Endogenous viral elements (EVEs) are viral genes and genomes that get integrated into another species’ genome then vertically transmitted. These viral integrations are associated with disease, novel cellular function, genome architecture, and gene expression. Some of the best-known EVEs are those associated with parasitic wasps in the superfamily Ichneumonoidea. In this group some EVEs have become “domesticated”, the process by which an EVE becomes dependent on the host for replication and often confers a novel beneficial function. These viral elements can increase parasitism success and overall wasp fitness primarily by protecting wasp eggs from the host immune response Viral domestication has occurred at least seven different times but not every Ichneumonoid has an EVE. Despite how common and widespread viral integration is, almost no studies have investigated the impact on genome evolution across Ichneumonoidea, especially not comparatively. In addition, the mechanism of EVE integration across the wasp lineage is poorly understood as well as what causes some genomes to be more susceptible to integration than others. The overall objective of this research is to investigate if there patterns across the genomes of Ichneumonoidea for those with and without EVEs.
Rachel Behm
Dr. Barbara Sharanowski, Advisor
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