title: A novel negative-stranded RNA virus mediates sex ratio in its parasitoid host.
abstract: Parasitoid wasps are important natural enemies of arthropod hosts in natural and agricultural ecosystems and are often associated with viruses or virion-like particles. Here, we report a novel negative-stranded RNA virus from a parasitoid wasp (Pteromalus puparum). The complete viral genome is 12,230 nucleotides in length, containing five non-overlapping, linearly arranged open reading frames. Phylogenetically, the virus clusters with and is a novel member of the mononegaviral family Nyamiviridae, here designated as Pteromalus puparum negative-strand RNA virus 1 (PpNSRV-1). PpNSRV-1 is present in various tissues and life stages of the parasitoid wasp, and is transmitted vertically through infected females and males. Virus infections in field populations of P. puparum wasps ranged from 16.7 to 37.5%, without linearly correlating with temperature. PpNSRV-1 increased adult longevity and impaired several fitness parameters of the wasp, but had no influence on successful parasitism. Strikingly, PpNSRV-1 mediated the offspring sex ratio by decreasing female offspring numbers. RNA interference knockdown of virus open reading frame I eliminated these PpNSRV-1-induced effects. Thus, we infer that PpNSRV-1 has complex effects on its insect host including sex ratio distortion towards males, as well as possible mutualistic benefits through increasing wasp longevity.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology & Ministry of Agriculture Key Lab of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Institute of Insect Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Fei
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology & Ministry of Agriculture Key Lab of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Institute of Insect Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Qi
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology & Ministry of Agriculture Key Lab of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Institute of Insect Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Beibei
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology & Ministry of Agriculture Key Lab of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Institute of Insect Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Zhichao
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.affiliation: Analysis Center of Agrobiology and Environmental Sciences & Institute of Agrobiology and Environmental Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.affiliation: National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America.
authors.forename: Yiming
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-9922-9723
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Bao
authors.affiliation: Integrated Research Facility at Fort Detrick (IRF-Frederick), Division of Clinical Research (DCR), National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Fort Detrick, Frederick, Maryland, United States of America.
authors.forename: Jens H
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-7800-6045
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kuhn
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York, United States of America.
authors.forename: John H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Werren
authors.affiliation: Division of Plant Sciences, College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, United States of America.
authors.forename: Qisheng
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology & Ministry of Agriculture Key Lab of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Institute of Insect Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Gongyin
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-4937-8867
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ye
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D005260:Female; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012327:RNA Virus Infections / Q000635:transmission*; D012328:RNA Viruses / Q000502:physiology*; D012744:Sex Ratio; D014863:Wasps / Q000821:virology*