A non-venomous sPLA2 of a lepidopteran insect: Its physiological functions in development and immunity
Eicosanoids are oxygenated C20 polyunsaturated fatty acids that mediate various physiological processes in insects. Eicosanoid biosynthesis begins with a C20 precursor, arachidonic acid (5,8,11,14-eicosatetraenoic acid: AA). AA is usually released from phospholipids at sn-2 position by catalytic activity of phospholipase A2 (PLA2). Although various PLA2s classified into 16 gene families (= Groups) are known in various biological systems, few PLA2s are known in insects. Only two PLA2s involved in intracellular calcium independent PLA2 (iPLA2) group have been identified in lepidopteran insects with well known eicosanoid physiology. This study reports the first secretory PLA2 (sPLA2) in lepido…
Horizontally transmitted parasitoid killing factor shapes insect defense to parasitoids
Protection from parasitism by a virus Parasitoid wasps have developed myriad systems to overcome the defense mechanisms of their hosts as they lay their eggs in the bodies and eggs of targeted species. Gasmi et al . report how the host can fight back when infected by a virus that expresses a protein conferring resistance to the parasitoid. When members of the butterfly and moth family are targeted by wasps, a protein family has evolved that is horizontally carried by viruses—and sometimes is incorporated into the host genome—and impairs the ability of parasitoid offspring to fully develop and emerge. Characterizing the ability of this protein to protect hosts against specific parasites, the…