Abstract Title
Cyanophages Infecting Planktothrix agardhii from a Lake Erie Embayment
Start Date
25-5-2022 12:00 PM
End Date
25-5-2022 12:15 PM
Abstract
Planktothrix agardhii is a microcystin-producing cyanobacterium found in Sandusky Bay, an embayment of Lake Erie that is shallower and more turbid than the main body of the lake. Previous work has indicated that cyanophages are an important natural control factor of harmful algal blooms. Currently, there are few cyanophages that are known to infect P. agardhii, with the best-known being PaV-LD, a podoviridae isolated from Lake Donghu, China. Here we present work on the molecular characterization of Planktothrix specific cyanophages in Sandusky Bay. Viral sequences were identified from analyzing the spacer sequences of CRISPR-cas regions alongside metagenomic data from the bay in 2013 and 2018. Transcriptomic data from 2015, 2018, and 2019 were also employed for the further identification of cyanophages, as well as activity of select viral sequences. Finally, viral quantification was tested using qPCR in 2015-2018 for PaV-LD like cyanophages to identify the relationship between lysis events and environmental parameters.
Cyanophages Infecting Planktothrix agardhii from a Lake Erie Embayment
Planktothrix agardhii is a microcystin-producing cyanobacterium found in Sandusky Bay, an embayment of Lake Erie that is shallower and more turbid than the main body of the lake. Previous work has indicated that cyanophages are an important natural control factor of harmful algal blooms. Currently, there are few cyanophages that are known to infect P. agardhii, with the best-known being PaV-LD, a podoviridae isolated from Lake Donghu, China. Here we present work on the molecular characterization of Planktothrix specific cyanophages in Sandusky Bay. Viral sequences were identified from analyzing the spacer sequences of CRISPR-cas regions alongside metagenomic data from the bay in 2013 and 2018. Transcriptomic data from 2015, 2018, and 2019 were also employed for the further identification of cyanophages, as well as activity of select viral sequences. Finally, viral quantification was tested using qPCR in 2015-2018 for PaV-LD like cyanophages to identify the relationship between lysis events and environmental parameters.