dorsal/arxiv
View SchemaVirus evolution : the emergence of new ideas (and re-emergence of old ones)
| Authors | Jean-Michel Claverie |
|---|---|
| Categories | |
| ArXiv ID | q-bio/0604034 |
| URL | https://arxiv.org/abs/q-bio/0604034 |
Abstract
Reputed intractable, the question of the origin of viruses has long been neglected. In the modern literature 'Virus evolution' has come to refer to study more akin to population genetics, such as the world-wide scrutiny on new polymorphisms appearing daily in the H5N1 avian flu virus [1], than to the fundamental interrogation: where do viruses come from? This situation is now rapidly changing, due to the coincidence of bold new ideas (and sometimes the revival of old ones), the unexpected features exhibited by recently isolated spectacular viruses [2] (see at URL: www.giantvirus.org), as well as the steady increase of genomic sequences for 'regular' viruses and cellular organisms enhancing the power of comparative genomics [3]. After being considered non-living and relegated in the wings by a majority of biologists, viruses are now pushed back on the center stage: they might have been at the origin of DNA, of the eukaryotic cell, and even of today's partition of biological organisms into 3 domains of life: bacteria, archaea and eukarya. Here, I quickly survey some of the recent discoveries and the new evolutionary thoughts they have prompted, before adding to the confusion with one interrogation of my own: what if we totally missed the true nature of (at least some) viruses?
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"abstract": "Reputed intractable, the question of the origin of viruses has long been\nneglected. In the modern literature \u0027Virus evolution\u0027 has come to refer to\nstudy more akin to population genetics, such as the world-wide scrutiny on new\npolymorphisms appearing daily in the H5N1 avian flu virus [1], than to the\nfundamental interrogation: where do viruses come from? This situation is now\nrapidly changing, due to the coincidence of bold new ideas (and sometimes the\nrevival of old ones), the unexpected features exhibited by recently isolated\nspectacular viruses [2] (see at URL: www.giantvirus.org), as well as the steady\nincrease of genomic sequences for \u0027regular\u0027 viruses and cellular organisms\nenhancing the power of comparative genomics [3]. After being considered\nnon-living and relegated in the wings by a majority of biologists, viruses are\nnow pushed back on the center stage: they might have been at the origin of DNA,\nof the eukaryotic cell, and even of today\u0027s partition of biological organisms\ninto 3 domains of life: bacteria, archaea and eukarya. Here, I quickly survey\nsome of the recent discoveries and the new evolutionary thoughts they have\nprompted, before adding to the confusion with one interrogation of my own: what\nif we totally missed the true nature of (at least some) viruses?",
"arxiv_id": "q-bio/0604034",
"authors": [
"Jean-Michel Claverie"
],
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"title": "Virus evolution : the emergence of new ideas (and re-emergence of old ones)",
"url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/q-bio/0604034"
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