Effect of viral infection to the raphidophycean alga Heterosigma akashiwo on dynamics of a coastal prokaryotic community

The goal of this study is to reveal dynamics of marine prokaryotes responding release of organic matters from virus-infected cells of bloom-forming microalgae. To this end, a microcosm experiment was performed. Coastal prokaryotes collected in Osaka bay was cultured with addition of dissolved intracellular or extracellular organic matters extracted from uninfected Heterosigma akashiwo (NIES-293 strain) or viral lysates of the strain, or aged seawater for control. Each triplicated flask was incubated at 20 degree Celsius with a 14.5 h-9.5 h light-dark photocycle. Samples were taken on the day 0 to day 4 during incubation. DNA extracted from prokaryotic fraction were offered for 16S rRNA (V3-V4 region) analysis.