Month: September 2022

INFECTIOUS NUCLEUS. “Of particular interest, such a transfer of an 'infectious' nucleus is well documented in many parasitic red algae. Such back-and-forth eukaryogenesis-viriogenesis could readily explain the multiplicity of present-day virus lineages, together with their diversity in size, complexity and gene complement, as well as the apparent mixture of monophyly and polyphyly (descent from more than one ancestor) exhibited by the viral world.” https://lnkd.in/eyzfrxe View in LinkedIn

RNA TO DNA. “Also quite provocative is the idea that RNA viruses might be at the origin of DNA biochemistry. According to this scenario, RNA-based viruses infecting RNA-based cells would have acquired an RNA-to-DNA modification system to resist cellular RNA-degrading enzymes (the RNA equivalent of present-day bacterial restriction and modification systems).” https://lnkd.in/eyzfrxe View in LinkedIn

THE VIRUS FACTORY. “On one side, the bacteria are metabolically active, stealing ATP and biochemical precursors from their hosts to transcribe their genomes, translate their proteins, replicate their DNA, and divide. On the other side, one sees a large but metabolically silent viral particle, not deserving to be described as living by most biologists. This traditional view might, however, be a case of 'when the finger points to the stars, the fool looks at the finger'. Rather than comparing a parasitic cell to the virus particle, I believe we should compare it to the 'virus factory'.” https://lnkd.in/eyzfrxe View in LinkedIn

NOT IN TREE OF LIFE. “In the last decade metagenomic assessments have led us to realize that viruses are the dominate biological entities of the biosphere and are the most numerous, diverse and dynamic genetic agents on Earth. Although viruses have long been dismissed from the Tree of Life a simply destructive and selfish extra-genomic genetic parasites, comparative genomics now makes it clear that viral colonization distinguishes all domains of life.” Professor Luis Villarreal, a brilliant Virus First proponent. https://lnkd.in/da9vfBg View in LinkedIn

VIRAL CONSORTIA. “Villarreal thinks we need a new language to deal with the dynamic of viruses, which exist as nonlinear collective entities, i.e., consortia. He considers viruses active organisms that are not only the biggest component of the biomass but comprise 10% of the human genome. Villarreal goes as far as saying that “all living habitats . . . have and must operate in a virosphere” — Ex virus omnia (from virus everything) is his motto.” https://lnkd.in/ej7yCCq View in LinkedIn

VIRUSES CREATED LIFE. “Every plant, every animal, and even humans were created in large part by viruses.” https://lnkd.in/guhpmyR View in LinkedIn

BOMBSHELL. “We are the descendants of viruses.” https://lnkd.in/guhpmyR View in LinkedIn

EVOLUTION. “Viruses are the leading edge of evolution.” https://lnkd.in/guhpmyR View in LinkedIn

THE KING. “It is the virus that is king of the jungle.” https://lnkd.in/guhpmyR View in LinkedIn

EXTREME DIVERSITY. “Viruses are the most diverse entities on our planet.” https://lnkd.in/guhpmyR View in LinkedIn