An integrated transcriptomic and proteomic approach to identify the main Torymus sinensis venom components

Abstract

During oviposition, ectoparasitoid wasps not only inject their eggs but also a complex mixture of proteins and peptides (venom) in order to regulate the host physiology to benefit their progeny. Although several endoparasitoid venom proteins have been identified, little is known about the components of ectoparasitoid venom. To characterize the protein composition of Torymus sinensis Kamijo (Hymenoptera: Torymidae) venom, we used an integrated transcriptomic and proteomic approach and identified 143 venom proteins. Moreover, focusing on venom gland transcriptome, we selected additional 52 transcripts encoding putative venom proteins. As in other parasitoid venoms, hydrolases, including proteases, phosphatases, esterases, and nucleases, constitute the most abundant families in T. sinensis venom, followed by protease inhibitors. These proteins are potentially involved in the complex parasitic syndrome, with different effects on the immune system, physiological processes and development of the host, and contribute to provide nutrients to the parasitoid progeny. Although additional in vivo studies are needed, initial findings offer important information about venom factors and their putative host effects, which are essential to ensure the success of parasitism.

The parthenogenesis mechanism and venom complement of the parasitoid wasp Microctonus hyperodae, a declining biocontrol agent

“…There are 15 proteases with significantly higher expression in venom, including a serine protease (discussed below), two furin-like proteases, aminopeptidase-N, and angiotensinconverting enzyme-like. Both aminopeptidases and angiotensin-converting enzymes have also been found in the venom of the parasitoid Torymus sinensis (Scieuzo et al, 2021) and may assist in manipulating host tissue to provide nutrition for the parasitoid egg and/or degradation of host extracellular matrix to increase venom permeabilization (Vaiyapuri et al, 2010). , though there is no more specific indication of function beyond this.…”

Identification and Functional Characterization of Toxoneuron nigriceps Ovarian Proteins Involved in the Early Suppression of Host Immune Response

“…So effective strategies for pest management, other than the indiscriminate usage of insecticides, are needed to cope with food demand. In this context, parasitoid insects could be considered powerful bio-control agents as they developed very efficient strategies to regulate the physiology of their hosts [3,7]. Specifically, maternal factors, such as Polydnaviruses, venom and Ovarian Proteins (OPs), that play a key role in the success of parasitization, could be extracted, characterized and used as molecules for biological control of pest insects [5,6,32,45].…”

“…The venom is a mixture of proteins produced by the venom glands of the female parasitoid. In ectoparasitoids, the role of venom is well known, as it generally induces permanent paralysis, arrest of host development, regulation of metabolism, and inhibition of the immune response [7,8]. Information on the role of venom in the case of endoparasitoid Hymenoptera relates to fairly recent studies in some host-parasitoid systems [9,10].…”

What Antarctic Plants Can Tell Us about Climate Changes: Temperature as a Driver for Metabolic Reprogramming

“…The integrated transcriptomic and proteomic approach is the most reliable and widely used strategy [29][30][31] for the identification of actually expressed proteins, especially with respect to strategies based exclusively on transcriptomic analyses that allow only the identification of putative proteins without verifying their real expression within the cells. Furthermore, the integrated approach is useful for the identification of proteins in species whose genome/transcriptome is not yet annotated and characterized, so there are no sequences available on public databases.…”