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Virome: Sentinels or Marauders in the Microbiome

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Human Microbiome

Abstract

The advent of Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) and thereby the access to huge metagenomic data have opened the flood gates of genetic information. Although the field of microbiome has evolved, the field of virome is a relatively new addition. The co-existence of viruses with the host may be localized or systemic in nature. Growing evidence suggests that apart from the gut, organ or tissue specific virus niche does exist. However, the big question that requires attention is the nature of interaction of these viruses with the host. While viral infections and the concurrent co-infections with bacterial pathogens have been established as a factor in disease severity, reports on viral co-infections are significantly limited. Thus a huge conundrum exists on whether the pathogenic trait of viruses is an inclusive property of the virome. Whether a mutualistic relationship exists between viruses and if it is beneficial to the host is still a big question requiring in-depth investigation. In this chapter we aim to provide key details on the basis and the origins of the human virome, distribution and host interaction with a special emphasis on the nature of this association.

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Correspondence to John Bernet Johnson .

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Nag, J., Kumar, N.A., Mukesh, R.K., Kunnakkadan, U., Johnson, J.B. (2022). Virome: Sentinels or Marauders in the Microbiome. In: Thomas, S. (eds) Human Microbiome . Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-7672-7_10

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-7672-7_10

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore

  • Print ISBN: 978-981-16-7671-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-981-16-7672-7

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