary or long-term drainage device, such as a cerebral shunt. The osmotic therapy, glycerol, has an unclear effect on mortality but may...
from viral infection has almost the same magnitude as that from protozoan grazing. However, compared to protozoan grazing, the effect of viral lysis...
Primary production Ocean turbidity Photophore Thorson's rule Upwelling Viralshunt Whale fall More... Marine life Bacteriophages Census Fish coastal coral...
exopolymers, and hydrolytic enzymes, as well as via mortality (e.g. viralshunt). Prokaryotes are also the main decomposers of DOC, although for some...
bacterioneuston will probably induce the viralshunt, a phenomenon that is well known for marine pelagic systems. The term viralshunt describes the release of organic...
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