Apoptotic arms races in insect?baculovirus coevolution

Baculoviruses, like their holometabolous host insects, comprise a monophyletic clade and, since the evolutionary origin of this virus family, have coevolved with hosts. Despite intimate coevolutionary relationship, baculoviruses occasionally diverged independently phylogeny by acquiring new infection mechanisms. Given that current baculovirus genomes contain various anti-apoptotic genes and pseudogenes, possibility arises ancient had genetic means to counter antiviral apoptosis In review, we propose an scenario for diversification in which development novel mechanisms insects provided necessary pressure produce lineages possessing genes. This apoptotic arms race subsequent viral adaptation likely play crucial role establishment diversity.