A Virus Stole a Human Gene and Won't Let Go of It
Scientists have found a human gene, BC200, inside molluscum contagiosum virus, a skin infection that only affects humans. The virus swiped the gene from our ancestors about 100,000 years ago and has kept it ever since, suggesting it now uses our own DNA to infect us. The discovery, reported in Science, may be the first known case of a virus acquiring a human gene in recent evolutionary history.
This one hits closer to home.
- pazimzadeh
Seems par for the course since our adaptive immune system is based on an old viral/transposon recombinase.
Transposon Molecular Domestication and the Evolution of the RAG Recombinase
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6494689/
Here is the actual study:
Escape of the BC200 gene to a human poxvirus reveals its persistent transposition in primates
- rolph
this head line has the wrong end of the stick, the gene in question is a known transposable element AKA a jumping gene, so no a virus didnt steal a gene.
A transposable element partook of vertical gene flow to a conspecific expression system.
https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2026/09/new-type-human-jump...
- initramfs
This brings a whole new meaning to sores. Has this infection been previously identified? Edit: Yes
https://www.cdc.gov/molluscum-contagiosum/about/index.html
I guess it just hadn't been linked to human genes before.
- meatbundragon
Gift link since people were complaining about the NYT paywall - https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/28/science/virus-molluscum-h...
- readthenotes1
This must be microbe awareness day.
Earlier iirc someone posted