4 ms·

Horizontal gene transfer occurs routinely among bacteria through a process called conjugation. Bacteria literally inject their neighbour with a chunk of DNA. T

Horizontal gene transfer occurs routinely among bacteria through a process called conjugation. Bacteria literally inject their neighbour with a chunk of DNA. This is what the molecular apparatus looks like from the surface membrain of a bacterium. https://youtube.com/watch?v=ihlFqOK5cZM https://youtube.com/watch?v=ihlFqOK5cZM

JPLeRouzic 6y ago
Yes, but here it is between eukaryotic cells, which are much more complex than prokaryotes, isn't? And it is between cell's type that are vastly different, one relying on photosynthesis, the other uses cell respiration. I am wrong?
- wombatmobile 6y ago
  You are indeed correct to point out that the article is about two eukaryotes which are vastly different organisms, separated evolutionarily from bacteria by hundreds of millions of years, or billions of years, depending on how you measure it. Similarly, humans are quite different from whiteflies, although the difference is put into perspective when you consider that we have something like 40% commonality of genes, depending on how you map homologues. How the plant gene got into the whitefly is a deep mystery that happened long ago. If we go back even further in evolutionary history, insects, humans and other eukaryotes are descended from prokaryotes. The organelles of eukaryotic cells such as the mitochondria of animal cells and the chloroplasts of plant cells were once individual prokaryotes which merged into colonies and formed eukaryotic cells through endosymbiosis. Even today, eukaryotes live symbiotically with prokaryotes in a way that is impossible to disaggregate. You have as many prokaryotic cells living inside of your shirt and pants as you do eukaryotic cells, with trillions of gut bacteria responsible for keeping you alive by pre-processing the food you buy from the supermarket and restaurants into nutrients and amino acids that your actual body can utilise. Whiteflies also have parasitic and symbiotic commensal bacteria that are integral parts of their organism. Perhaps one of those gut bacteria, or a respiratory parasite transferred that plant gene millions of years ago in a freak occurrence. Or maybe it happens regularly and systemically. With gene sequencing only becoming widely available in the last decade, scientists are just beginning to isolate and identify examples of gene transfer like the one in this article.
  - faitswulff 6y ago
    > Even today, eukaryotes live symbiotically with prokaryotes in a way that is impossible to disaggregate. Don’t forget mitochondria, the cellular organelles that are responsible for cell respiration: > Mitochondria and chloroplasts likely evolved from engulfed prokaryotes that once lived as independent organisms. At some point, a eukaryotic cell engulfed an aerobic prokaryote, which then formed an endosymbiotic relationship with the host eukaryote, gradually developing into a mitochondrion. https://www.nature.com/scitable/content/the-origin-of-mitochondria-and-chloroplasts-14747702/ https://www.nature.com/scitable/content/the-origin-of-mitoch...
- koeng 6y ago
  They are more complex, but the cell type doesn't matter as much. In fact, there are bacteria that cause disease using HGT (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agrobacterium https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agrobacterium). Modification of those bacteria is how you get low-cost plant genetic engineering.
- mannerheim 6y ago
  There are many cases of horizontal gene transfer involving eukaryotic cells, although usually the donor would be a prokaryotic cell or a virus. The bacterial residents of mealybug have lost the ability to make crucial proteins, and instead rely on the mealybug to produce them. It never had those genes in the first place, obtaining them instead through HGT. It's thus posited that eukaryotic organelles such as mitochondria and chloroplasts transferred genes to their hosts as well.[0] [0]: https://www.quantamagazine.org/cell-bacteria-mergers-offer-clues-to-how-organelles-evolved-20191003/ https://www.quantamagazine.org/cell-bacteria-mergers-offer-c...
chovybizzass 6y ago
...this is how the aliens injected their DNA in monkeys 20,000 years ago.
otoburb 6y ago
That video was awesome. Reminded me of a cell-based version of the game Factorio.
- Teever 6y ago
  It reminded me of this marvellous machine that was designed by Konrad Zuse: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odwgpKRnWM8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odwgpKRnWM8
matheusmoreira 6y ago
They can also absorb DNA from their dead friends in order to obtain their powers. Microscopic Mega Men. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transformation_(genetics) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transformation_(genetics)
tr3ndyBEAR 6y ago
HGT is also common amongst soil fungi between bacteria and fungi. In fact, when certain mycorrhizal fungi are placed in high-stress environments, the rate of HGT increases. It's not really understood what mechanisms cause this, but it seems to be an adaptation to quickly adapt and evolved to a new environment by borrowing genes from other soil organisms

JPLeRouzic 6y ago

Yes, but here it is between eukaryotic cells, which are much more complex than prokaryotes, isn't? And it is between cell's type that are vastly different, one relying on photosynthesis, the other uses cell respiration. I am wrong?

wombatmobile 6y ago
You are indeed correct to point out that the article is about two eukaryotes which are vastly different organisms, separated evolutionarily from bacteria by hundreds of millions of years, or billions of years, depending on how you measure it. Similarly, humans are quite different from whiteflies, although the difference is put into perspective when you consider that we have something like 40% commonality of genes, depending on how you map homologues. How the plant gene got into the whitefly is a deep mystery that happened long ago. If we go back even further in evolutionary history, insects, humans and other eukaryotes are descended from prokaryotes. The organelles of eukaryotic cells such as the mitochondria of animal cells and the chloroplasts of plant cells were once individual prokaryotes which merged into colonies and formed eukaryotic cells through endosymbiosis. Even today, eukaryotes live symbiotically with prokaryotes in a way that is impossible to disaggregate. You have as many prokaryotic cells living inside of your shirt and pants as you do eukaryotic cells, with trillions of gut bacteria responsible for keeping you alive by pre-processing the food you buy from the supermarket and restaurants into nutrients and amino acids that your actual body can utilise. Whiteflies also have parasitic and symbiotic commensal bacteria that are integral parts of their organism. Perhaps one of those gut bacteria, or a respiratory parasite transferred that plant gene millions of years ago in a freak occurrence. Or maybe it happens regularly and systemically. With gene sequencing only becoming widely available in the last decade, scientists are just beginning to isolate and identify examples of gene transfer like the one in this article.
- faitswulff 6y ago
  > Even today, eukaryotes live symbiotically with prokaryotes in a way that is impossible to disaggregate. Don’t forget mitochondria, the cellular organelles that are responsible for cell respiration: > Mitochondria and chloroplasts likely evolved from engulfed prokaryotes that once lived as independent organisms. At some point, a eukaryotic cell engulfed an aerobic prokaryote, which then formed an endosymbiotic relationship with the host eukaryote, gradually developing into a mitochondrion. https://www.nature.com/scitable/content/the-origin-of-mitochondria-and-chloroplasts-14747702/ https://www.nature.com/scitable/content/the-origin-of-mitoch...
koeng 6y ago
They are more complex, but the cell type doesn't matter as much. In fact, there are bacteria that cause disease using HGT (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agrobacterium https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agrobacterium). Modification of those bacteria is how you get low-cost plant genetic engineering.
mannerheim 6y ago
There are many cases of horizontal gene transfer involving eukaryotic cells, although usually the donor would be a prokaryotic cell or a virus. The bacterial residents of mealybug have lost the ability to make crucial proteins, and instead rely on the mealybug to produce them. It never had those genes in the first place, obtaining them instead through HGT. It's thus posited that eukaryotic organelles such as mitochondria and chloroplasts transferred genes to their hosts as well.[0] [0]: https://www.quantamagazine.org/cell-bacteria-mergers-offer-clues-to-how-organelles-evolved-20191003/ https://www.quantamagazine.org/cell-bacteria-mergers-offer-c...

chovybizzass 6y ago

...this is how the aliens injected their DNA in monkeys 20,000 years ago.

otoburb 6y ago

That video was awesome. Reminded me of a cell-based version of the game Factorio.

Teever 6y ago
It reminded me of this marvellous machine that was designed by Konrad Zuse: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odwgpKRnWM8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odwgpKRnWM8

matheusmoreira 6y ago

They can also absorb DNA from their dead friends in order to obtain their powers. Microscopic Mega Men. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transformation_(genetics) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transformation_(genetics)

tr3ndyBEAR 6y ago

HGT is also common amongst soil fungi between bacteria and fungi. In fact, when certain mycorrhizal fungi are placed in high-stress environments, the rate of HGT increases. It's not really understood what mechanisms cause this, but it seems to be an adaptation to quickly adapt and evolved to a new environment by borrowing genes from other soil organisms