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Updated: Nov 24, 2025
08:39
Whole-cell Patch-clamp Recordings for Electrophysiological Determination of Ion Selectivity in Channelrhodopsins
Published on: May 22, 2017
17.7K
Evolutionary Biology: Viral Rhodopsins Illuminate Algal Evolution
Lucie Gallot-Lavallée1, John M Archibald1
1Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada.
Current Biology : CB
|December 22, 2020
Summary
Marine viruses have acquired genes from algae that control light-gated ion channels. These genes may enable viruses to alter the swimming behavior of infected algae, impacting marine ecosystems.
Area of Science:
- Marine biology
- Virology
- Genetics
Background:
- Marine viruses play crucial roles in oceanic ecosystems.
- Algae possess unique genetic mechanisms for light response.
- Gene transfer between viruses and hosts is a significant evolutionary process.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the origin and function of specific genes found in marine viruses.
- To understand the implications of gene acquisition by viruses from algal hosts.
Main Methods:
- Metagenomic sequencing of marine viral communities.
- Bioinformatic analysis to identify viral genes and their origins.
- Comparative genomics to study gene transfer events.
Main Results:
- Discovery of channelrhin genes in marine viruses, originating from green algae.
- Evidence suggests these genes were recently acquired by the viruses.
- Channelrhin genes encode light-gated ion channels, potentially influencing host behavior.
Conclusions:
- Marine viruses can acquire functional genes from eukaryotic hosts like algae.
- Acquired channelrhin genes may represent a novel mechanism for viruses to manipulate algal swimming behavior.
- This gene transfer highlights the dynamic evolutionary interactions between viruses and marine life.
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