A bacterial gene acquired by parasitoid wasps contributes to venom secretion against host defence

ABSTRACT: Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) is an important source of gene innovation. Several genes acquired by hosts of parasitoid wasps via HGT have been reported to protect hosts from parasitoid wasps. In contrast, little is known about whether HGT-acquired genes in parasitoid wasps are involved in attacking their hosts. Here, we report a prokaryote-type CDP-diacylglycerol synthase (PTCDS) gene that was horizontally transferred into the last common ancestor of two parasitoid wasps, Leptopilina heterotoma and L. syphax, from the bacterial family Rickettsiaceae. We experimentally demonstrated that PTCDS is linked to ensure appropriate storage amount of venom in the venom reservoir of parasitoid wasps. PTCDS knockdown downregulated the expression of certain vesicle-mediated transport genes, thereby re

SUBMITTER: Jianhua Huang 

PROVIDER: S-SCDT-10_1038-S44318-026-00702-6 | biostudies-other |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other