Max Planck海洋微生物研究所的研究人员首次观察到了跳跃基因在不同物种间转移的具体证据[1]。研究团队在死亡的古菌细胞内检测到了来自捕食性细菌的圆形intron RNA，这表明基因可能通过稳定的环形结构在物种间传播[1]。研究人员利用特殊设计的核酸探针和显微成像技术进行了检测[1]。
Jens Harder及其团队在Methanothrix soehngenii的死细胞内发现了Candidatus Velamenicoccus archaeovorus的intron RNA[1]。虽然这次基因转移最终因宿主细胞已死亡而失败，但该发现提供了基因水平转移的新途径[1]。Jens Harder指出，"intron RNA环形结构的稳定性是其显著特征。在人类中，圆形RNA分子影响许多代谢过程，其在肿瘤发展中的作用目前正是密集研究的对象"[1]。该研究已发表于《Scientific Reports》期刊，2026年第16卷第1期[1]。
Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology have detected a circular intron RNA from predatory bacteria present within the dead cells of an archaeon, providing the first direct evidence of a jumping gene in transit between different species [1]. The discovery reveals a previously undocumented mechanism of horizontal gene transfer, in which genetic material appears to move across species boundaries through the stable structure of ring-shaped RNA molecules [1].
The team, led by Jens Harder, identified the intron RNA from Candidatus Velamenicoccus archaeovorus inside dead cells of Methanothrix soehngenii using specially designed nucleic acid probes and microscopic imaging techniques [1]. The circular form of the RNA molecule—lacking the open ends found in linear genetic structures—renders it resistant to enzymatic degradation, a stability feature that distinguishes it from other RNA types [1]. According to Harder, "The stability of intron RNA in its ring form is a distinctive feature. In humans, circular RNA molecules influence many metabolic processes, and their role in tumor development is currently the subject of intensive research" [1].
Although the observed gene transfer ultimately failed because the host cell was already dead, the observation marks the first time scientists have captured direct evidence of a jumping gene actively moving between species [1]. The findings were published in Scientific Reports in 2026 [1].