Polydnavirus genome: integrated vs. free virus

Polydnaviruses are unique because of their obligatory association with thousands of parasitoid wasp species from the braconid and ichneumonid families of hymenopterans. PDVs are injected into the parasitized hosts and are essential for parasitism success. However, polydnaviruses are also unique beca...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of Insect Physiology 2003-05, Vol.49 (5), p.407-417
Main Authors: Drezen, J.-M., Provost, B., Espagne, E., Cattolico, L., Dupuy, C., Poirié, M., Periquet, G., Huguet, E.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biological Evolution
Braconidae
DNA, Viral
Evolution
Genome, Viral
Genomics
Hymenoptera
Ichneumonidae
Life Sciences
Microbiology and Parasitology
Parasitoid wasp
Polydnaviridae - genetics
Polydnavirus
Virology
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Summary:Polydnaviruses are unique because of their obligatory association with thousands of parasitoid wasp species from the braconid and ichneumonid families of hymenopterans. PDVs are injected into the parasitized hosts and are essential for parasitism success. However, polydnaviruses are also unique because of their genome composed of multiple dsDNA segments. Cytological evidence has recently confirmed the results of genetic and molecular analyses indicating that PDV segments were integrated in the wasp genome. Moreover a phylogenetic study performed using the age of available fossils to calibrate the molecular clock indicated that the polydnaviruses harboured by braconid wasps have resided within the wasp genome for approximately 70 million years. In the absence of horizontal transmission, the evolution of the PDV genomes has been driven exclusively by the reproductive success they have offered the wasps. The consequences of this particular selection pressure can be observed in the gene content of certain PDV genomes from which increasing sequence data are available. Molecular mechanisms already identified could be involved in the acquisition and loss of genes by the PDV genomes and lead us to speculate on the definition of the virus genome.
ISSN:0022-1910
1879-1611
DOI:10.1016/S0022-1910(03)00058-1