Convergent origin and accelerated evolution of vesicle-associated RhoGAP proteins in two unrelated parasitoid wasps
The development of parasitoid wasps occurs at the expense of another arthropod, whose tissues are consumed by the parasitoid larvae, usually resulting in the death of the host. To escape the host immune response, parasitoids have evolved several strategies, the main one being the injection of maternal fluids together with the egg into the host at the time of oviposition. These maternal fluids contain (i) proteins synthesized in the venom glands, (ii) proteins synthesized in the ovarian calyx cells and associated with particles of viral origin devoid of nucleic acid and named virus-like particles (VLPs), and (iii) polydnaviruses (PDVs) integrated into the parasitoid genome and found in some groups of parasitoids.Animal venoms and other protein-based secretions that perform a variety of functions, from predation to defense, are highly complex cocktails of bioactive compounds. These data were generated in this context, to analyze the role of the secreted protein and the evolutionary origin.