Host-virus interactions have played key role in evolution

Dr. Irwin explained to Medical News Today that the researchers “used computational analyses to search for evidence of transferred genes in the genomes of around 200 eukaryotes and thousands of viruses, which covered the diversity of eukaryotic and viral species whose genomes had been sampled.” “We were not only interested in identifying viral genes within eukaryotic genomes, but also detecting the presence of eukaryotic genes in viral genomes.”Medical News Today asked Dr. Irwin how they were able to arrive at such sweeping conclusions about genetic relatedness between eukaryotes and viruses. These new resources have resulted from major DNA sequencing efforts trying to understand the diversity of genomes across the tree of life.”“In addition to this, recent technological advances in high-throughput DNA sequencing and metagenomics, which is the sequencing and assembly of genomes from mixed communities of organisms, such as seawater samples, has accelerated the rate at which these data have become available.”“Having a large diversity of high-quality genomic datasets was crucial, as it allowed us to infer which species were participating in these gene transfers,” Dr. Irwin added.The scientists found that both viruses and eukaryotes “hijack” each others’ DNA. Similar to how the discovery and characterization of the microbiome changed our view of bacteria, I think that revealing the influence that viruses have had on the evolution of life could encourage more nuanced thoughts about the importance of viruses in nature.”– Dr. IrwinRegarding where this research might lead future scientific endeavors, principal author, Professor Patrick Keeling, added: “A lot of progress in understanding [h]orizontal gene transfer (HGT) in eukaryotes has focused on the pattern of gene transfers on the tree of eukaryotes — now we also have some insights into the process that led to that pattern and the likelihood that viruses are a major route for transfers.” “It would be useful to take a few of the lineages where we see a lot of viral HGT and dig deeper, looking at more closely related hosts and viruses to see the process unfolding at different time scales.”And finally, Dr. Keeling noted, “identifying which genes are selected for in viruses can tell you a lot about what process makes the virus more successful, and by extension how it uses its host cell.”This study, explaining HGT between eukaryotes and viruses, is the first of its kind to reveal how viruses may have allowed multiple eukaryotic species to diverge and evolve.Were humans designed to eat meat?