Bristol Glaciology Centre, School of Geographical Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1SS, UK.
Trends Microbiol. 2011 Feb;19(2):52-7. doi: 10.1016/j.tim.2010.11.002. Epub 2010 Dec 3.
There is an increasing body of evidence to show that viruses are important drivers of microbial evolution and that they can store a great deal of the Earth's microbial diversity in their genomes. Examination of microbial diversity in polar regions has revealed a higher than expected diversity of viruses, bacteria and eukaryotic microbes. Further, the few available studies in polar regions reveal that viral control of microbial mortality is important in these habitats. In this opinion article, we argue that strong relationships between viruses and their hosts in a range of polar habitats could be key in explaining why polar regions are in fact hot spots of microbial diversity and evolution. Further, we argue that periodic glaciations, and particularly the Neoproterozoic low-latitude glaciation, known as 'snowball Earth', could have been periods of intense diversification in aquatic refuges.
越来越多的证据表明，病毒是微生物进化的重要驱动因素，它们可以在基因组中储存大量的地球微生物多样性。对极地微生物多样性的研究表明，那里的病毒、细菌和真核微生物的多样性高于预期。此外，在极地进行的为数不多的几项研究表明，病毒对微生物死亡率的控制在这些生境中非常重要。在这篇观点文章中，我们认为，在一系列极地生境中，病毒与其宿主之间的紧密关系可能是解释为什么极地实际上是微生物多样性和进化热点的关键。此外，我们认为，周期性的冰川作用，特别是被称为“雪球地球”的新元古代低纬度冰川作用，可能是水生避难所中强烈多样化的时期。
