title: A DNA virus of Drosophila.
abstract: Little is known about the viruses infecting most species. Even in groups as well-studied as Drosophila, only a handful of viruses have been well-characterized. A viral metagenomic approach was used to explore viral diversity in 83 wild-caught Drosophila innubila, a mushroom feeding member of the quinaria group. A single fly that was injected with, and died from, Drosophila C Virus (DCV) was added to the sample as a control. Two-thirds of reads in the infected sample had DCV as the best BLAST hit, suggesting that the protocol developed is highly sensitive. In addition to the DCV hits, several sequences had Oryctes rhinoceros Nudivirus, a double-stranded DNA virus, as a best BLAST hit. The virus associated with these sequences was termed Drosophila innubila Nudivirus (DiNV). PCR screens of natural populations showed that DiNV was both common and widespread taxonomically and geographically. Electron microscopy confirms the presence of virions in fly fecal material similar in structure to other described Nudiviruses. In 2 species, D. innubila and D. falleni, the virus is associated with a severe (∼80-90%) loss of fecundity and significantly decreased lifespan.
authors: Department of Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York, United States of America. runckles@mail.rochester.edu
authors: Robert L
authors: RL
authors: Unckless
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D004266:DNA Virus Infections / Q000635:transmission / Q000821:virology; D004267:DNA Viruses / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004330:Drosophila / Q000821:virology*; D005243:Feces / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D056084:Genetic Fitness; D023281:Genomics; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical; D007753:Laboratories; D008297:Male; D054892:Metagenome / Q000235:genetics; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D016019:Survival Analysis