1932

Abstract

Virus-host associations are usually viewed as parasitic, but several studies in recent years have reported examples of viruses that benefit host organisms. The Polydnaviridae are of particular interest because these viruses are all obligate mutualists of insects called parasitoid wasps. Parasitoids develop during their immature stages by feeding inside the body of other insects, which serve as their hosts. Polydnaviruses are vertically transmitted as proviruses through the germ line of wasps but also function as gene delivery vectors that wasps rely upon to genetically manipulate the hosts they parasitize. Here we review the evolutionary origin of polydnaviruses, the organization and function of their genomes, and some of their roles in parasitism.

Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journals/10.1146/annurev-virology-031413-085451
2014-09-29
2025-02-12
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

/content/journals/10.1146/annurev-virology-031413-085451
Loading
/content/journals/10.1146/annurev-virology-031413-085451
Loading

Data & Media loading...

  • Article Type: Review Article
This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was a Success
Invalid data
An Error Occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error