Increased awareness of the abundance and diversity of viruses in soils has led to a growing interest in soil virus ecology. This interest is in part fueled by a need to understand the mechanisms behind the transformation of carbon and nutrient elements within soil ecosystems and what role if any viruses play in these biologically mediated processes. To explore the virus-host distribution and diversity patterns in soil profiles, bacterial community composition and structure, viral and bacterial abundances, and the lysogenic fractions (LF) of bacterial communities were assessed. Enumeration of virus-like particles (VLPs) by epifluorescence microscopy, prophage-induction assays (mitomycin C-based), and bacterial 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing were used in this study. The abundances of both extractable VLPs and bacterial cells decreased with soil depth, but VLP abundances decreased more rapidly than bacterial abundances leading to an overall decreasing virus-to-bacteria ratio with depth. In contrast, LF increased with soil depth, indicating lysogeny became a more important reproduction strategy for autochthonous soil bacteriophages in subsurface soil. Significant shifts in bacterial community composition and diversity with soil depth were closely correlated with VLP abundance, virus-to-bacteria ratio, and LF. The results suggest that the viral abundance and replication strategies vary significantly in different soil depths and are linked to microbial host community composition in soil.

人们对土壤中病毒的丰富性和多样性的认识不断提高，导致人们对土壤病毒生态学的兴趣日益浓厚。这种兴趣在某种程度上因需要了解土壤生态系统中碳和营养元素转化背后的机制，以及如果任何病毒在这些生物介导的过程中起什么作用而产生。为了探索土壤剖面中病毒宿主的分布和多样性模式，评估了细菌群落的组成和结构，病毒和细菌的丰度以及细菌群落的溶原级分（LF）。在这项研究中使用了通过落射荧光显微镜，预诱导诱导分析（基于丝裂霉素C）和细菌16S rRNA基因扩增子测序对病毒样颗粒（VLP）进行计数。可提取的VLP和细菌细胞的丰度均随土壤深度而降低，但VLP的丰度比细菌的丰度下降得更快，从而导致病毒与细菌的比率随深度的整体降低。相反，LF随着土壤深度的增加而增加，这表明溶原性成为地下土壤中土生土细菌噬菌体更重要的繁殖策略。细菌群落组成和多样性的显着变化随土壤深度的变化与VLP丰度，病毒细菌比和LF密切相关。结果表明，病毒的丰度和复制策略在不同的土壤深度中差异很大，并且与土壤中的微生物宿主群落组成有关。但是VLP的丰度比细菌的丰度下降得更快，从而导致病毒与细菌的比率随深度整体降低。相反，LF随着土壤深度的增加而增加，这表明溶原性成为地下土壤中土生土细菌噬菌体更重要的繁殖策略。细菌群落组成和多样性的显着变化随土壤深度的变化与VLP丰度，病毒细菌比和LF密切相关。结果表明，病毒的丰度和复制策略在不同的土壤深度中差异很大，并且与土壤中的微生物宿主群落组成有关。但是VLP的丰度比细菌的丰度下降得更快，从而导致病毒与细菌的比率随深度整体下降。相反，LF随着土壤深度的增加而增加，这表明溶原性成为地下土壤中土生土细菌噬菌体更重要的繁殖策略。细菌群落组成和多样性的显着变化随土壤深度的变化与VLP丰度，病毒细菌比和LF密切相关。结果表明，病毒的丰度和复制策略在不同的土壤深度中差异很大，并且与土壤中的微生物宿主群落组成有关。细菌群落组成和多样性的显着变化随土壤深度的变化与VLP丰度，病毒细菌比和LF密切相关。结果表明，病毒的丰度和复制策略在不同的土壤深度中差异很大，并且与土壤中的微生物宿主群落组成有关。细菌群落组成和多样性随土壤深度的显着变化与VLP丰度，病毒细菌比和LF密切相关。结果表明，病毒的丰度和复制策略在不同的土壤深度中差异很大，并且与土壤中的微生物宿主群落组成有关。