Two viruses, MCV1 and MCV2, which infect <italic>Marinitoga</italic> bacteria isolated from deep‐sea hydrothermal vents: functional and genomic analysis.

Summary: Viruses represent a driving force in the evolution of microorganisms including those thriving in extreme environments. However, our knowledge of the viral diversity associated to microorganisms inhabiting the deep‐sea hydrothermal vents remains limited. The phylum of <italic>Thermotogae</italic>, including thermophilic bacteria, is well represented in this environment. Only one virus was described in this phylum, MPV1 carried by <italic>Marinitoga piezophila</italic>. In this study, we report on the functional and genomic characterization of two new bacterioviruses that infect bacteria from the <italic>Marinitoga</italic> genus. <italic>Marinitoga camini</italic> virus 1 and 2 (MCV1 and MCV2) are temperate siphoviruses with a linear dsDNA genome of 53.4 kb and 50.5 kb respectively. Here, we present a comparative genomic analysis of the MCV1 and MCV2 viral genomes with that of MPV1. The results indicate that even if the host strains come from geographically distant sites, their genomes share numerous similarities. Interestingly, heavy metals did not induce viral production, instead the host of MCV1 produced membrane vesicles. This study highlights interaction of mobile genetic elements (MGE) with their hosts and the importance of including hosts‐MGEs' relationships in ecological studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]