Molecular evidence for the evolution of ichnoviruses from ascoviruses by symbiogenesis.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Female endoparasitic ichneumonid wasps inject virus-like particles into their caterpillar hosts to suppress immunity. These particles are classified as ichnovirus virions and resemble ascovirus virions, which are also transmitted by parasitic wasps and attack caterpillars. Ascoviruses replicate DNA and produce virions. Polydnavirus DNA consists of wasp DNA replicated by the wasp from its genome, which also directs particle synthesis. Structural similarities between ascovirus and ichnovirus particles and the biology of their transmission suggest that ichnoviruses evolved from ascoviruses, although molecular evidence for this hypothesis is lacking.

Results

Here we show that a family of unique pox-D5 NTPase proteins in the Glypta fumiferanae ichnovirus are related to

SUBMITTER: Bigot Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2567993 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature