Essential virus of wasps

2009/02/17 Kortabitarte Egiguren, Irati - Elhuyar Zientzia

• Genetika
• Zoologia

Thousands of wasp species lay their eggs in the caterpillars while they emit a “toxin” so that the caterpillars are paralyzed and the wasp larvae feed on them. These “toxins” are a fragment of DNA introduced in a protein capsule. Therefore, they have been classified as a virus. However, this has generated a debate. These toxins do not contain the proteins used by viruses to replicate them.

Researchers at the French CNRS have coded the genes of this DNA fragment and have found that these genes are integrated into the wasp genome. In addition, they have seen that these genes come from a virus that had been captured by a wasps ancestor a hundred million years ago.

At present, the wasp needs a virus to survive, which helps lay eggs in its caterpillars. Also, the virus needs a wasp to survive, since the virus can only be replicated in the wasp ovaries.

Image: Image: Alex Wild/myrmecos.net