Venom vesicles from the parasitoid <i>Ganaspis hookeri</i> facilitate venom protein entry into host immune cells.

ABSTRACT: The parasitoid wasp Ganaspis hookeri infects Drosophila melanogaster larvae, laying an egg and injecting venom directly into the host body cavity. While infected hosts mount an immune response in an attempt to eliminate the parasitoid egg, parasitoid venom proteins act to inhibit these host immune responses and manipulate host physiology to ensure infection success. A key immune suppressive venom protein in G. hookeri is a venom-specific isoform of the SERCA (Sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca²⁺-ATPase) calcium pump. However, SERCA is a large hydrophobic protein, and the mechanism by which it and other venom proteins are transported into the host is not well understood. We used a variety of biophysical, biochemical, and cell biological approaches to assess the p

SUBMITTER: Bretz NM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12132199 | biostudies-literature | 2025 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature