Estimated carbon content

Range cyanobacteria 50-250: heterotrophic bacteria 20-100 fg carbon/cell
Organism bacteria
Reference Jover LF, Effler TC, Buchan A, Wilhelm SW, Weitz JS. The elemental composition of virus particles: implications for marine biogeochemical cycles. Nat Rev Microbiol. 2014 Jul12(7):519-28. doi: 10.1038/nrmicro3289. p.519 right column top paragraphPubMed ID24931044
Primary Source [12] Bertilsson, S. et al. Elemental composition of marine Prochlorococcus and Synechococcus: implications for the ecological stoichiometry of the sea. Limnol. Oceanogr. 48, 1721–1731 (2003). link [13] Simon, M. & Azam, F. Protein content and protein synthesis rates of planktonic marine bacteria. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 51, 201–213 (1989). link
Comments P.519 right column top paragraph:"However, irrespective of this variation [in marine viral particle carbon, 0.055-0.2 fg carbon/viral particle BNID 112421], marine virus particles are substantially smaller — in terms of overall mass — than their bacterial hosts: for example, for cyanobacteria, the amount of carbon per cell has been estimated to be between 50 fg per cell and 250 fg per cell [primary source 12], and for heterotrophic bacteria, the estimated range is 20–100 fg per cell [primary source 13]. In both cases, a bacterial cell is predicted to contain at least two orders of magnitude more carbon than a virus particle. It is therefore not surprising that the relative contribution of virus particles to the total magnitude of the viral shunt and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) reservoirs has not been highlighted previously. However, ignoring the content and contribution of virus particles could become more problematic when [investigators] turn [their] attention to nitrogen and phosphorus."
Entered by Uri M
ID 112422