Scientists discover a new virus at Earth’s deepest point

In a groundbreaking discovery, researchers have unveiled a new virus thriving in the depths of the Mariana Trench, the Earth’s deepest known point, reaching an astounding depth of nearly 11,000 meters in the Pacific Ocean floor. Dr. Min Wang, a marine virologist from the Ocean University of China in Qingdao, led an international team in this remarkable finding.

This novel virus belongs to the category of bacteriophages, viruses that infect and reproduce within bacteria, and they are considered one of the most prolific life forms on our planet. Dr. Wang stated, “To the best of our knowledge, this bacteriophage, retrieved from a depth of 8,900 meters, represents the deepest isolation of a phage in the global ocean.”

The newfound bacteriophage targets bacteria within the Halomonas phylum, which are commonly found in sediments from deep-sea locations and hydrothermal vents—openings on the ocean floor emitting heated water like geysers.

The researchers’ genetic analysis of this virus has unveiled the existence of a previously unknown viral family within the deep ocean ecosystem. This discovery has also shed light on the diversity, evolution, and genomic characteristics of deep-sea bacteriophages, as well as their interactions with their bacterial hosts.

Scientists discover a new virus at Earth’s deepest point

Previously, the team utilized metagenomic techniques to investigate viruses infecting bacteria in the Oceanospirallales order, which includes Halomonas.

For this latest study, Dr. Wang’s team scoured bacterial strains collected and isolated by Dr. Yu-Zhong Zhang, another marine virologist from the Ocean University of China, whose research explores microbial life in extreme environments, including polar regions and the Mariana Trench.

The genomic analysis of the new virus, named vB_HmeY_H4907, suggests its wide distribution throughout the ocean and its close structural resemblance to its host bacterium. Dr. Wang highlighted that this research opens up new avenues for understanding how viruses survive in harsh, secluded environments and co-evolve with their bacterial hosts.

This particular virus operates in a lysogenic manner, meaning it invades and reproduces within its host bacterium without necessarily killing it. As the host cell divides, the viral genetic material is replicated and transmitted.

In forthcoming studies, Dr. Wang’s group plans to delve deeper into the molecular mechanisms governing interactions between deep-sea viruses and their hosts. They are also actively seeking additional new viruses in extreme environments, a pursuit that promises to expand our knowledge of the virosphere. Dr. Wang emphasized that extreme environments hold promising prospects for uncovering novel viruses and advancing our understanding of these fascinating microscopic life forms.

References: Identification and genomic analysis of temperate Halomonas bacteriophage vB_HmeY_H4907 from the surface sediment of the Mariana Trench at a depth of 8,900 m | Microbiology Spectrum. Microbiology Spectrum. 2023. https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/spectrum.01912-23