Proteavirus

The crab teratoma site provides insight into the behavior of the PROTEAVIRUS.

1. Gross genetic transfer The Proteavirus can reprogram cells of one organism (coral) to behave as, and become, cells of another (the coral crab). This is biologically implausible. Nonetheless it occurs.

2. Horizontal gene exchange Horizontal gene transfer is the exchange of DNA between organisms other than parent and child. It occurs frequently on Earth, largely, but not exclusively, between microbes. The human placenta depends on a capsule protein that was inserted into ancestral mammals by a retrovirus infecting a sperm or egg cell.

3. Evolutionary catalyst? The Proteavirus may have evolved earlier than terrestrial viruses, granting it 'root level' access to biology on this world. If it constantly exchanges genes between species, it may increase the pace of evolution — allowing natural selection to more rapidly search the space of all possible life forms for the best-adapted. But most changes are destructive, not helpful.

4. Viruses as free riders While viruses are common and evolutionarily important, they are parasites, and ultimately consume the host's resources for little return. A healthy ecosystem should

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manage its viral infections into productive roles.

ASSESSMENT: Ambiguous. Proteavirus may provide life on this world with an evolutionary advantage, at the cost of pervasive viral infection.