Soil viral communities are structured by pH at local and global scales

Abstract

Viruses shape microbial community structures, impacting metabolic pathways and influencing biogeochemical cycles. Despite their importance, the influence of biotic and abiotic factors on viral community structures across environmental gradients in soil is relatively unknown compared to their prokaryotic hosts. While soil pH strongly influences microbial community structure, it is unclear whether there is a similar influence on soil virus communities. In this study, prokaryotic and viral communities were characterized in soils sampled from the extremes of a long-term pH-manipulated soil gradient (pH 4.5 and 7.5), and viral populations were compared to those in a variety of soil ecosystems ranging in pH (4.0 - 7.5). Prokaryotic and viral community structure were significantly influenced by soil pH at the local scale. Of 1,910 viral operational taxonomic units (vOTUs), 99% were restricted to pH 4.5 or 7.5 soil only. These were compared in gene sharing networks of populations from six other European and North American soil systems. A selection of viral clusters from acidic and neutral pH soils were more associated with those from the local gradient pH 4.5 or 7.5 soils, respectively. Results indicate that as with prokaryotes, soil pH is a factor structuring viral communities at the local and global scale.