Natural Genetic Engineering and Natural Genome Editing, Volume 1178

The recent literature on whole genome sequences provides abundant evidence for the action of natural genetic engineering in evolution. Discoveries about natural genetic engineering have coincided with rapid progress in our understanding of epigenetic control and RNA-directed chromatin formation. Special attention needs to be paid to the role of viruses and related so-called "parasitic" elements in the origin of genome formatting and natural genetic engineering capabilities especially the role of non-random genetic change operators in the production of complex evolutionary inventions. These Proceedings of the Symposium “Natural Genetic Engineering and Natural Genome Editing” (3-6 July 2008, Salzburg, Austria) assemble scientists working on genome organization, genome restructuring, genome formatting and virus research to discuss how to integrate these discoveries into the basic understanding of evolution, development and disease.

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A perspective on natural genetic engineering and natural genome editing. Introduction

Revisiting the central dogma in the 21st century

Deconstructing the dogma: a new view of the evolution and genetic programming of complex organisms

On the origin of cells and viruses: primordial virus world scenario

The great billion-year war between ribosome- and capsid-encoding organisms (cells and viruses) as the major source of evolutionary novelties

Learning from bacteria about natural information processing

The viral eukaryogenesis hypothesis: a key role for viruses in the emergence of eukaryotes from a prokaryotic world environment

Cell-cell channels, viruses, and evolution: via infection, parasitism, and symbiosis toward higher levels of biological complexity

Impact of RNA virus infection on plant cell function and evolution

Hen or egg?: some thoughts on tunneling nanotubes

Evolution of genes and organisms: the tree/web of life in light of horizontal gene transfer

The natural genetic engineering of polydnaviruses

Friendly viruses: the special relationship between endogenous retroviruses and their host

Natural genetic engineering of hepatitis C virus NS5A for immune system counterattack

The fragmented gene

The source of self: genetic parasites and the origin of adaptive immunity

Cellular genes derived from Gypsy/Ty3 retrotransposons in mammalian genomes

Noncoding RNAs: persistent viral agents as modular tools for cellular needs

APOBEC3 proteins inhibit LINE-1 retrotransposition in the absence of ORF1p binding

Epigenetic regulation of Mammalian genomes by transposable elements

Are there epigenetic controls in Trypanosoma cruzi?

Conceptual and methodological biases in network models

No genetics without epigenetics? No biology without systems biology?

Günther Witzany is the author of Natural Genetic Engineering and Natural Genome Editing, Volume 1178, published by Wiley.