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CONSCRIPTED ACTORS. "There are few cases of parasite-induced mimicry, whereby the appearance of an intermediate host is transformed to the extent that it resembles a completely different organism. The only terrestrial invertebrate example is the trematode Leucochloridium, which causes the antennae of infected snails to resemble caterpillars." https://lnkd.in/eWddRJi View in LinkedIn

UNEXPECTED PROPERTIES. "First, different categories of rRNA secondary structure (stems, loops, bulges, and junctions) have distinct, characteristic base compositions. Second, the observed patterns of variation are similar among sequences from large and small rRNA subunits and all domains of life, despite extensive evolutionary divergence. https://lnkd.in/erj2nzZ View in LinkedIn

PARASITE-MEDIATED MIMICRY: "Dramatic changes in the appearance and behavior of nematode-parasitized ants such that they resemble ripe fruits...Unlike healthy ants, which are completely black, infected ants have bright red, berry-like gasters full of parasite eggs. The infected gasters are held in a conspicuous elevated position." Birds eat the infected ants, the parasite eggs pass through the body and the feces are collected by ants who feed it to their young, thus completing the cycle (C. Atratus). https://lnkd.in/eWddRJi View in LinkedIn

UNIVERSAL TEMPLATE STRUCTURES. "Natural selection is not required to explain universal compositional patterns in rRNA secondary structure categories. We have encountered an unexpected property of rRNA secondary structures that may generalize to all RNAs. Analysis of 8892 ribosomal RNA sequences and structures from a wide range of species revealed unexpected universal compositional trends." https://lnkd.in/erj2nzZ View in LinkedIn

MY EPITAPH. "The more I study nature, the more I become impressed […] that the contrivances and beautiful adaptations [acquired through natural selection] transcend in an incomparable degree [those] which the most fertile imagination of the most imaginative man could suggest with unlimited time at his disposal." (Charles Darwin). https://lnkd.in/eykUy37 View in LinkedIn

STEP FROM THE GREY ZONE. "If stem-loop consortia build complex consortia they initiate social interactions not present in a pure chemical world. The emergence of identity (self vs. nonself) is a crucial step from single RNA stem loops to RNA consortia; maybe the crucial step from inanimate world to life?" https://lnkd.in/eUYvi8e View in LinkedIn

THE COCKROACH "can be parasitized by the parasitoid Moniliformis moniliformis, leading to increased locomotion activity ... the same cockroach species can be parasitized by the tropical wasp Ampulex compressa, inducing a zombie-like state and preventing it from any spontaneous locomotion. These parasites may have conflicting interests, and in case of coparasitation, this might be expressed in different manipulation patterns than for singly infected hosts." https://lnkd.in/e2g9KSe View in LinkedIn

THE GREY ZONE. "The core issue is thus to specify how “agents” emerge from chemicals (ribozymes) to form identity (such as for replicators) and then form groups that learn membership. For all extant life, these agents must have initially been RNA stem loops. Single RNA stem-loop generation occurs by physical chemical properties solely as demonstrated by natural and randomized RNA experiments." https://lnkd.in/eUYvi8e View in LinkedIn

RNA DEFINED BY GAME THEORY. "Social membership is not considered. Nor is the emergence of complex behavior or phenotype crucial. Interactions within and between networks simply must emerge from individual fittest type origins as suggested in former quasispecies concepts. There are no group behavioral issues or principles that must be adhered to. The collective has no group fitness even though it can show emergent features." https://lnkd.in/eUYvi8e View in LinkedIn

SO ENDS this first weekend on parasite-host relations, an ancient and wine widespread phenomenon in nature that ranges from true parasitism to mutualism. This does not cover the range of microbial and viral parasitism. These examples serve to illustrate the deeply sophisticated ways that a body may be hacked by another creature. View in LinkedIn