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FOUNTAIN OF SPARE PARTS. “Since viruses typically have high mutation and recombination rates as well as very high reproduction rates relative to their hosts, a relaxed selection due to complementation, for instance, may be an evolutionary mechanism that enhances the creation of new genes in viral genomes. This is consistent with the occurrence of many small genes of unknown function in viral genomes (ORFans) including numerous small membrane proteins.” https://lnkd.in/dsexZC2 View in LinkedIn

NEW LINEAGE. “The latter hypothesis of a viral origin for K+ channels is not that surprising, when one considers that many other viruses code for very simple and viral specific proteins with ion channel functions. In these examples, some or all K+ channels in cellular organisms might be derived from ancestral viral proteins.” https://lnkd.in/dsexZC2 View in LinkedIn

ANCIENT VIRAL ORIGINS. “Another scenario is that viral channel homologs evolved prior to or at the time of the divergence of eukaryotic algae. The viral K+ channels could arise from an ancient cellular organism, which served as a host for these viruses before they developed their present host specificity, or they might directly originate from the ancient virus world.” https://lnkd.in/dsexZC2 View in LinkedIn

NEW EXPLANATIONS NEEDED. “Clearly, our results contradict the ‘molecular piracy hypothesis’ where viral genes are assumed to be transferred from their hosts; thus alternative explanations are required.” https://lnkd.in/dsexZC2 View in LinkedIn

POTASSIUM CHANNELS. “The viral K+ channels are small and basically consist of the pore module shared by all K+ channels. Our analyses indicate that viral-encoded K+ channel proteins do not have a close phylogenetic relationship with their host-encoded K+ channel proteins. A similar scenario was recently discovered for a chlorovirus encoded cation transporter which occurs in different virus species independent of their host.” https://lnkd.in/dsexZC2 View in LinkedIn

VIRAL GENE SWAPS. “Hence their ancestor probably exchanged vast pools of genetic elements horizontally and generated a reticulated network of genes at an early stage of their evolution. This view is consistent with the genetics of phycodnavirus evolution as these viruses have both prokaryotic and eukaryotic homologs in addition to many other genes with no cellular homologs.” https://lnkd.in/dsexZC2 View in LinkedIn

STILL CONSIDERED NEUTRAL. "Synonymous variation is therefore still often thought to lack any major functional or evolutionary importance." https://lnkd.in/dU2Q65U View in LinkedIn

HORIZONTAL NOT VERTICAL. “Comparative genomics studies further suggest that virus evolution can best be understood in terms of reticulated ‘trees’ and mosaic evolution. This means that large DNA viruses fundamentally have a network-based history that does not trace back to a single gene or set of genes.” https://lnkd.in/dsexZC2 View in LinkedIn

PREFERRED CODONS. "Such codons are translated more accurately and more efficiently because they are recognized by more abundant tRNA molecules with more specific anti-codon binding. While this kind of selection acting on synonymous mutations is widely accepted, it is generally estimated to be weak - nearly, if not quite, neutral." https://lnkd.in/dU2Q65U View in LinkedIn

NEW IDEAS. “If the viral channel proteins are simplified versions of cellular proteins recently acquired from their hosts, then we would expect to see a high level of sequence similarity between the viral and host homologs. However, this traditional view of virus evolution has been challenged by recent phylogenetic studies of genes in large eukaryotic viruses and prokaryotic viruses.” https://lnkd.in/dsexZC2 View in LinkedIn