Teratocytes and their functions in parasitoids

• Some endoparasitoid wasps lay eggs that produce cells called teratocytes.
• Wasps in only select families form teratocytes.
• Teratocytes derive from two types of embryonic cells.
• Teratocytes persist in parasitized hosts.
• Teratocytes secrete proteins that have several potential functions in parasitism.

Some endoparasitoid wasps (Hymenoptera) produce teratocytes, which are a type of cell that is released into host insects when wasp eggs hatch. In this short review I first summarize the different taxa of wasps that produce teratocytes, the embryonic origin of these cells, and key features of teratocyte growth. Then I discuss the known or hypothesized functions of teratocytes, and the range of teratocyte gene products that have been identified including recent transcriptome and proteome data.