For many years, scientists have been aware that genes can be passed down from one species to another in both plants and animals. The mechanism by which such an unlikely occurrence takes place, however, remained a mystery. Researchers have now discovered a worm’s horizontal gene transfer( HGT ) vector. The results might help identify additional HGT vectors in eukaryotes and have potential uses in pathogen control.
Virus-like transposons wage war on the species barrier
