Lytic and lysogenic viruses have different lifestyles which impact what AMGs they acquire. Lytic viruses tend to use AMGs to repurpose host cell metabolism and steal nutrients when in high cell density. Therefore, AMGs related to metabolism and transport are found more abundantly in lytic viruses. Lytic viruses also encompass a more diverse set of AMGs than lysogenic viruses, in part due to their larger host range and higher infection frequency. Temperate viruses, on the other hand, may employ AMGs to improve host fitness and virulence due to their often longer lifespan in the cell as a prophage. Gene density in these viruses is higher when compared to their lytic counterparts. Higher rates of HGT in lysogenic viruses allows for more AMG transfer but also lowers overall gene diversity.
Photosynthesis capacity has also been correlated to AMG diversity. Aphotic viral communities possess greater AMG diversity than those in the photic zone.