Phosphorus Enrichment Rewires Viral-Mediated Phosphorus Cycling in Freshwater Ecosystems via Auxiliary Metabolic Genes

Raoqiong Che; Shiying Zhang; Hao Yi; Jun Li; Kaixin Diao; Xiaolong Cui; Hongchen Jiang; Wei Xiao

doi:10.1007/s12583-026-0601-6

Volume 37 Issue 5

Oct 2026

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Journal of Earth Science > 2026 > 37(5): 2291-2307.

Raoqiong Che, Shiying Zhang, Hao Yi, Jun Li, Kaixin Diao, Xiaolong Cui, Hongchen Jiang, Wei Xiao. Phosphorus Enrichment Rewires Viral-Mediated Phosphorus Cycling in Freshwater Ecosystems via Auxiliary Metabolic Genes. Journal of Earth Science, 2026, 37(5): 2291-2307. doi: 10.1007/s12583-026-0601-6

Citation:

Raoqiong Che, Shiying Zhang, Hao Yi, Jun Li, Kaixin Diao, Xiaolong Cui, Hongchen Jiang, Wei Xiao. Phosphorus Enrichment Rewires Viral-Mediated Phosphorus Cycling in Freshwater Ecosystems via Auxiliary Metabolic Genes. Journal of Earth Science, 2026, 37(5): 2291-2307. doi: 10.1007/s12583-026-0601-6

Citation:

Raoqiong Che, Shiying Zhang, Hao Yi, Jun Li, Kaixin Diao, Xiaolong Cui, Hongchen Jiang, Wei Xiao. Phosphorus Enrichment Rewires Viral-Mediated Phosphorus Cycling in Freshwater Ecosystems via Auxiliary Metabolic Genes. Journal of Earth Science, 2026, 37(5): 2291-2307. doi: 10.1007/s12583-026-0601-6

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Phosphorus Enrichment Rewires Viral-Mediated Phosphorus Cycling in Freshwater Ecosystems via Auxiliary Metabolic Genes

doi: 10.1007/s12583-026-0601-6

Raoqiong Che^{1, 2, #
,},
Shiying Zhang^{3, #
,},
Hao Yi^1
,,
Jun Li^1
,,
Kaixin Diao^1
,,
Xiaolong Cui^1
,,
Hongchen Jiang^{4
,
,
,},
Wei Xiao^{1
,
,
,}

1.
Yunnan Institute of Microbiology, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming 650500, China
2.
College of Tea Science, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming 650201, China
3.
College of Resources and Environment, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming 650201, China
4.
State Key Laboratory of Geomicrobiology and Environmental Changes, China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), Wuhan 430078, China

More Information

Corresponding author: Hongchen Jiang, jiangh@cug.edu.cn; Wei Xiao, weixiao@ynu.edu.cn
Received Date: 08 Jul 2025
Accepted Date: 30 Nov 2025
Issue Publish Date: 30 Oct 2026

Abstract

Abstract

While phosphorus (P) enrichment is a well-recognized driver of eutrophication in freshwater ecosystems, the effect of phosphorus enrichment on viral communities and functions remains poorly understood. Here, we conducted microcosm experiments manipulating P availability using water from an oligotrophic plateau lake, integrating amplicon sequencing/viromics and direct experimentation. The results reveal that P enrichment induces niche partitioning in prokaryotic communities, favoring copiotrophic taxa such as Cyanobacteria while maintaining α-diversity. Concurrently, viral communities exhibited β-diversity shifts, with specific lineages (e.g., Tequatrovirus, Lambdavirus) enriched and several P-related auxiliary metabolic genes (AMGs, purL, phnO and pyrE) involved in purine/pyrimidine metabolism and phosphonate utilization were identified bioinformatically in P-enriched viral metagenomes. Furthermore, viral-host interaction networks structure was changed, with cyanobacteria and Alphaproteobacteria emerging as crucial taxa. Notably, viral AMGs may accelerate P turnover rates, driven by viral-mediated production of labile organic phosphorus compounds. These findings bridge viral ecology and eutrophication science by demonstrating that viral AMGs act as metabolic catalysts, amplifying P cycling under nutrient stress. This work underscores the necessity of integrating viral processes into predictive models of eutrophication and identifies viral AMGs as potential early-warning indicators for mitigating P-driven cyanobacterial blooms and restoring ecosystem balance.
- P enrichment,
- prokaryotic communities,
- viral communities,
- virus-host interaction,
- auxiliary metabolic genes,
- environmental geology

ASSOCIATED CONTENT
The raw sequence reads of 16S rRNA gene amplicons and virome have been deposited in the National Microbiology Data Center (NMDC) with accession numbers NMDC40074956 and NMDC40070308, respectively.
Electronic Supplementary Materials: Supplementary materials (Texts S1–S2; Figures S1–S9; Tables S1–S5) are available in the online version of this article at https://doi.org/10.1007/s12583-026-0601-6.
Conflict of Interest
The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
^#These authors contributed equally to this article

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Phosphorus Enrichment Rewires Viral-Mediated Phosphorus Cycling in Freshwater Ecosystems via Auxiliary Metabolic Genes

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Phosphorus Enrichment Rewires Viral-Mediated Phosphorus Cycling in Freshwater Ecosystems via Auxiliary Metabolic Genes

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