Data from: Genetic footprints of adaptive divergence in the bracovirus of Cotesia sesamiae identified by targeted resequencing

The African parasitoid wasp Cotesia sesamiae is structured in contrasted
populations showing differences in host range and the recent discovery of
a specialist related species, C. typhae, provide a good framework to study
the mechanisms that link the parasitoid and their host range. To
investigate the genomic bases of divergence between these populations, we
used a targeted sequencing approach on 24 samples. We targeted a specific
genomic region encoding the bracovirus, which is deeply involved in the
interaction with the host. High sequencing coverage was obtained for all
samples allowing the study of genetic variations between wasp populations
and species. Combining population genetic estimations, the diversity (π),
the relative differentiation (FST) and the absolute differentiation (dxy),
and branch-site dN/dS measures, we identified six divergent genes impacted
by positive selection belonging to different gene families. These genes
are potentially involved in host adaptation and in the specialization
process. Fine scale analyses of the genetic variations also revealed
deleterious mutations and large deletions on certain genes inducing
pseudogenization and loss of function. These results highlight the crucial
role of the bracovirus in the molecular interactions between the wasp and
its hosts and in the evolutionary processes of specialization.