AMGs play a crucial role in microbial adaptation to environmental changes. In extreme environments, AMGs can encode for alternate energy pathways such as subunits of dissimilatory sulfite reductase. The ability of viruses to confer new metabolic traits to their hosts enhances the resilience of microbial communities facing shifts in temperature, nutrient availability, or other environmental stressors. AMGs can also serve as a genetic pool in shaping the evolution of their hosts.