Many living organisms suffer from parasites, which use the hosts' resources for their own purposes. The problem of parasitism occurs at all levels right down to the DNA scale. Genomes may contain up to 80% "foreign" DNA but details of the mechanisms by which this enters the host genome and how hosts attempt to combat its spread are still the subject of conjecture. Important new information comes from the group of Christian Schlotterer at the University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna. The findings are published in the prestigious journal PLoS Genetics.
Pathogens don't just have acute effects : their DNA may integrate our genomes and have effects on our genes and those of our descendants .
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