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CinnabarErupted t1_irkna4h wrote

Reply to comment by Agood10 in What lifeform has the shortest genetic sequence? by teafuck

If you consider viruses alive, then the answer is a transposon. It's just the bare minimum genetic sequence needed to reproduce parasitically. Sorry OP, the answer depends on your definition of life - I hope you enjoy discovering where your definitional lines are drawn!

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LoverOfPie t1_irl9ho6 wrote

How short are those?

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CinnabarErupted t1_irla561 wrote

They get down to about 100bp. All they need is the gene encoding the enzyme needed to insert or cut them from the host genome (a transposase), genetic control elements to ensure it gets expressed in the host (can be just a tiny promoter), and the recognition sequence for the transposase at either end of its genome. It's basically the precursor to viruses - parasitic replication, but without any structural elements needed.

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viridiformica t1_irmgugo wrote

What about prions? Reproduction of a sort with no genetic material necessary

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Taalnazi t1_irmd9jy wrote

And viroids? Which place do they take?

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