Bioinformatic analysis reveals mechanisms underlying parasitoid venom evolution and function

Introduction Introduction Methods Results and Discussion Conclusions References Parasitoid wasps are a numerous and diverse group of insects that obligately infect other arthropod species. These wasps lay their eggs either on the surface or within the body cavity of their hosts, and the resulting offspring exploit the hosts resources to complete their development [1]. Many parasitoids also introduce venom gland derived proteins or polydnaviruses into the host during infection. These factors act through a variety of mechanisms to manipulate host biology in order to increase the fitness of the developing parasitoid offspring [2-4]. Many hosts mount immune responses to parasitoid infection, and accordingly, parasitoids have evolved multiple venom genes that encode immunom ...