Genome Sequence of the First Coleopteran Iflavirus Isolated from Western Corn Rootworm

Western corn rootworm (WCR), Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), is the worst insect pest of maize in North America and is invasive in Europe (1). Management of WCR in the United States depends primarily on transgenic plants that express Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) insecticidal toxins, but populations resistant to Bt toxins have been reported (2). Hence, novel control strategies for WCR management are needed. Small RNA viruses of insects, such as iflaviruses, have potential for insect pest management. Several iflaviruses have recently been discovered in the insect orders Hemiptera (3), Lepidoptera (4), and Hymenoptera (5–7). Here, we report the genome sequence of an iflavirus from WCR, the first identified from Coleoptera. Ed Rybicki’s insight:Interesting because it could shed some light on evolutionary descent of these viruses – and push back the origin of picorna-like viruses by a good few million years.See it on Scoop.it, via Viruses and Bioinformatics from Virology.uvic.ca
Genome Sequence of the First Coleopteran Iflavirus Isolated from Western Corn Rootworm
Source: Viral Bioinformatics