Microbial and viral-like rhodopsins present in coastal marine sediments from four polar and subpolar regions

Rhodopsins are broadly distributed. In this work we analyzed 23 metagenomes corresponding to marine sediment samples from four regions which share cold climate conditions (Norway; Sweden; Argentina and Antarctica). In order to investigate the genes evolution of viral-rodopsins, an initial set of 6224 bacterial rhodopsins sequences according COG5524 were retrieved from the 23 metagenomes. After selection by the presence of transmembrane domains and alignment 123 viral (51) and non-viral (72) sequences (>50 aminoacids) were finally included in further analysis. Viral rhodopsin genes were homologues of Phaeocystis globosa virus and Organic lake Phycodnavirus . Non-viral microbial rhodopsin genes were ascribed to Bacteroidetes , Planctomycetes , Firmicutes , Actinobacteria , Cyanobacteria , Proteobacteria , Deinococcus-Thermus as well as Cryptophyta and Fungi. A re-screening using Blastp, using as queries the viral sequences previously described, retrieved 30 sequences (>100 aminoacids). Phylogeographic analysis revealed a geographycal clustering of the sequences affiliated to the viral group. This clustering was not observed for the microbial non-viral sequences. The phylogenetic reconstruction allowed us to propose the existence of a putative ancestor of viral rhodopsins (PAVR) genes related to Actinobacteria and Chloroflexi . This is the first report about the existence of a phylogeographic association of the viral rhodopsins sequences from marine sediments.