Archaeal Virology: unravelling the mechanisms of interviral warfare

Project Information

ARCVIR

Grant agreement ID: 101039446

DOI

10.3030/101039446

EC signature date 15 February 2022

Start date 1 September 2022

End date 31 August 2027

Funded under

• European Research Council (ERC)

Total cost

€ 1 500 000,00

EU contribution

€ 1 500 000,00

Coordinated by

RIJKSUNIVERSITEIT GRONINGEN
Netherlands

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - ARCVIR (Archaeal Virology: unravelling the mechanisms of interviral warfare)

Reporting period: 2022-09-01 to 2025-02-28

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Archaea are ubiquitous microorganisms that are found in numerous surroundings ranging from extreme environments to the ocean and the human gut and skin. Marine archaea have a huge impact on biogeochemical cycles and the climate, while archaea in the gut influence the human microbiome and health. Archaea can be infected by unusual viruses that are structurally very diverse and have unique infection mechanisms. As viruses are the major predator of archaea, they shape archaeal communities. This project will visualize the mechanisms that viruses use to fight each other to gain access to host cells. This knowledge of viral mechanisms can, for example, be applied to control archaeal populations to increase human gut health or to reduce the production of the harmful greenhouse gas methane by gut archaea of ruminants.

For more information: check www.quaxlab.org

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

Viruses from different families were analyzed for their capacity to exclude infection by other viruses, a process called superinfection exclusion. We identified several viruses that serve as model for further studies into the mechanism of superinfection exclusion.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

Insight into the molecular mechanism of superinfection exclusion in archaea is currently scarce. These results are the stepping stone for further study of these mechanisms in archaea. This is important to fully understand the role of viruses in natural ecosystems, where viral presence is high.