| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4508220 | Current Opinion in Insect Science | 2014 | 6 Pages |
•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.
