Ultra-small bacteria and their phages discovered through metagenomics in a sub-arctic degrading permafrost ecosystem

Patescibacteriota phages in a sub-arctic degrading permafrost ecosystem include 16 jumbophages and one megaphage, with viral community composition shifting by thaw state and site.

• Why it matters: Patescibacteriota are widespread but their phages remain poorly characterized, limiting understanding of how ultra-small bacterial lineages persist and interact in permafrost microbiomes.
• What they did: Using metagenomics across palsa and peat soils plus small ponds and streams, the study reconstructed 33 Patescibacteriota MAGs and analyzed 16 354 vOTUs, including host links via in silico associations.
• The result: Patescibacteriota-associated phage abundance was especially high in frozen palsa soils and tracked Patescibacteriota abundance patterns, while only two vOTUs shared the same genus.

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