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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Rapid, scalable, combinatorial genome engineering by marker-less enrichment and recombination of genetically engineered loci in yeast
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Replicator/site directed nuclease, Yeast and FungiM. Abdullah, B. M. Greco, J. M. Laurent, R. K. Garge, D. R. Boutz, M. Vandeloo, E. M. Marcotte and A. H. Kachroo, Cell Rep Methods, 3:100464. 2023.
A major challenge to rationally building multi-gene processes in yeast arises due to the combinatorics of combining all of the individual edits into the same strain. Here, we present a precise and multi-site genome editing approach that combines all edits without selection ...
Combined actions of bacteriophage-encoded genes in Wolbachia-induced male lethality
Tags: Fruit fly, Other Symbionts, WolbachiaH. Arai, H. Anbutsu, Y. Nishikawa, M. Kogawa, K. Ishii, M. Hosokawa, S. R. Lin, M. Ueda, M. Nakai, Y. Kunimi, T. Harumoto, D. Kageyama, H. Takeyama and M. N. Inoue, iScience, 26:106842. 2023.
Some Wolbachia endosymbionts induce male killing, whereby male offspring of infected females are killed during development; however, the origin and diversity of the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, we identified a 76 kbp prophage region specific to ...
Editorial: Genetic control of insect pest species—achievements, challenges, and perspectives
Tags: Gene drive, Genetic biocontrol, Genetically modified organisms, Incompatible insect technique, Sterile insect technique (SIT)I. Häcker, D. Bartsch, A. Choo and F. Marec, Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology, 11. 2023.
Genetic control is a type ofbiological control and a promising approach to regulate insect pest populations in a species-specific manner. It is based on targeting the reproductive capacity of the target pest species to reduce population size to non-critical levels. The best known ...
The boundary problem: Defining and delineating the community in field trials with gene drive organisms
Tags: Ethics, Gene drive, Gene editing, Malaria, Mosquitoes, Population modification/replacement, Stakeholder engagementN. de Graeff, I. Pirson, R. van der Graaf, A. L. Bredenoord and K. R. Jongsma, Bioethics, 2023.
Despite widespread and worldwide efforts to eradicate vector-borne diseases such as malaria, these diseases continue to have an enormous negative impact on public health. For this reason, scientists are working on novel control strategies, such as gene drive technologies (GDTs). ...
Mathematical modeling of the performance of wild and transgenic mosquitoes in malaria transmission
Tags: Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Modeling, Population modification/replacementA. P. Wyse, A. J. B. dos Santos, J. D. Azevedo, A. C. de Meneses and V. M. D. Santos, Plos One, 18:23. 2023.
A mathematical model that simulates malaria transmission under the influence of transgenic mosquitoes refractory to malaria is presented in this paper. The zygosity of transgenic mosquitoes is taken into account and, consequently, the total population of mosquitoes is comprised ...
B chromosomes reveal a female meiotic drive suppression system in Drosophila melanogaster
Tags: Chromosomal drive, Fruit flyS. L. Hanlon and R. S. Hawley, Current Biology, 2023.
Selfish genetic elements use a myriad of mechanisms to drive their inheritance and ensure their survival into the next generation, often at a fitness cost to its host.(1)(,)(2) Although the catalog of selfish genetic elements is rapidly growing, our understanding of host drive ...
Wolbachia-based strategies for control of agricultural pests
Tags: Agriculture, Cytoplasmic incompatibility, Incompatible insect technique, WolbachiaJ. T. Gong, T. P. Li, M. K. Wang and X. Y. Hong, Curr Opin Insect Sci, 101039:10.1016/j.cois.2023.101039. 2023.
Wolbachia-based incompatible insect technique (IIT) and pathogen blocking technique (PBT) have been shown to be effective at protecting humans from mosquito-borne diseases in the past decades. Population suppression based on IIT and population replacement based on PBT have become ...
Anti-CRISPR Anopheles mosquitoes inhibit gene drive spread under challenging behavioural conditions in large cages
Tags: Anopheles, CRISPR, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Mosquitoes, Population genetics/dynamics, Synthetic biologyA. Simoni, R. D'Amato, C. Taxiarchi, M. Galardini, A. Trusso, R. Minuz, S. Gilli, A. Somerville, D. Shittu, A. Khalil, R. Galizi and R. Muller, Research Square, 2023.
CRISPR-based gene drives have the potential to spread within a population and are considered as promising vector control tools. A doublesex-targeting gene drive was shown effective to suppress laboratory populations in both small and large cages, and it is considered for field ...
Applications of Anti-CRISPR Proteins in Genome Editing and Biotechnology
C. Kraus and E. J. Sontheimer, Journal of Molecular Biology, 2023.In the ten years since the discovery of the first anti-CRISPR (Acr) proteins, the number of validated Acrs has expanded rapidly, as has our understanding of the diverse mechanisms they employ to suppress natural CRISPR-Cas immunity. Many, though not all, function via direct, ...
A rapidly spreading deleterious aphid endosymbiont that uses horizontal as well as vertical transmission
Tags: Biological control, Genetic biocontrol, Other SymbiontsX. Gu, P. A. Ross, A. Gill, Q. Yang, E. Ansermin, S. Sharma, S. Soleimannejad, K. Sharma, A. Callahan, C. Brown, P. A. Umina, T. N. Kristensen and A. A. Hoffmann, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 120:e2217278120. 2023.
Endosymbiotic bacteria that live inside the cells of insects are typically only transmitted maternally and can spread by increasing host fitness and/or modifying reproduction in sexual hosts. Transinfections of Wolbachia endosymbionts are now being used to introduce useful ...
Gene Drives as Interventions into Nature: the Coproduction of Ontology and Morality in the Gene Drive Debate
Tags: Ethics, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Policy, Stakeholder engagementK. Boersma, B. Bovenkerk and D. Ludwig, NanoEthics, 17:4. 2023.
Gene drives are potentially ontologically and morally disruptive technologies. The potential to shape evolutionary processes and to eradicate (e.g. malaria-transmitting or invasive) populations raises ontological questions about evolution, nature, and wilderness. The ...
The Role of Symbiont-Targeted Strategies in the Management of Pentatomidae and Tephritidae Pests under an Integrated Vision
Tags: Biological control, Incompatible insect technique, Pest management, Sterile insect technique (SIT)E. Gonella and A. Alma, Agronomy, 13. 2023.
The interaction between insects and gut bacterial symbionts is, nowadays, regarded as an important element in the implementation of pest management, in consideration of the urgent need for sustainable alternatives to insecticide use. In this framework, a major tool is symbiotic ...
Standardization of sterile insect technique (SIT) for melon fruit fly
Tags: Genetic biocontrol, Sterile insect technique (SIT)M. Math and Y. K. Kotikal, Journal of Entomological Research, 47:16-20. 2023.
Sterile technique was standardized for melon fly, Zeugodacus cucurbitae Coquillett under laboratory conditions. The Adult emergence of B. cucurbitae was significantly highest (96.12%) without radiation to the pupae. Among different radiation doses, 30 Gy resulted in significantly ...
Targeting Sex Determination to Suppress Mosquito Populations
Tags: Aedes, Dengue, Genetic biocontrol, Mosquitoes, Population suppression, Sterile insect technique (SIT), Vector controlL. Ming, P. K. Nikolay, S. Ruichen, Y. Ting, D. B. Elena, J. B. Daniel, A. Igor, M. S. C. Hector, Z. Yinpeng, A. D. Nicolas, M. L. YuMin, P. S. Matthew, M. Craig, M. M. John and S. A. Omar, bioRxiv, 2023.04.18.537404. 2023.
Each year, hundreds of millions of people are infected with arboviruses such as dengue, yellow fever, chikungunya, and Zika, which are all primarily spread by the notorious mosquito Aedes aegypti. Traditional control measures have proven insufficient, necessitating innovations. ...
Evaluating the Effect of Irradiation on the Densities of Two RNA Viruses in Glossina morsitans morsitans
Tags: Other arthropods, Sterile insect technique (SIT)C. K. Mirieri, A. M. M. Abd-Alla, V. I. D. Ros and M. M. van Oers, Insects, 14. 2023.
Tsetse flies are cyclic vectors of Trypanosoma parasites, which cause debilitating diseases in humans and animals. To decrease the disease burden, the number of flies is reduced using the sterile insect technique (SIT), where male flies are sterilized through irradiation and ...
Defining transformation events for gene drive in species complexes
Tags: Anopheles, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Mosquitoes, Policy, Risk and safety, Risk assessmentJ. B. Connolly, IOBC-WPRS Bulletin, 163:8-20. 2023.
Engineered gene drives (EGDs) that allow the super-Mendelian inheritance of genetic traits could one day be used to reduce the vectorial capacity of Anopheles species that transmit human malaria in Africa. Many Anopheles species belong to complexes of closely related sibling ...
Dengue Exposure and Wolbachia wMel Strain Affects the Fertility of Quiescent Eggs of Aedes aegypti
Tags: Aedes, Arbovirus, Dengue, WolbachiaM. T. Petersen, D. Couto-Lima, G. A. Garcia, M. G. Pavan, M. R. David and R. Maciel-de-Freitas, Viruses, 15. 2023.
(1) Background: The deployment of the bacterium Wolbachia to reduce arbovirus transmission is ongoing in several countries worldwide. When Wolbachia-carrying Aedes aegypti are released and established in the field, females may feed on dengue-infected hosts. The effects of ...
Spatial Distribution and Long-Term Persistence of Wolbachia-Infected Aedes aegypti in the Mentari Court, Malaysia
Tags: Aedes, Dengue, Genetic biocontrol, WolbachiaY. L. Cheong, W. A. Nazni, H. L. Lee, A. NoorAfizah, I. C. MohdKhairuddin, G. M. R. Kamarul, N. M. N. Nizam, M. A. K. Arif, Z. M. NurZatilAqmar, S. M. Irwan, K. Khadijah, Y. M. Paid, O. Topek, A. H. Hasnor, R. AbuBakar, B. Singh Gill, K. Fadzilah, A. Tahi, Insects, 14. 2023.
Dengue is endemic in Malaysia, and vector control strategies are vital to reduce dengue transmission. The Wolbachia strain wAlbB carried by both sexes of Ae. aegypti was released in Mentari Court, a high-rise residential site, in October 2017 and stopped after 20 weeks. Wolbachia ...
DIPA-CRISPR gene editing in the yellow fever mosquito <em>Aedes aegypti</em> (Diptera: Culicidae)
Tags: Aedes, Gene editing, Genetically modified mosquitoesS. Yu, T. Momoyo, O. Manabu, K. Hirotaka and D. Takaaki, bioRxiv, 2023.04.07.535996. 2023.
Current methods for gene editing in insects rely on embryonic microinjection, which can be challenging for non-specialist laboratories. Recently, an alternative method known as direct parental CRISPR (DIPA-CRISPR) was developed. This method involves injecting commercial Cas9 ...
A bacterium against the tiger: further evidence of the potential of non-inundative releases of males with manipulated Wolbachia infection in reducing fertility of Aedes albopictus field populations in Italy
Tags: Aedes, Incompatible insect technique, Mosquitoes, WolbachiaB. Caputo, R. Moretti, C. Virgillito, M. Manica, E. Lampazzi, G. Lombardi, P. Serini, V. Pichler, N. W. Beebe, A. Della Torre and M. Calvitti, Pest Management Science, 2023.
BACKGROUND: Incompatible Insect Technique (IIT) is a population suppression approach based on the release of males with manipulated Wolbachia infection inducing egg inviability in wild females. We here present results of multiple field releases of incompatible ARwP males carried ...

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