Plant-phenotypic changes induced by parasitoid ichnoviruses enhance the performance of both unparasitized and parasitized caterpillars.

ABSTRACT: There is increasing awareness that interactions between plants and insects can be mediated by microbial symbionts. Nonetheless, evidence showing that symbionts associated with organisms beyond the second trophic level affect plant-insect interactions are restricted to a few cases belonging to parasitoid-associated bracoviruses. Insect parasitoids harbour a wide array of symbionts which, like bracoviruses, can be injected into their herbivorous hosts to manipulate their physiology and behaviour. Yet, the function of these symbionts in plant-based trophic webs remains largely overlooked. Here, we provide the first evidence of a parasitoid-associated symbiont belonging to the group of ichnoviruses which affects the strength of plant-insect interactions. A comparative proteomic analysis shows

SUBMITTER: Cusumano A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8518489 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature