Origin and evolution of viruses: Escaped
DNA/RNA sequences as evolutionary
accelerators and natural biological weapons
Ivan Bubanovic
a, Stevo Najman
b, Zlatibor Andjelkovic
c
a Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medica Centre, Novosadska 1/c, 18000 Nis, Serbia,
Serbia and Montenegro
b Institute of Biology, Medical Faculty, University Medical School, Nis, Serbia and Montenegro
c Institute of Histology, Medical Faculty, Pristina, Kosovska Mitrovica, Serbia and Montenegro
Summary
Knowledge of the origin and evolution of viruses could provide a better understanding of a number of
phenomena in the field of evolution such as the origin and development of multi-cellular organisms, the rapid
diversification of species over the last 600–700 million years and the lack of transitional forms in the evolution of species
(‘‘missing links’’) etc. One of the possible effects of escaped DNA/RNA sequences or viruses on the evolution of multicellular
organisms, especially vertebrates, could be the phenomenon of horizontal transmission and dissemination of
genes. Interestingly, if so, this effect could be considered as a model of primeval and natural genetic engineering. Other
possible links between the evolution of multi-cellular organisms and viruses are connected with the fact that viruses
represent the source of different forms of selective pressure such as epidemics of infectious diseases, autoimmunity,
malignant alteration, reproductive efficiency, etc. At the same time, these two models of ‘‘long-term evolutionary
relations’’ could represent ‘‘key factors’’ in the evolution between viruses and multi-cellular organisms. The capability
of a genome to produce and emit DNA/RNA sequences or de novo created viruses which can be a vector of genes
horizontal transmission and/or cause selective pressure on concurrent or predator species gives a new characteristic to
viruses – the possibility of their acting as natural biological weapons. Finally, possibly evolutionary advantages of this
genome capability could be one of explanations for the phenomena such as genome instability and its ability to emit
DNA/RNA sequences and/or de novo created viruses, as well as evolutionary conservation of this unique phenomena.
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Other notes:
[An article from Ivan Bubanovic (author)]
[First published in Medical Hypotheses (2005) 65, 868–872].
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