Viruses Play Key Role In Our Ability To Reproduce And Survive, Study Finds
New study points out that some viruses play a key evolutionary role in mammals ability to reproduce and survive. Study by scientists in the Cincinnati Childrens Perinatal Institute CCPI and at Azabu University in Japan has now been published in the journal Nature Structural & Molecular Biology.
Yes, the COVID-19 pandemic has left everyone dreading the term ¡®virus¡¯ altogether. As people ensure hygiene like never before to avoid contracting the responsible virus, not all viruses are as harmful for humans. In fact, a new study points out that some viruses play a key evolutionary role in mammals' ability to reproduce and survive.
The new study by scientists in the Cincinnati Children's Perinatal Institute (CCPI) and at Azabu University in Japan has now been published in the journal Nature Structural & Molecular Biology. The team of scientists obtained the data for the research by studying laboratory mice and human germline cells.
(Representative Image: Unsplash)
The scientists filed two separate papers in the same edition of the journal, revealing two distinct but fundamental processes underlying germline transcriptomes, i.e. all the messenger RNA molecules passed on as inherited genetic material to offspring. Germline transcriptomes thus also define the unique character of sperm and egg for the next generation of life.
The studies show that endogenous retroviruses fine-tune species-specific transcriptomes in the mammalian germline, including mammals like humans, mice, and others.
The study combined biological testing of mouse models and human germline cells with computational biology. This included genome-wide profiling of gene regulatory elements in germline cells.
(Representative Image: Pixabay)
The tests revealed that bursts of germline gene expression is driven by genome-wide reorganisation of super-enhancers. This happens when germ cells enter meiosis, a form of cell division that produces four daughter cells, each with half the number of chromosomes of the parent cell.
The study further demonstrated the molecular process responsible for super-enhancer switching within germ cells. It found that these super-enhancers are regulated by two molecules, the transcription factor A-MYB and SCML2, a silencing protein in sperm formation. These molecules act as gene-burst control switches for the super-enhancers.
"What we learn from our study is that, in general, viruses have major roles in driving evolution. In the long-term, viruses have positive impacts on our genome and shape evolution," explained Satoshi Namekawa of CCPI.
