
Scholarly Literature
This is a database of scholarly literature that concentrates currently on natural and engineered selfish genetic elements (gene drives). The latest are shown here.
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The suppressive potential of a gene drive in populations of invasive social wasps is currently limitedA. B. Meiborg, N. R. Faber, B. A. Taylor, B. A. Harpur and G. Gorjanc, Scientific Reports, 13:1640. 2023.![]() Social insects are very successful invasive species, and the continued increase of global trade and transportation has exacerbated this problem. The yellow-legged hornet, Vespa velutina nigrithorax (henceforth Asian hornet), is drastically expanding its range in Western Europe. ... Keywords: Aedes, albopictus, biocontrol, Gene-silencing, genetic biocontrol, RNA silencing |
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Engineered Antiviral Sensor Targets Infected MosquitoesE. Dalla Benetta, A. J. Lopez-Denman, H.-H. Li, R. A. Masri, D. J. Brogan, M. Bui, T. Yang, M. Li, M. Dunn, M. J. Klein, S. Jackson, K. Catalan, K. R. Blasdell, P. Tng, I. Antoshechkin, L. S. Alphey, P. N. Paradkar and O. Akbari, bioRxiv, 2023.01.27.525922. 2023.![]() Escalating vector disease burdens pose significant global health risks, so innovative tools for targeting mosquitoes are critical. We engineered an antiviral strategy termed REAPER (vRNA Expression Activates Poisonous Effector Ribonuclease) that leverages the programmable ... Keywords: Aedes, albopictus, biocontrol, Gene-silencing, genetic biocontrol, RNA silencing |
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Impact of randomised wmel Wolbachia deployments on notified dengue cases and insecticide fogging for dengue control in Yogyakarta CityC. Indriani, S. K. Tanamas, U. Khasanah, M. R. Ansari, Rubangi, W. Tantowijoyo, R. A. Ahmad, S. M. Dufault, N. P. Jewell, A. Utarini, C. P. Simmons and K. L. Anders, Glob Health Action, 16:2166650. 2023.![]() BACKGROUND: Releases of Wolbachia (wMel)-infected Aedes aegypti mosquitoes significantly reduced the incidence of virologically confirmed dengue in a previous cluster randomised trial in Yogyakarta City, Indonesia. Following the trial, wMel releases were extended to the untreated ... Keywords: Aedes, albopictus, biocontrol, Gene-silencing, genetic biocontrol, RNA silencing |
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Control of Aedes mosquito populations using recombinant microalgae expressing short hairpin RNAs and their effect on planktonX. Fei, S. Xiao, X. Huang, Z. Li, X. Li, C. He, Y. Li, X. Zhang and X. Deng, PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 17:e0011109. 2023.![]() New biocontrol strategies are urgently needed to combat vector-borne infectious diseases. This study presents a low-cost method to produce a potential mosquito insecticide that utilizes the microalgae released into suburban water sources to control mosquito populations. Chlorella ... Keywords: Aedes, albopictus, biocontrol, Gene-silencing, genetic biocontrol, RNA silencing |
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Assessing potential hybridization between a hypothetical gene drive-modified Drosophila suzukii and nontarget Drosophila speciesS. Wolf, J. Collatz, J. Enkerli, F. Widmer and J. Romeis, Risk Analysis, 2023.![]() Genetically engineered gene drives (geGD) are potentially powerful tools for suppressing or even eradicating populations of pest insects. Before living geGD insects can be released into the environment, they must pass an environmental risk assessment to ensure that their release ... Keywords: Aedes, albopictus, biocontrol, Gene-silencing, genetic biocontrol, RNA silencing |
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Harnessing Wolbachia cytoplasmic incompatibility alleles for confined gene drive: A modeling studyJ. Li and J. Champer, PLOS Genetics, 19:e1010591. 2023.![]() Wolbachia are maternally-inherited bacteria, which can spread rapidly in populations by manipulating reproduction. cifA and cifB are genes found in Wolbachia phage that are responsible for cytoplasmic incompatibility, the most common type of Wolbachia reproductive interference. ... Keywords: Aedes, albopictus, biocontrol, Gene-silencing, genetic biocontrol, RNA silencing |
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Complicated expansion trajectories of insertion sequences and potential association with horizontal transfer of Wolbachia DNAY. H. Miao, D. W. Huang and J. H. Xiao, Zoological Research, 44:273-275. 2023.![]() Insertion sequences (ISs) are the simplest structural transposable elements (TEs) in prokaryotes, consisting only of a transposase coding sequence and its bilateral short terminal inverted repeats. Due to their gradually streamlined genomic construction, TEs rarely exist in the ... Keywords: Aedes, albopictus, biocontrol, Gene-silencing, genetic biocontrol, RNA silencing |
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Closing the gap to effective gene drive in Aedes aegypti by exploiting germline regulatory elementsM. A. E. Anderson, E. Gonzalez, J. X. D. Ang, L. Shackleford, K. Nevard, S. A. N. Verkuijl, M. P. Edgington, T. Harvey-Samuel and L. Alphey, Nature Communications, 14:338. 2023.![]() CRISPR/Cas9-based homing gene drives have emerged as a potential new approach to mosquito control. While attempts have been made to develop such systems in Aedes aegypti, none have been able to match the high drive efficiency observed in Anopheles species. Here we generate Ae. ... Keywords: Aedes, albopictus, biocontrol, Gene-silencing, genetic biocontrol, RNA silencing |
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Joint FAO/IAEA Coordinated Research Project on Mosquito Handling, Transport, Release and Male Trapping Methods in Support of SIT Application to Control MosquitoesM. Gómez, B. J. Johnson, H. C. Bossin and R. Argilés-Herrero, Insects, 14. 2023.![]() The research carried out in the framework of this CRP generated key achievements in areas relevant to the SIT application to control mosquitoes. Among these outcomes, particular mentions must be given to the following: (1) Novel and efficient self-marking techniques were ... Keywords: Aedes, albopictus, biocontrol, Gene-silencing, genetic biocontrol, RNA silencing |
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Wolbachia Promotes Its Own Uptake by Host CellsL. B. Nevalainen, E. M. Layton and I. L. G. Newton, Infection and Immunity, e0055722. 2023.![]() Wolbachia pipientis is an incredibly widespread bacterial symbiont of insects, present in an estimated 25 to 52% of species worldwide. Wolbachia is faithfully maternally transmitted both in a laboratory setting and in the wild. In an established infection, Wolbachia is primarily ... Keywords: Aedes, albopictus, biocontrol, Gene-silencing, genetic biocontrol, RNA silencing |
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Wolbachia RNase HI contributes to virus blocking in the mosquito Aedes aegyptiM. Hussain, G. Zhang, M. Leitner, L. M. Hedges and S. Asgari, iScience, 26:105836. 2023.![]() The endosymbiotic bacterium Wolbachia pipientis blocks replication of several arboviruses in transinfected Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. However, the mechanism of virus blocking remains poorly understood. Here, we characterized an RNase HI gene from Wolbachia, which is rapidly ... Keywords: Aedes, albopictus, biocontrol, Gene-silencing, genetic biocontrol, RNA silencing |
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Engineered symbiotic bacteria interfering <em>Nosema</em> redox system inhibit microsporidia parasitism in honeybeesH. Lang, H. Wang, H. Wang, X. Xie, X. Hu, X. Zhang and H. Zheng, bioRxiv, 2023.01.13.524015. 2023.![]() Nosema ceranae is an emergent microsporidia parasite of the European honey bee (Apis mellifera), which causes serious nosemosis implicated in honeybee colony losses worldwide. N. ceranae is an obligate intracellular eukaryotic parasite that mainly invades the midgut of honeybees. ... Keywords: Aedes, albopictus, biocontrol, Gene-silencing, genetic biocontrol, RNA silencing |
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Dynamics of an impulsive reaction-diffusion mosquitoes model with multiple control measuresY. Li, H. Zhao and K. Wang, Mathematical Biosciences and Engineering, 20:775-806. 2023.![]() It is well-known that mosquito control is one of the effective methods to reduce and prevent the transmission of mosquito-borne diseases. In this paper, we formulate a reaction-diffusion impulsive hybrid model incorporating Wolbachia, impulsively spraying of insecticides, spatial ... Keywords: Aedes, albopictus, biocontrol, Gene-silencing, genetic biocontrol, RNA silencing |
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Bypassing Mendel’s First Law: Transmission Ratio Distortion in MammalsG. Friocourt, A. Perrin, P. A. Saunders, E. Nikalayevich, C. Voisset, C. Coutton, G. Martinez and F. Morel, International Journal Molecular Sciences, 24. 2023.![]() Mendel's law of segregation states that the two alleles at a diploid locus should be transmitted equally to the progeny. A genetic segregation distortion, also referred to as transmission ratio distortion (TRD), is a statistically significant deviation from this rule. TRD has ... Keywords: Aedes, albopictus, biocontrol, Gene-silencing, genetic biocontrol, RNA silencing |
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Genetic conversion of a split-drive into a full-drive elementG. Terradas, J. B. Bennett, Z. Li, J. M. Marshall and E. Bier, Nature Communications, 14:191. 2023.![]() The core components of CRISPR-based gene drives, Cas9 and guide RNA (gRNA), either can be linked within a self-contained single cassette (full gene-drive, fGD) or be provided in two separate elements (split gene-drive, sGD), the latter offering greater control options. We ... Keywords: Aedes, albopictus, biocontrol, Gene-silencing, genetic biocontrol, RNA silencing |
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Single-cell transcriptome sequencing reveals Wolbachia-mediated modification in early stages of Drosophila spermatogenesisW. Dou, B. Sun, Y. Miao, D. Huang and J. Xiao, Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 290:20221963. 2023.![]() Wolbachia are the most widely distributed intracellular bacteria, and their most common effect on host phenotype is cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI). A variety of models have been proposed to decipher the molecular mechanism of CI, among which the host modification (HM) model ... Keywords: Aedes, albopictus, biocontrol, Gene-silencing, genetic biocontrol, RNA silencing |
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Single-cell transcriptome sequencing reveals Wolbachia-mediated modification in early stages of Drosophila spermatogenesisW. Dou, B. Sun, Y. Miao, D. Huang and J. Xiao, Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 290:20221963. 2023.![]() Wolbachia are the most widely distributed intracellular bacteria, and their most common effect on host phenotype is cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI). A variety of models have been proposed to decipher the molecular mechanism of CI, among which the host modification (HM) model ... Keywords: Aedes, albopictus, biocontrol, Gene-silencing, genetic biocontrol, RNA silencing |
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Heterogeneous distribution of sex ratio distorters in natural populations of the isopod Armadillidium vulgareS. Durand, B. Lheraud, I. Giraud, N. Bech, F. Grandjean, T. Rigaud, J. Peccoud and R. Cordaux, Biology Letters, 19:20220457. 2023.![]() In the isopod Armadillidium vulgare, many females produce progenies with female-biased sex ratios, owing to two feminizing sex ratio distorters (SRD): Wolbachia endosymbionts and the f element. We investigated the distribution and population dynamics of these SRD and ... Keywords: Aedes, albopictus, biocontrol, Gene-silencing, genetic biocontrol, RNA silencing |
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Effects of gamma radiation on the vector competence of Aedes aegypti (diptera: Culicidae) to transmit Zika virusE. B. da Silva, C. M. de Mendonça, D. R. D. Guedes, M. H. S. Paiva, J. d. A. Mendonça, E. S. F. Dias, S. G. L. Florêncio, A. Amaral, A. M. Netto, C. F. J. A. Lopes and M. A. V. de Melo-Santos, Acta Tropica, 239:106831. 2023.![]() One of the limitations of the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT), conventionally performed by ionizing radiation, regards separating males from females, which is not 100% effective. Some irradiated females may be released together with males in the field at SIT. The present study ... Keywords: Aedes, albopictus, biocontrol, Gene-silencing, genetic biocontrol, RNA silencing |
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Trust in science and scientists: Effects of social attitudes and motivations on views regarding climate change, vaccines and gene drive technologyH. G. W. Dixson, A. F. Komugabe-Dixson, F. Medvecky, J. Balanovic, H. Thygesen and E. A. MacDonald, Journal of Trust Research, 2023.![]() Trust in science and scientists (TSS) is an increasingly important topic with respect to how science is applied within society. However, its role regarding specific issues may vary depending upon other psychosocial factors. In this study, we investigated how trust interacts with ... Keywords: Aedes, albopictus, biocontrol, Gene-silencing, genetic biocontrol, RNA silencing |

Contact
David O’Brochta
Foundation for the
National Institutes of Health
geneconvenevi@fnih.org
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