Persistent viral infections impact key biological traits in Drosophila melanogaster.

ABSTRACT: Persistent viral infections have been assumed to impose minimal fitness costs for insects. We established persistent mono-infections of Drosophila melanogaster with four different enteric RNA viruses: Drosophila A virus (DAV), Drosophila C virus (DCV), Bloomfield virus, and Nora virus. We observed that these infections significantly reduce fly survival, alter the number of viable offspring per female, modulate microbiome composition, impact locomotor abilities, and change activity patterns. These results demonstrate the significant impact of persistent viral infections on key biological traits and expand our understanding of the fitness costs of persistent viral infections for the host. In addition, the four viruses displayed different accumulation kinetics and elicited unique transcriptio

SUBMITTER: Castello-Sanjuan M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12530575 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature