d A mechanism of hybrid gene birth is employed by many
families of RNA viruses
d Human RNA and viral RNA encode new genes together
d Hybrid genes either make extensions of viral proteins or
novel proteins (UFOs)
d Human-virus genes and proteins play roles in pathogenesis
and are conserved
Like a scene out of “Invasion of the Body Snatchers,” a virus infects a host and converts it into a factory for making more copies of itself. Now researchers have shown that a large group of viruses, including the influenza viruses and other serious pathogens, steal genetic signals from their hosts to expand their own genomes.
This finding is presented in a study published online today and in print June 25 in Cell...
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