Year: 2022

COMPLEXIFICATION. "The concept of evolutionary transitions, in principle, can be perceived as a general theory for the evolution of complexity." https://lnkd.in/dwWBEqU View in LinkedIn

NEGATIVE REVERSIONS. "Each major transition appears to have involved evolution of mechanisms that control selection at the preceding, lower level of organization. Reversion to the lower level of selection can be deleterious to the higher level, complex entities as obviously illustrated by cancer." https://lnkd.in/dwWBEqU View in LinkedIn

CO-EVOLUTION IS KEY. "All or nearly all cellular life forms harbour diverse genetic parasites including transposons, plasmids, viruses and other selfish elements. Parasite–host coevolution is a major aspect of all evolution of life." https://lnkd.in/dwWBEqU View in LinkedIn

LOVE-HATE RACE. "In large part, this coevolution takes the form of the incessant arms race during which the cellular hosts evolve multiple, in some cases highly elaborate mechanisms of resistance and defence to which the parasites respond by evolving counter-defence systems. However, cooperation between hosts and parasites complements the arms race." https://lnkd.in/dwWBEqU View in LinkedIn

VIRAL PARASITE CONTRIBUTION. "Parasitic genetic elements can provide benefits to the host by protecting the host from superinfection, but also through exaptation of genetic material of the selfish elements for host functions." https://lnkd.in/dwWBEqU View in LinkedIn

HUGE DERIVATION. "Sequences derived from mobile genetic elements (MGE) constitute large fractions of the genomes of many eukaryotes, e.g. up to 90% of some plant genomes and are considered to be important drivers of genome evolution." https://lnkd.in/dwWBEqU View in LinkedIn

VIRAL ROLE. "A major role of viruses in the host biology has also been demonstrated in prokaryotes as illustrated by gene transduction, in particular the transfer of photosystem genes by cyanophages, the use of defective prophages as vehicles for horizontal gene transfer (HGT) known as gene transfer agents, and more generally by the recruitment of viral genes for diverse host functions." https://lnkd.in/dwWBEqU View in LinkedIn

BROAD SPECTRUM. "The relationships between genomic parasites and their hosts encompass a wide range of ‘selfishness’, i.e. the parasites form a broad spectrum with respect to the cost they incur on the host." https://lnkd.in/dwWBEqU View in LinkedIn

FIRST PROPOSITION. "Here, I present evidence and argument that selfish elements make key contributions to evolutionary transitions at least at two levels. First, the parasite–host arms race leads to increased organizational complexity of biological systems, i.e. serving as a catalyst of evolutionary transitions." https://lnkd.in/dwWBEqU View in LinkedIn

SECOND PROPOSITION. "Second, viruses and mobile elements contribute specific genes that play major roles in the emergence of coherent wholes at a new level of complexity." https://lnkd.in/dwWBEqU View in LinkedIn