Plant Pathology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA; Australian Centre for Astrobiology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia; RAW Molecular Systems (RMS) LLC, Spokane, WA, USA.
Australian Centre for Astrobiology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia; Departments of Marine Sciences and Geosciences, University of Connecticut, CT, USA; Biogeosciences, the Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Dijon, France.
Trends Microbiol. 2021 Mar;29(3):204-213. doi: 10.1016/j.tim.2020.06.004. Epub 2020 Jul 9.
Stromatolites are geobiological systems formed by complex microbial communities, and fossilized stromatolites provide a record of some of the oldest life on Earth. Microbial mats are precursors of extant stromatolites; however, the mechanisms of transition from mat to stromatolite are controversial and are still not well understood. To fully recognize the profound impact that these ecosystems have had on the evolution of the biosphere requires an understanding of modern lithification mechanisms and how they relate to the geological record. We propose here viral mechanisms in carbonate precipitation, leading to stromatolite formation, whereby viruses directly or indirectly impact microbial metabolisms that govern the transition from microbial mat to stromatolite. Finding a tangible link between host-virus interactions and changes in biogeochemical processes will provide tools to interpret mineral biosignatures through geologic time, including those on Earth and beyond.
叠层石是由复杂微生物群落形成的地质生物系统，而化石叠层石则为地球上一些最古老的生命记录提供了依据。微生物席是现存叠层石的前身；然而，从席到叠层石的转变机制存在争议，目前仍未得到很好的理解。要充分认识这些生态系统对生物圈演化的深远影响，就需要了解现代碳酸盐沉淀的成岩机制以及它们与地质记录的关系。在这里，我们提出了病毒在碳酸盐沉淀中的机制，导致了叠层石的形成，病毒通过直接或间接影响控制微生物席向叠层石转变的微生物代谢，从而起到了作用。在宿主-病毒相互作用和生物地球化学过程变化之间找到一个有形的联系，将为通过地质时间解释矿物生物特征提供工具，包括地球和地球以外的矿物生物特征。
