Giant virus yields potassium channel gene that illuminates complex protein evolution
Researchers have discovered a gene for a tandem potassium channel in an algal virus. The finding supports the view that giant viruses may have contributed significantly to the evolution of complex proteins. The study is published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Scientists have uncovered a gene encoding a tandem potassium channel in a virus that infects marine algae. This discovery supports the notion that giant viruses may have played a significant role in the evolution of complex proteins. Tandem potassium channels, which transport potassium ions (K+) across cell membranes, are crucial for stabilizing membrane potential and regulating electrical excitability in nerve cells.
Unlike other potassium channels, the tandem type is characterized by a unique linkage of two of its four pore-forming subunits. Interestingly, precursors of these channels have not been found in bacteria, prompting questions about their evolutionary origins. The research team, comprising experts from the University of Darmstadt and Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences, reports that the viral gene for the tandem potassium channel encodes a protein with functional potassium channel properties, rather than having been acquired from a host organism's genetic material.
This finding further highlights the potential of giant viruses as sources of novel proteins, including light-controlled ion channels already discovered within the same virus, which have implications in optogenetics.
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