Human Biology 1010 (Spring 2012)

DNA/RNA Hybrid May Be Link to Virus Evolution

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=hot-spring-yields-new-hybrid-viral-genome

In a hot spring, researchers found an RNA-like strand that was attached to a gene known only to occur in DNA. In the simplest sense, one strand of RNA from one virus combined with a strand of DNA from another virus. This may lead to chimera strains (hybridized, mutated, or evolved versions of viruses). This discovery may force us to reconsider labeling RNA and DNA as two completely separate states of genetic code.