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
Virus Stole a Human Gene and Won't Let Go of It (nytimes.com)
60 pointsby gumbya day ago20 comments
pazimzadeh 5 hours ago
Seems par for the course since our adaptive immune system is based on an old viral/transposon recombinase.
shevy-java an hour ago
Is VDJ recombination based on viruses or transposons?
It's the first time I hear this. Can't yet say much about it until I can verify that.
initramfs 5 hours ago
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.
readthenotes1 5 hours ago
This must be microbe awareness day.
Earlier iirc someone posted
pxc 31 minutes ago
I thought viruses weren't considered to be microbes. Was I mistaken? Is there a broader category that includes things like bacteria and also viruses?
Daklone 3 hours ago
Ah yes, the NYT paywall.
Here you go everyone: https://archive.ph/PpKtR
odmcownckexnn 2 hours ago
Can we please start banning articles with paywalls from being posted at all?
If I cannot read without a subscription (or a damn paywall removed), it shouldn’t be posted here. This is tantamount to posting an ad for an NYT sub.
creatonez 2 hours ago
The HN rules are that paywalled content can be posted only if it's trivially bypassable via a free tool. The NYTimes links work on fresh IP addresses as part of a free allowance for new readers, which is why the proxy-based archive website archive.today is able to get through. I'm not a big fan of this being allowed, but there is some thought to it at least, they aren't just allowing anything.
ectospheno 2 hours ago
It is a shame that the free tool of choice is a site that put a DDOS attack in its captcha. So my options are not read the article or... not read the article. Nice.
gpm 2 hours ago
You say that like "commit a felony to read the article" isn't a valid option (/s).
ojihgfhoniyfc 2 hours ago
That’d be sensible reasoning IF the articles were already posted with a paywall-free url, but they are not, so as it stands these are essentially just ads.
creatonez 2 hours ago
IIRC the staff will usually intentionally elevate bypass links to the top whenever they see them posted in the comments. (And when a link has already been posted they tend to sink comments like yours that complain without providing a link, lol)
kdkdkdkwkd an hour ago
Again, why not require the bypassed link right from the gate, then? You’d sidestep people complaining about it and wouldn’t little the comment section with people posting alternative links or asking for them.
NYT is the only one profiting getting free publicity for their subscription service here.
Aquitard an hour ago
Did you create three accounts just to reply? And if so why not stick to just one?
gumby 44 minutes ago
I speculated in a different reply that it’s to reduce dups. Two people could post the same article, but if they used different paywall-bypassers they would appear as separate submissions.
gumby an hour ago
My understanding is you’re not supposed to post paywall-cutting links but it’s ok to post them as comments. Perhaps to prevent dupes? Or perhaps there is no such rule.
shevy-java an hour ago
There was no theft involved. "Genes" are not "owned".
AnimalMuppet 15 minutes ago
If the virus didn't evolve the gene on its own, then "stole" seems like a fair description of how it got it.