Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York.
Institute of Medical Microbiology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2019 Jul;1447(1):53-68. doi: 10.1111/nyas.14097. Epub 2019 Apr 29.
We describe mechanisms of genetic innovation mediated by viruses and related elements that, during evolution, caused major genetic changes beyond what was anticipated by Charles Darwin. Viruses and related elements introduced genetic information and have shaped the genomes and immune systems of all cellular life forms. None of these mechanisms contradict Darwin's theory of evolution but extend it by means of sequence information that has recently become available. Not only do small increments of genetic information contribute to evolution, but also do major events such as infection by viruses or bacteria, which can supply new genetic information to a host by horizontal gene transfer. Thereby, viruses and virus-like elements act as major drivers of evolution.
我们描述了病毒和相关元件介导的遗传创新机制，这些机制在进化过程中导致了超出查尔斯·达尔文预期的重大遗传变化。病毒和相关元件引入了遗传信息，并塑造了所有细胞生命形式的基因组和免疫系统。这些机制都没有违背达尔文的进化论，而是通过最近获得的序列信息对其进行了扩展。不仅遗传信息的小增量有助于进化，而且病毒或细菌的感染等重大事件也可以通过水平基因转移为宿主提供新的遗传信息。因此，病毒和类病毒元件是进化的主要驱动力。
