Thousands of new RNA viruses have been identified by a team of researchers during the Tara Oceans ocean expedition which aims to study marine plankton and protect Antarctic biodiversity. The experts provided a comprehensive mapping of the spread of the viruses
RNA viruses are now a reality with which we have had to learn to live with in the last two years, but as the Covid-19 epidemic has largely shown us, we do not know much about these viruses, being little known in the world of science. And in fact, just recently a team of researchers made a surprising discovery: over 5500 new RNA viruses have been identified in oceanic waters in plankton samples.
To reveal it is a new study published in the journal Science and conducted by the Fondation Tara Océan in collaboration with The Ohio State University which has identified the gene that codes for the only protein shared by all RNA viruses, essential for replicating the genome. This is the RdRp, a characteristic gene absent in other viruses or cells that would have evolved for billions of years.
Viruses are in fact generally difficult to distinguish in nature since they do not possess certain DNA traits that experts call "genetic bar codes" and always have divergences in their sequences. To remedy the problem, the research team found the presence of the enzyme RdRp, finding the viral protein in 44.000 plankton samples.
RNA viruses are clearly important in our world, but we usually only study a small fraction of them, the few hundred that harm humans, plants and animals. We wanted to study them systematically on a large scale and explore an environment that no one had looked at thoroughly, and we were lucky because practically every species was quite new and many were totally new "
explained Matthew Sullivan, lead author of the study.
From the analyzes performed, the researchers thus identified 5504 previously unknown marine RNA viruses. Consequently, the number of phyla, that is the biological groups in which the species of the animal and plant kingdom are classified, has also increased, passing from five to ten with the new Taraviricota, Pomiviricota, Paraxenoviricota, Wamoviricota and Arctiviricota. To two of these, Taraviricot and Arctiviricota, belong a good part of these viruses, mainly diffused in tropical waters of temperate zones.
The study of the genetic material and the identification of new viruses allowed the experts to develop a mapping of the spread of these in the oceans.
@Science
This incredible discovery provides not only new information on the evolution of viral forms, but, more widely, on life on the planet.
The RdRp gene should be one of the oldest genes: it existed before DNA was needed. So we are not only tracing the origins of viruses, but we are also tracing the origins of life "
said researcher Ahmed Zayed.
Fonte: Science
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