Researchers have completed a worldwide analysis of ocean water and found thousands of previously undiscovered viruses. The study focused on RNA viruses that can replicate themselves much faster than DNA viruses, causing diseases such as COVID-19. In addition, these viruses do not have a “genetic barcode” because they do not contain their evolutionary information in DNA.
As stated in the study, “without this barcode, it can be difficult to try to distinguish between different types of viruses in the wild.”
The team focused on plankton, which can move in any direction in the water regardless of the current. Because of their locomotion, plankton are critical to underwater ecosystems and food chains, but they also stand out as major carriers of RNA viruses.
To identify viruses, the researchers flagged a particular enzyme known to replicate viruses. RNA viruses have very slight differences in the genetic coding of this enzyme, and 44,000 different genes have been found that can contribute to the replication process.
They then tried to isolate the samples’ genes and determine their linkage. The more similar two genes are, the more likely the viruses are to be closely related to those genes, as indicated in the study.
In addition, the research discovered five new phyla for RNA viruses. The phylum is seen as the fourth largest organizational category for organisms. Organisms in the same phylum are related in various ways biologically, for example, all vertebrates are in the Chordate phylum.
It is hoped that one of the new phyla, Taraviriicota, will help scientists understand how and why viruses reproduce. As the research writes, “We believe that Taraviricota may be the missing link in the evolution of RNA viruses that researchers have long sought, and may connect two known RNA virus branches that diverge in how they replicate.”
Although the research has been successful in its own right, there is still much to study. The results of the study discovered thousands of new RNA viruses and their genetic details. However, it is still unclear who or what is at risk of infection…
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