Salinity as a key factor affects viral structure, function, and life strategies in lakes from arid and semi-arid regions

Salinity impacts lake microorganisms in arid and semiarid zones, affecting climate change. Viruses regulate community structure, facilitate gene transfer, and mediate nutrient cycling. However, studies on the diversity and functional differences of viruses in lakes of varying salinity are limited. Thus, we investigated metagenomic data from 20 lakes in Xinjiang Province, China, to determine viral distribution, virus-host linkage, function, and drivers in lakes of varying salinity. The results showed that salinity shaped the distribution of viral community composition, and Hafunaviridae was the dominant virus in high-salinity lakes. All the metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) belonging to Halobacteriota were predicted as hosts, with a lysogenic lifestyle predominating the life strategy, implying their potential protection in salt lakes. Moreover, some auxiliary metabolic genes (AMGs), such as cpeT and PTOX, were related to antioxidant and stress responses, which might help the host survive high salinity stress-induced peroxidation. Notably, the main antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) carried by viruses, which conferred resistance to polymyxin and trimethoprim, related to the local use of veterinary antibiotics, suggesting that they are potential vehicles for the transmission of ARGs. Overall, these findings suggest that lake systems include unique viral varieties that may influence microbial ecosystems and host metabolism related to environmental adaptability.