Assessing the acoustic behaviour of Anopheles gambiae (s.l.) dsxF mutants: implications for vector control
Assessing the acoustic behaviour of Anopheles gambiae (s.l.) dsxF mutants: implications for vector control
Tags: Anopheles, Gene drive synthetic, Population suppression, Replicator/site directed nuclease, Sex distorterM. P. Su, M. Georgiades, J. Bagi, K. Kyrou, A. Crisanti and J. T. Albert, Parasites and Vectors, 13:507. 2020.
Release of gene-drive mutants to suppress Anopheles mosquito reproduction is a promising method of malaria control. However, many scientific, regulatory and ethical questions remain before transgenic mosquitoes can be utilised in the field. At a behavioural level, gene-drive carrying mutants should be at least as sexually attractive as the wildtype populations they compete against, with a key element of Anopheles copulation being acoustic courtship. We analysed sound emissions and acoustic preference in a doublesex mutant previously used to collapse Anopheles gambiae (s.l.) cages.
