Genomic analysis reveals an exogenous viral symbiont with dual functionality in parasitoid wasps and their hosts.

ABSTRACT: Insects are known to host a wide variety of beneficial microbes that are fundamental to many aspects of their biology and have substantially shaped their evolution. Notably, parasitoid wasps have repeatedly evolved beneficial associations with viruses that enable developing wasps to survive as parasites that feed from other insects. Ongoing genomic sequencing efforts have revealed that most of these virus-derived entities are fully integrated into the genomes of parasitoid wasp lineages, representing endogenous viral elements (EVEs) that retain the ability to produce virus or virus-like particles within wasp reproductive tissues. All documented parasitoid EVEs have undergone similar genomic rearrangements compared to their viral ancestors characterized by viral genes scattered across wasp

SUBMITTER: Coffman KA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7728225 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature