Parasitoid wasp venoms degrade <i>Drosophila</i> imaginal discs for successful parasitism

Parasitoid wasps, one of the most diverse and species-rich animal groups on Earth, produce venoms that manipulate host development and physiology to exploit resources. However, mechanisms of actions of these venoms remain poorly understood. Here, we discovered that the endoparasitoid wasp, <i>Asobara japonica</i>, induces apoptosis, autophagy, and mitotic arrest in the adult tissue precursors of its host <i>Drosophila</i> larvae. We termed this phenomenon imaginal disc degradation (IDD). A multi-omics approach facilitated identification of two venom proteins of <i>A. japonica</i> necessary for IDD, which is critical for parasitism success. Our study highlights a venom-mediated hijacking strategy of the parasitoid wasp that allows the host larvae to grow, but ultimately prevents their metamorphosis.

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Publication Details

Journal
Science Advances
Published
2025-01-29
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adq8771
Citations
7
Primary Topic
Insect symbiosis and bacterial influences
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
11.71

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article

Parasitoid wasp venoms degrade Drosophila imaginal discs for successful parasitism

Yuko Shimada‐Niwa, Naoki Tani, Susumu Katsuma, Akira Takasu et al.
7 citations
Science Advances
Insect symbiosis and bacterial influences
11.71
article

Parasitoid wasp venoms degrade Drosophila imaginal discs for successful parasitism

Yuko Shimada‐Niwa, Naoki Tani, Susumu Katsuma, Akira Takasu, Minami Katayama, Hitoha Mori, Kazuki Seike, Akira Nakamura, Takayoshi Kuwabara, Noriko Matsuda–Imai, Toshiya Senda, Ryusuke Niwa, Takumi Kamiyama, Hitomi Takemata-Kawabata, Mitsuki Fujii
article en
7 citations

Abstract

Parasitoid wasps, one of the most diverse and species-rich animal groups on Earth, produce venoms that manipulate host development and physiology to exploit resources. However, mechanisms of actions of these venoms remain poorly understood. Here, we discovered that the endoparasitoid wasp, <i>Asobara japonica</i>, induces apoptosis, autophagy, and mitotic arrest in the adult tissue precursors of its host <i>Drosophila</i> larvae. We termed this phenomenon imaginal disc degradation (IDD). A multi-omics approach facilitated identification of two venom proteins of <i>A. japonica</i> necessary for IDD, which is critical for parasitism success. Our study highlights a venom-mediated hijacking strategy of the parasitoid wasp that allows the host larvae to grow, but ultimately prevents their metamorphosis.

Science AdvancesVol. 11(5)
High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (JP), University of Tsukuba (JP), The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI (JP), The University of Tokyo (JP), Kumamoto University (JP)
Ohsumi Frontier Science Foundation, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Institute of Genetics, National Institute for Basic Biology
Life in Land
Openalex Percentile: Top 1%
Insect symbiosis and bacterial influences
11.71
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
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