Metagenomics reveals potential interactions between Patescibacteriota and their phages in groundwater ecosystems

Here, we sought phages that were capable of infecting Patescibacteriota metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs), and further explored the diversity and novelty of Patescibacteriota phages, as well as the mechanisms underlying phage-Patescibacteriota interactions in groundwater ecosystems. The abundance profiles of phage-Patescibacteriota interactions suggested that lysogenic infection may represent a mutually adapted strategy between Patescibacteriota and their phages in groundwater ecosystems. Furthermore, the groundwater Patescibacteriota phages possessed diverse auxiliary metabolic genes which might facilitate the symbiotic associations and metabolic exchange between host Patescibacteriota MAGs and other free-living microbes and expand the metabolic capabilities of host Patescibacteriota MAGs. This study elucidated the mechanisms of phage-Patescibacteriota interactions and the potential roles of phages in modulating the physiology and ecology of Patescibacteriota within groundwater ecosystems.