ArticleNature communications2026
Arms races between selfish genetic elements and their host defence in termites.
Article in Nature communications, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
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Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Transcription Factor Evolution Associated with Social Transitions in Blattodea.Journal of molecular evolution · 2026Article
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Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
Abstract
Arms races between parasites and hosts are key drivers of evolution. Selfishly replicating transposable elements (TEs) are thought to follow similar dynamics, but strong evidence is missing. We test this in termites, social insects in which TEs have been linked to ageing. Sequencing genomes and profiling DNA methylation across the termite phylogeny reveal corresponding phylogenetic signals in TEs and TE methylation, indicative of co-evolution. TE methylation reduces TE success, as both TE abundance and spreading efficiency decrease with increasing methylation. TEs also become less harmful with TE age: evolutionarily older TEs spread less, insert less into exons, and erode into short remnants. Correspondingly, defence through methylation is strongest against young TEs. Yet, as in typical host-parasite arms races, some TEs persist, implying resistance or recurrent invasions. Our results reveal arms races between TEs and DNA methylation, positioning TEs as drivers of genome evolution similar to symbionts in organismic evolution.
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