Data from: Systematic evaluation of horizontal gene transfer between eukaryotes and viruses

Gene exchange between viruses and their hosts acts as a key facilitator of
horizontal gene transfer and is hypothesized to be a major driver of
evolutionary change. Our understanding of this process comes primarily
from bacteria and phage co-evolution, but the mode and functional
importance of gene transfers between eukaryotes and their viruses remains
anecdotal. Here we systematically characterized viral-eukaryotic gene
exchange across eukaryotic and viral diversity, identifying thousands of
transfers, and revealing their frequency, taxonomic distribution, and
projected functions. Eukaryote-derived viral genes, abundant in the
Nucleocytoviricota, highlighted common strategies for viral
host-manipulation, including metabolic reprogramming, proteolytic
degradation, and extracellular modification. Furthermore, viral-derived
eukaryotic genes implicate genetic exchange in the early evolution and
diversification of eukaryotes, particularly through viral-derived
glycosyltransferases, which have impacted structures as diverse as algal
cell walls, trypanosome mitochondria, and animal tissues. These findings
illuminate the nature of viral-eukaryotic gene exchange and its impact on
the evolution of viruses and their eukaryotic hosts.