Soil Microbiological Recycling
and the Virome Role in a Hectare
Grassland
Gero Benckiser
Abstract Viruses need a host for replication. In a hectare grassland, for example,
a huge amount of diverse cells, majorly microbial cells are present, in which viral
inserts replicate either lysogenically with the host genome or lytically after reprogramming the host metabolism towards virus particle production. A third replication
mode is “chronic extrusion”. Thereby single stranded (ss) viral DNA is channelled
through the cytoplasmic membrane into the surrounding environment and double
stranded DNA (ds) reintegrates in new host genomes. During lytic virus replication the host cell bursts. The produced virus particles, now termed virions, and the
cell nutrients are released and potential pro- and eukaryotic hosts are attracted. In
a nutrient enriched environment virions find easier a new genome for reintegrating
by using their inherent infectivity and autoinduced quorum-sensing. After having
entered a new host lysogenic, lytic replication switching starts. During “chronic
extrusion” and lytic replication cycles set free virions can absorb epigenetic information, which then may be spread by horizontal gene transfers. Lysogenic, lytic
replication switchings, termed viral shunts, are temperate. Host cell multiplication
regulator, carefully controlled in nature. Assumed 1% of the wealth of host cells
in a hectare grassland burst lytic virus replication mediated a significant influence
on the gross primary production (GPP) is inevitable. Epigenetic genetic information
exchanges may improve host’s health and correspondingly the focus of this chapter
lies on virus mediated nutrient side drain estimates, calculated in their importance
for a hectare grassland.
Keywords Infectivity · Symbiosis · Viral nutrient side drains · Food web
transitions · Soil restructuring
Highlights
– The widely unexplored viral role in nutrient cycling
– Mutualistic co-evolution of virus-host relationships and control measures
– Virus mediated cell nutrient fluxes, estimate for a hectare grassland.
G. Benckiser (B)
Institute of Applied Microbiology, Justus-Liebig University, Heinrich Buff-Ring 26-32, Giessen,
Germany
e-mail: gero.benckiser@umwelt.uni-giessen.de
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
G. Benckiser (ed.), Soil and Recycling Management in the Anthropocene Era,
Environmental Science and Engineering,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-51886-8_2
27
and the Virome Role in a Hectare
Grassland
Gero Benckiser
Abstract Viruses need a host for replication. In a hectare grassland, for example,
a huge amount of diverse cells, majorly microbial cells are present, in which viral
inserts replicate either lysogenically with the host genome or lytically after reprogramming the host metabolism towards virus particle production. A third replication
mode is “chronic extrusion”. Thereby single stranded (ss) viral DNA is channelled
through the cytoplasmic membrane into the surrounding environment and double
stranded DNA (ds) reintegrates in new host genomes. During lytic virus replication the host cell bursts. The produced virus particles, now termed virions, and the
cell nutrients are released and potential pro- and eukaryotic hosts are attracted. In
a nutrient enriched environment virions find easier a new genome for reintegrating
by using their inherent infectivity and autoinduced quorum-sensing. After having
entered a new host lysogenic, lytic replication switching starts. During “chronic
extrusion” and lytic replication cycles set free virions can absorb epigenetic information, which then may be spread by horizontal gene transfers. Lysogenic, lytic
replication switchings, termed viral shunts, are temperate. Host cell multiplication
regulator, carefully controlled in nature. Assumed 1% of the wealth of host cells
in a hectare grassland burst lytic virus replication mediated a significant influence
on the gross primary production (GPP) is inevitable. Epigenetic genetic information
exchanges may improve host’s health and correspondingly the focus of this chapter
lies on virus mediated nutrient side drain estimates, calculated in their importance
for a hectare grassland.
Keywords Infectivity · Symbiosis · Viral nutrient side drains · Food web
transitions · Soil restructuring
Highlights
– The widely unexplored viral role in nutrient cycling
– Mutualistic co-evolution of virus-host relationships and control measures
– Virus mediated cell nutrient fluxes, estimate for a hectare grassland.
G. Benckiser (B)
Institute of Applied Microbiology, Justus-Liebig University, Heinrich Buff-Ring 26-32, Giessen,
Germany
e-mail: gero.benckiser@umwelt.uni-giessen.de
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
G. Benckiser (ed.), Soil and Recycling Management in the Anthropocene Era,
Environmental Science and Engineering,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-51886-8_2
27