The rot is more advanced than that, I think
Because what the pearl is saying isn't how the rot in general is, but it's creation process.
We also don't know what specific genome it's referring to (presumably a case by case basis?)
Anyhow, pebbles seems to have lost control and now it's mutating
I theorize that it originally was just growing on the walls, then developed touch and tendrils to be able to hunt passing organisms(maybe neurons?) And then eventually developed mobility and hearing to hunt better
Also, correct me if I'm wrong, but you can only kill DLLs by hitting their core right? Which implies a brain.
While similar to cancer, at this point the rot is its own species
Oh well I was talking more so about it's origin!
I agree on the case by case basis?? I doubt there's a single rot formula, it's easier to get things wrong than right...
Also things don't need to have a brain to function and exist. I am no expert, but if you rip a tentacle off a jelly fish it feels like it will be fine compared to y'know. Spearing it's center.
The rot is an organism of some kind maybe, but I think a very simple one? I wouldn't call it a species just because of it not being able to live without it's host. It's a part of Pebbles, it's his own body killing him, not an animal.
I do think it probably started out chewing walls before it managed to progress further. Either way it dies out alone it can't reproduce outside of Pebbles really I think.. and we haven't seen it infect other organisms.
Hunter's rot doesn't spread it dies with it and so does Pebbles'.