Novel Organelles with Elements of Bacterial and Eukaryotic Secretion Systems Weaponize Parasites of Drosophila (Current Biology)

Heavner et al. report the non-viral composition of mixed-strategy extracellular vesicles (MSEVs), previously known as virus-like particles. MSEVs mediate parasitic success of Leptopilina heterotoma against their fly hosts. The authors describe sequences with eukaryotic microvesicluar signature, prokaryotic-like proteins, and a new class of GTPases.