AME 58:323-328 (2010)  -  DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/ame01386

ABSTRACT: Cyanophage PP is a short-tailed, icosahedral-shaped, double-stranded DNA virus and can be frequently detected with high abundance and activity in many eutrophic lakes in China. Solar radiation is one of the main factors affecting cyanophage infectivity. In this study, cyanophage PP was treated with different intensities of UV-B radiation, and the accumulation of cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPDs), viral particle destruction and viral attachment ability were analyzed. The viral infectivity decay rate under white and red light was also studied using plaque-forming assays. The results indicate that (1) the level of CPDs induced by UV-B was significantly correlated with radiation intensity, while exposure dose had little effect on the DNA damage level, (2) the level of CPDs was significantly correlated with both the decay rate and the repair rate in cyanophage PP, and (3) UV-B could result in the destruction of viral particles and the decrease in viral attachment. This work suggests that the secondary and tertiary structure of the DNA may influence the formation of CPDs, and that capsid damage caused by UV-B radiation may play an important role in viral decay and survival.

KEY WORDS: Cyanophage PP · UV-B · Cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers · CPDs · Capsid damage