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The Natural Genetic Engineering of Polydnaviruses
Author(s) -
Webb Bruce,
Fisher Tonja,
Nusawardani Tyasning
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
annals of the new york academy of sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.712
H-Index - 248
eISSN - 1749-6632
pISSN - 0077-8923
DOI - 10.1111/j.1749-6632.2009.05023.x
Subject(s) - biology , genome , gene , genetics , lysogenic cycle , virology , bacteriophage , computational biology , escherichia coli
The polydnaviruses represent an unusual example of a highly evolved symbiosis between some parasitic wasps, DNA containing particles or viruses, and lepidopteran larval hosts of the wasp. The viruses can no longer replicate independently, as genes that encode viral structural proteins are restricted to the wasp genome and are not encapsidated. Interestingly, the DNA that is encapsidated is more similar in terms of gene identity and gene density to eukaryotic genomes than viral genomes. We compare and relate this unusual example of natural genetic engineering to the well‐known system of viral lysogeny. The similarities in the two systems may prove useful in understanding the replication strategy and genomic organization of polydnaviruses and provide some insight into how this unusual virus system may have evolved.