Unveiling the top-down control of soil viruses over microbial communities and soil organic carbon cycling: A review

Soil viruses play a pivotal yet underexplored role in microbial community succession and soil organic matter (SOM) turnover. This review synthesizes current knowledge on the mechanisms by which soil viruses influence SOM dynamics. It highlights how viral lysis accelerates microbial turnover and restructures microbial communities and how these processes rewire nutrient cycling and substantially fuel microbial metabolism. Furthermore, we also discussed the critical roles of virus-carried auxiliary metabolic genes (AMGs) in microbial processes, the degradation of complex organic materials and nutrient cycling. In together, this review emphasizes the significance of virus-microbe interactions in regulating SOM formation, transformation, and stabilization, and underscores the need and urgency for further research to achieve a comprehensive understanding of how soil viruses contribute to carbon cycling and ecosystem sustainability. Understanding virus-microbe-environment interactions is crucial for developing strategies to enhance soil carbon storage, mitigate climate change, and promote sustainable soil management practices.