Antarctic mystery microbe could tell us where viruses came from

[Judi Lynn]

21 August 2017




 The lake in Antarctica where the R1S1 strain of Halorubrum lacusprofundi was discovered

Alyce Hancock


By Michael Marshall

A peculiar Antarctic microbe may offer a clue to one of the biggest mysteries in evolution: the origin of viruses.

The microorganism is host to a fragment of DNA that can build a capsule around itself. It may help solve the mystery of how viruses first arose.

Viruses are not like other life forms. Arguably, they are not alive at all. All other living things are made of cells: squashy bags filled with the other essential molecules of life. Cells are intricate machines that can feed and reproduce independently.

Viruses are much simpler. A typical virus is a small piece of genetic material encased in a shell called a capsid. On its own, a virus can do little. But if it enters a living cell, it starts making copies of itself. Viruses often harm their hosts: for instance, the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) can cause AIDS when it infects a person.

More:
https://www.newscientist.com/article/2144518-antarctic-mystery-microbe-could-tell-us-where-viruses-came-from/?utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=ILC&utm_campaign=webpush&cmpid=ILC%257CNSNS%257C2016-GLOBAL-webpush-mystery-microbe

[Javaman]

1. as the permafrost melts, more and more of these ancient virus will emerge.

[Warpy]

2. Maybe some of them will allow future life to breather methane and CO2

Our nitrogen-oxygen mix is probably in danger if the permafrost goes.