A Horizontally Transferred Autonomous Helitron Became a Full Polydnavirus Segment in Cotesia vestalis.

ABSTRACT: Bracoviruses associate symbiotically with thousands of parasitoid wasp species in the family Braconidae, working as virulence gene vectors, and allowing the development of wasp larvae within hosts. These viruses are composed of multiple DNA circles that are packaged into infective particles, and injected together with wasp's eggs during parasitization. One of the viral segments of Cotesia vestalis bracovirus contains a gene that has been previously described as a helicase of unknown origin. Here, we demonstrate that this gene is a Rep/Helicase from an intact Helitron transposable element that covers the viral segment almost entirely. We also provide evidence that this element underwent at least two horizontal transfers, which appear to have occurred consecutively: first from a Dr

SUBMITTER: Heringer P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5714489 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature