image: This is a male Caenorhabditis nematode harboring viral-like RNAs (in red) in the germline nuclei (in blue). view more
Credit: Image courtesy of Aurélien Richaud.
Researchers report evidence of Caenorhabditis nematodes harboring RNA molecules with virus-like elements that are transmitted vertically, from parent to offspring; the results suggest that vertical transmission of viruses without capsid shells, which had previously been observed in fungi, can also occur in multicellular animals.
Article #19-03903: "Vertical transmission in Caenorhabditis nematodes of RNA molecules encoding a viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase," by Aurélien Richaud et al.
MEDIA CONTACT: Marie-Anne Félix, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Paris, FRANCE; e-mail: felix@biologie.ens.fr
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Journal
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences