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Virus Stole a Human Gene and Won't Let Go of Itnytimes.com
95 points•gumby•2 days ago•36 comments•
#gene#stole#let#virus#human#human gene#let go#virus stole

36 comments

pazimzadeh1 day ago
Seems par for the course since our adaptive immune system is based on an old viral/transposon recombinase.

Transposon Molecular Domestication and the Evolution of the RAG Recombinase

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6494689/

Here is the actual study:

Escape of the BC200 gene to a human poxvirus reveals its persistent transposition in primates

https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aeh3441

shevy-java1 day ago
Is VDJ recombination based on viruses or transposons?

It's the first time I hear this. Can't yet say much about it until I can verify that.

pazimzadeh1 day ago
Yes, the RAG transposon inserted itself into a variable domain exon about 500 million years ago. Here’s a more recent paper on this:

Origin of immunoglobulins and T cell receptors: A candidate gene for invasion by the RAG transposon

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40614193/

> It's the first time I hear this. Can't yet say much about it until I can verify that.

How are you going to verify it?

initramfs1 day ago
This brings a whole new meaning to sores. Has this infection been previously identified? Edit: Yes https://www.cdc.gov/molluscum-contagiosum/about/index.html

I guess it just hadn't been linked to human genes before.

rolph1 day ago
this head line has the wrong end of the stick, the gene in question is a known transposable element AKA a jumping gene, so no a virus didnt steal a gene.

A transposable element partook of vertical gene flow to a conspecific expression system.

https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2026/09/new-type-human-jump...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transposable_element

meatbundragon1 day ago
Gift link since people were complaining about the NYT paywall - https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/28/science/virus-molluscum-h...
readthenotes11 day ago
This must be microbe awareness day.

Earlier iirc someone posted

https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/cancer-infections-9.7361622

pxc1 day ago
I thought viruses weren't considered to be microbes. Was I mistaken? Is there a broader category that includes things like bacteria and also viruses?
titanomachy1 day ago
In the context of "things that cause diseases", "pathogen" covers both. But that isn't exactly an answer to your question.

Read the full thread on Hacker News →

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