Did Humans Get Vision From Bacteria? New Study Reveals Fascinating Details

The human eyesight evolved from bacteria, scientists claim. Considered one of the most complex organs in our body, the eye took a long journey to get where it is today.

Scientists have found that the evolution of our eye was partly caused by a key gene that emanated from a type of bacteria. In a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers used software to study the evolution of human genes, in turn discovering genes that originated from bacteria.

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Did vision originate from bacteria?

The human retina's ability to respond to light came from a gene that was acquired from bacteria. Bacteria possess the ability to exchange genes in the form of viruses or free pieces of DNA known as transposons, Indy100 reported.

This particular gene is called IRBP (interphotoreceptor retinoid-binding protein) and is responsible for encoding proteins in a layer of cells over the retina, the study said. Researchers say that the switch from microbes to vertebrates happened over 500 million-years-ago.

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For their study, molecular biologists from the University of California created the IQTREE computer model programme. It was using this model that potential evidence of "interdomain horizontal gene transfer" was found. This refers to the movement of genetic material between different kinds of organisms.

What we¡¯ve found is that at least one innovation that led to the current structure of vertebrate eyes did not occur from stepwise ¡°tinkering¡± with genes that exist in other animals, but came from introduction of novel DNA from bacteria by HGT (Horizontal Gene Transfer). 3/

¡ª Matt Daugherty (@Daugherty_Lab) April 10, 2023

"At least one innovation that led to the current structure of vertebrate eyes did not occur from stepwise "tinkering" with genes that exist in other animals, but came from introduction of novel DNA from bacteria by horizontal gene transfer," study author Matt Daughtery wrote on Twitter.

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The IRBP gene, scientists say, is essential for all vertebrate vision and evolved over time to become sensitive to light, leading to the eventual development of organs like eyeballs. The same gene is absent in many invertebrates.

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