Parasitoid Wasps and Their Venoms

Mrinalini, _; Werren, John H.

doi:10.1007/978-94-007-6727-0_2-2

Cited by 12 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 124 publications

(233 reference statements)

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“…The most studied factors are probably venom and polydnavirus. Venom is mainly devoted to host metabolism manipulation, ensuring parasitoid development (Mrinalini & Werren, 2016). Within hymenoptera, the venom gland is a conserved organ but venom composition seems to be highly variable depending on species (Moreau & Asgari, 2015).…”

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confidence: 99%

Quantitative trait loci involved in the reproductive success of a parasitoid wasp

et al. 2020

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Dissecting the genetic basis of intraspecific variations in life history traits is essential to understand their evolution, notably for potential biocontrol agents. Such variations are observed in the endoparasitoid Cotesia typhae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), specialized on the pest Sesamia nonagrioides (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). Previously, we identified two strains of C. typhae that differed significantly for life history traits on an allopatric host population. To investigate the genetic basis underlying these phenotypic differences, we used a quantitative trait locus (QTL) approach based on restriction site‐associated DNA markers. The characteristic of C. typhae reproduction allowed us generating sisters sharing almost the same genetic content, named clonal sibship. Crosses between individuals from the two strains were performed to generate F2 and F8 recombinant CSS. The genotypes of 181 clonal sibships were determined as well as the phenotypes of the corresponding 4,000 females. Informative markers were then used to build a high‐quality genetic map. These 465 markers spanned a total length of 1,300 cM and were organized in 10 linkage groups which corresponded to the number of C. typhae chromosomes. Three QTLs were detected for parasitism success and two for offspring number, while none were identified for sex ratio. The QTLs explained, respectively, 27.7% and 24.5% of the phenotypic variation observed. The gene content of the genomic intervals was investigated based on the genome of C. congregata and revealed 67 interesting candidates, as potentially involved in the studied traits, including components of the venom and of the symbiotic virus (bracovirus) shown to be necessary for parasitism success in related wasps.

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confidence: 99%

Quantitative trait loci involved in the reproductive success of a parasitoid wasp

et al. 2020

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“…Although the rapid evolution of venom compositions in parasitoid wasps has been observed, potentially driven by variable host ranges or parasitoid strategies ( Martinson et al 2017 ; Mason et al 2022 ; Ye et al 2022 ), few studies have investigated the role of alternative isoforms in the origin of venom genes. Multiple models of venom evolution have been proposed over the years ( Mrinalini and Werren 2016 ), including duplication followed by neofunctionalization ( Chen et al 2021 ; Yang et al 2021 ; Ye et al 2022 ), co-option ( Martinson et al 2017 ; Ye et al 2022 ), and lateral gene transfer ( Martinson et al 2016 ), with three of these models well-characterized in parasitoid wasp venom systems. Only one example, based on short-read RNA-seq, has suggested a potential role of alternative isoforms in venom recruitment in a Ganaspis wasp ( Mortimer et al 2013 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For example, an organism may recruit a specific isoform of a gene for venom function while retaining isoforms with other functions for basic processes. However, in cis -regulated gene co-option evolution, the recruited venom gene may be primarily limited to the venom gland, potentially losing its nonvenom function ( Mrinalini and Werren 2016 ; Martinson et al 2017 ). The emergence of multiple-function genes, which perform both “normal” and venomous functions, raises an intriguing question in evolutionary biology: How do they overcome pleiotropic constraints?…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comprehensive isoform-level analysis reveals the contribution of alternative isoforms to venom evolution and repertoire diversity

Ye,

He,

Yang

et al. 2023

Genome Res.

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Animal venom systems have emerged as valuable models for investigating how novel polygenic phenotypes may arise from gene evolution by varying molecular mechanisms. However, a significant portion of venom genes produce alternative mRNA isoforms that have not been extensively characterized, hindering a comprehensive understanding of venom biology. In this study, we present a full-length isoform-level profiling workflow integrating multiple RNA sequencing technologies, allowing us to reconstruct a high-resolution transcriptome landscape of venom genes in the parasitoid waspPteromalus puparum. Our findings demonstrate that more than half of the venom genes generate multiple isoforms within the venom gland. Through mass spectrometry analysis, we confirm that alternative splicing contributes to the diversity of venom proteins, acting as a mechanism for expanding the venom repertoire. Notably, we identified seven venom genes that exhibit distinct isoform usages between the venom gland and other tissues. Furthermore, evolutionary analyses of venomserpin3andorcokininfurther reveal that the co-option of an ancient isoform and a newly evolved isoform, respectively, contributes to venom recruitment, providing valuable insights into the genetic mechanisms driving venom evolution in parasitoid wasps. Overall, our study presents a comprehensive investigation of venom genes at the isoform level, significantly advancing our understanding of alternative isoforms in venom diversity and evolution and setting the stage for further in-depth research on venoms.

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“…This literature is so extensive that only the aspects most directly relevant to the study of pompilid venoms will be mentioned [46][47][48][49]. While these venoms are extremely interesting and worthy of study, the multifunctional nature of parasitoid venoms alongside the sheer taxonomic diversity of parasitoid lineages suggests that they represent much richer prospects for discovering novel toxin activities or promising lead compounds for the design of new molecular tools or medications [50,51].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Short Review of the Venoms and Toxins of Spider Wasps (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae)

Dashevsky

Rodríguez

2021

Toxins

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Parasitoid wasps represent the plurality of venomous animals, but have received extremely little research in proportion to this taxonomic diversity. The lion’s share of investigation into insect venoms has focused on eusocial hymenopterans, but even this small sampling shows great promise for the development of new active substances. The family Pompilidae is known as the spider wasps because of their reproductive habits which include hunting for spiders, delivering a paralyzing sting, and entombing them in burrows with one of the wasp’s eggs to serve as food for the developing larva. The largest members of this family, especially the tarantula hawks of the genus Pepsis, have attained notoriety for their large size, dramatic coloration, long-term paralysis of their prey, and incredibly painful defensive stings. In this paper we review the existing research regarding the composition and function of pompilid venoms, discuss parallels from other venom literatures, identify possible avenues for the adaptation of pompilid toxins towards human purposes, and future directions of inquiry for the field.

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Parasitoid Wasps and Their Venoms

Cited by 12 publications

References 124 publications

Quantitative trait loci involved in the reproductive success of a parasitoid wasp

Quantitative trait loci involved in the reproductive success of a parasitoid wasp

Comprehensive isoform-level analysis reveals the contribution of alternative isoforms to venom evolution and repertoire diversity

A Short Review of the Venoms and Toxins of Spider Wasps (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae)

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