AI Summary
Ancient retroviruses, specifically retrotransposons, have been found to play a key role in the evolution of vertebrate brains. Researchers discovered that a retrotransposon called 'RetroMyelin' is crucial for myelin production in mammals, amphibians, and fish. This gene sequence is believed to have originated from ancient viral infections. The study suggests that retroviral infections and genome-invasion events occurred independently in each of these vertebrate groups. This research sheds light on the importance of ancient viral elements in the development of complex brains in different species.
Researchers report that ancient viruses may be to thank for myelin — and, by extension, our large, complex brains. The team found that a retrovirus-derived genetic element or ‘retrotransposon’ is essential for myelin production in mammals, amphibians, and fish. The gene sequence, which they dubbed ‘RetroMyelin,’ is likely a result of ancient viral infection, and comparisons of RetroMyelin in mammals, amphibians, and fish suggest that retroviral infection and genome-invasion events occurred separately in each of these groups.