Addition of monomeric and polymeric organic substrates alleviates viral lytic pressure on bacterial communities in coastal seawaters

We examined the effect of growth conditions on the fraction of bacterial production lysed by viruses (Flysed). Time-course changes in bacterial and viral variables were determined in coastal seawater cultures with and without the addition of monomeric (glucose or amino acids) or polymeric (protein) substrates. Substrate-induced enhancement of bacterial production was much more pronounced than that of viral production during the incubation period of 60 to 90 h. Estimates of F-lysed were highest in non-addition controls (range = 0.3 to 1.0), followed by the monomer addition treatment (0.1 to 0.2), and lowest in the protein addition treatment (0.04 to 0.1). These data are consistent with the proposition that bacterial communities grown under substrate-rich conditions are less subject to viral attacks. Low F-lysed values in the protein addition treatment were associated with high activities of leucine aminopeptidase, indicating a role of extracellular proteases in alleviating viral lytic pressure. Our data support the notion that supplies of dissolved organic matter affect the magnitude of bacteria-virus couplings in marine environments.