Virus hiding in our genome protects early human embryos
We may owe our survival and complexity to a stowaway virus that springs to life in the very first cells of human embryos. Not only does the virus seem to protect embryos from other viruses, but it also assists genes when the groundwork is under way for the body plan of a new human.
The finding backs the controversial idea that viruses which took up residence in our DNA millions of years ago may be playing the role of puppet master, quietly influencing our existence and evolution. “We are creatures controlled by viruses,” says Luis Villarreal of the University of California at Irvine.
Paper:
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v522/n7555/full/nature14308.html
Source & further reading:
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn27384-virus-hiding-in-our-genome-protects-early-human-embryos.html#.VX5hP7mdK71
#genetics #research #virus #cell
We're pod people infected by an alien virus just like in the film The Invasion.
ReplyDelete¡Well Come to The Viral Overlords!
ReplyDeleteAll hail the panspermic puppeteer!
Pathogens steal attention.
ReplyDeleteWe are vast communities of life.
ReplyDeleteI've also read that the placenta is a huge pile of viral products, repurposed to serve to protect mother and child from each other's immune systems.
ReplyDeleteWow very interesting
ReplyDelete