Virome profiling of fig wasps (Ceratosolen spp.) reveals virus diversity spanning four realms.

ABSTRACT: We investigated the virome of agaonid fig wasps (Ceratosolen spp.) inside syconia ("fruits") of various Ficus trees fed upon by frugivores such as pteropodid bats in Sub-Saharan Africa. This virome includes representatives of viral families spanning four realms and includes near-complete genome sequences of three novel viruses and fragments of five additional potentially novel viruses evolutionarily associated with insects, fungi, plants, and vertebrates. Our study provides evidence that frugivorous animals are exposed to a plethora of viruses by coincidental consumption of fig wasps, which are obligate pollinators of figs worldwide.

SUBMITTER: Adhikari BN 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10849055 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature