Evolution of Exploitation and Replication of Giant Viruses and Virophages

Tripartite biotic interactions are inherently complex, and the strong interdependence of species and often one-sided exploitation can make these systems vulnerable to extinction. The persistence of species depends then on the balance between exploitation and avoidance of exploitation beyond the point where sustainable resource use is no longer possible. We used this general prediction to test the potential role of trait evolution for persistence in a tripartite microbial system consisting of a marine heterotrophic flagellate preyed upon by a giant virus, which in turn is parasitized by a virophage. Host and virophage may benefit from this interaction because the virophage reduces the harmful effects of the giant virus on the host population and the virophage can persist integrated into the host genome when giant viruses are scarce. We grew hosts and virus in the presence and absence of the virophage over ∼280 host generations and tested whether levels of exploitation and replication in the giant virus and/or virophage population evolved over the course of the experiment, and whether the changes were such that they could avoid overexploitation and extinction. We found that the giant virus evolved toward lower levels of replication and the virophage evolved toward increased replication but decreased exploitation of the giant virus. These changes reduced overall host exploitation by the virus and virus exploitation by the virophage and are predicted to facilitate persistence.