Characterization of virus populations of different hypersaline environments in Turkey via omic technologies

In this study, viral populations of salt saturated waters of Ayvalik and Camalti Saltern crystallizer ponds were evaluated via culture independent and culture dependent methods. Besides, microbial populations were revealed by fluorescence in-situ hybridization (FISH) and shotgun metagenomics, and the results showed that Haloquadratum and Salinibacter groups were dominated in samples, as well as the presence of groups similar to those that were uncultured in hypersaline environments around the world. Electron microscopy analysis of viral fraction revealed the presence of head and tailed, spherical and spindle shaped halovirus particles in samples. Bioinformatic analysis of viral metagenome showed novelty, according to the sequences that were not similar with known viruses in the databases. Among the identified groups, long virus contigs were obtained with similar to cultured and uncultured haloviruses, especially to those infecting Halorubrum and Haloarcula genera. Functional profile of viral metagenome showed that viral groups carry proteins related with replication, recombination and microbial defense. Comparative analysis of microbial and viral metagenomes was pointed out environment-specific interactions between groups, especially in between Halorubrum and Halorubrum infecting viruses. As a result of culture dependent studies, two viruses belonging to Betapleolipovirus and Haloferacalesvirus that infect Halorubrum were characterized in terms of morphological and genomic features.