5 ms·
Magnificent. The placenta uses a protein named syncytin [1] to attach to the cells of the uterus. This protein is expressed by a retrovirus that was integrated
by sradman 6y ago
Magnificent. The placenta uses a protein named syncytin [1] to attach to the cells of the uterus. This protein is expressed by a retrovirus that was integrated into animal DNA over 100 million years ago.
This reminds me of Lynn Margulis’ discovery that mitochondria and chloroplasts are ancient bacteria incorporated into the cell [2].
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syncytin-1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syncytin-1
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lynn_Margulis#Endosymbiosis_theory https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lynn_Margulis#Endosymbiosis_th...
- jacquesm 6y agoI don't recall where I read it but I recall that the nucleus of a cell started out as a captive bacterium.
- koeng 6y agoNot likely for nucleus - https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2020.571831 https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2020.571831 Gemmata obscuriglobus is pretty interesting, and one could imagine how you go from it to nucleus https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gemmata_obscuriglobus https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gemmata_obscuriglobus
- jacquesm 6y agoInteresting, thank you!
- n0rbwah 6y agoFun fact, Syncytin-1 is the syncytin used by primates, other branches of mammals have other forms of syncytins, meaning that the event of being infected by a retrovirus that gives mammals proteins necessary for the placenta happened several times in history following the original event and replaced the original syncytin. (Not sure those proteins are also called syncytins in other mammals but I'm not a biologist so I'm using the limited vocabulary I have)
- kridsdale1 6y agoHow do we know it happened many times, vs a single ancient origin with non-lethal random mutation experienced by different branches since then?