Transposable elements and DMelSV viral infection

All genomes contain genomic parasites called transposable elements (TEs), some of which resemble viruses. In insects, TEs are controlled by small RNAs of the piRNA class, and viruses are fought against by small RNAs of the siRNA class. Here we show that DMelSV (Drosophila melanogaster Sigma virus) infections in Drosophila simulans increase TE transcript amounts in somatic tissues, and modulate small RNA repertoires.