Self‑splicing intron observed transferring between microbial species

Scientists led by Jens Harder at the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology have directly visualized a self‑splicing intron—a type of jumping gene—moving from the predatory bacterium Candidatus Velamenicoccus archaeovorus into its prey Methanothrix soehngenii within a methane‑producing microbial community. Using highly sensitive RNA probes, the team detected intron RNA in living predator cells and in dead prey cells, providing the first concrete evidence that such introns can cross species boundaries via circular RNA. The discovery expands the known mechanisms of horizontal gene transfer in prokaryotes and may have future applications in RNA‑based technologies, including vaccine development.