Host integration by a symbiotic polydnavirus

了解动植物如何与微生物相互作用对基础生物学、农业和医学至关重要。专性有益共生是指微生物只能生活在特定的动物或植物中，反过来，只有在微生物存在的情况下，动物或植物才能生存。已知的最有益的昆虫共生体是细菌。然而，另一个大型而重要的共生关系发生在一种名为PolydNaviridae的病毒家族和寄生黄蜂之间，后者寄生并消耗其他类型的昆虫。这种生物学使寄生蜂成为昆虫的重要防治媒介，包括许多对人类经济有害的物种。携带多聚核糖核酸病毒的黄蜂只有将病毒引入寄生的宿主，才能在黄蜂体内存活。PI实验室的最新结果表明，多聚核糖核酸病毒通过将其DNA基因组快速整合到宿主的基因组中而在被寄生的宿主中发挥作用。然而，这种集成事件发生的机制尚不清楚。这个项目的目标是了解多聚核糖核酸病毒介导的整合是如何发生的。这个项目将描述宿主基因组中病毒基因组插入自身的位置。还将进行功能实验，以确定控制整合过程的分子。除了加强对多核糖核酸病毒、黄蜂和宿主的了解外，拟议的研究还将为将基因从一个有机体转移到另一个有机体的新机制提供见解。这项工作将通过为博士后、研究生和本科生提供独立研究机会来促进科学培训和教育。这项研究的结果也将用于加强高中和大学层面的课堂教学。

Understanding how animals and plants interact with microorganisms is critically important to basic biology, agriculture, and medicine. Obligate beneficial symbioses refer to interactions where a microorganism can only live in a particular animal or plant, and reciprocally the animal or plant can only survive if the microorganism is present. Most known beneficial symbionts of insects are bacteria. However, another large and important symbiotic association occurs between a family of viruses named the Polydnaviridae and parasitoid wasps, which parasitize and consume other types of insects. This biology makes parasitoid wasps very important control agents of insects, including many species that are economically harmful to humans. Polydnavirus-carrying wasps can survive in wasps only if they introduce the virus into parasitized hosts. Recent results from the PI's laboratory indicate that polydnaviruses function in parasitized hosts by rapidly integrating their DNA genomes into the genome of the host. However, the mechanism by which this integration event occurs is unknown. The goal of this project is to understand how polydnavirus-mediated integration occurs. This project will characterize the location in the host genome where the viral genome inserts itself. Functional experiments will also be conducted to identify the molecules that control the integration process. In addition to enhancing understanding of polydnaviruses, wasps and hosts, the proposed research will provide insights into a new mechanism of moving genes from one organism to another. The work will promote scientific training and education by providing independent research opportunities for postdoctoral, graduate and undergraduate students. Results from the study will also be used to enhance classroom instruction at the high school and university level.