Polydnaviruses (PDVs) are a unique group of viruses which have a symbiotic relationship with certain endoparasitic wasps in the families Ichneumonidae and Braconidae. These viruses are an essential factor for the endoparasitic wasp to successfully parasitize and develop in its lepidopteran host by altering and disrupting the host's physiological conditions and immune system. The ichneumonid parasitoid Hyposoter fugitivus also has a polydnavirus (HfIV) which has a segmented double-stranded circular DNA genome like other PDVs. The objects of this study are sequencing of these segments and identifying genes contained in this viral genomic DNA. The results show that the HfIV genomic DNA contains rep genes, innexins, cysteine-rich genes and viral ankyrin genes, which are also identified in Campoletis sonorensis ichnoviurus (CsIV) genomic DNA. These results give us better understanding of polydnavirus gene family and evolutionary relationships among Ichneumonidae polydnaviruses.
Species 1: Hymenoptera Ichneumonidae Hyposoter fugitivus
Keywords: polydnavirus
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