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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From the Lab to the Field: Long-Distance Transport of Sterile Aedes Mosquitoes

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H. Maïga, M. T. Bakhoum, W. Mamai, G. Diouf, N. S. Bimbilé Somda, T. Wallner, C. Martina, S. S. Kotla, O. B. Masso, H. Yamada, B. B. D. Sow, A. G. Fall and J. Bouyer,  Insects,  14. 2023.
Pilot programs of the sterile insect technique (SIT) against Aedes aegypti may rely on importing significant and consistent numbers of high-quality sterile males from a distant mass rearing factory. As such, long-distance mass transport of sterile males may contribute to meet ...

Wbm0076, a candidate effector protein of the Wolbachia endosymbiont of Brugia malayi, disrupts eukaryotic actin dynamics

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M. K. Mills, L. G. McCabe, E. M. Rodrigue, K. F. Lechtreck and V. J. Starai,  PLoS Pathogens,  19:e1010777. 2023.
Brugia malayi, a parasitic roundworm of humans, is colonized by the obligate intracellular bacterium, Wolbachia pipientis. The symbiosis between this nematode and bacterium is essential for nematode reproduction and long-term survival in a human host. Therefore, identifying ...

How genomics can help biodiversity conservation

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K. Theissinger, C. Fernandes, G. Formenti, I. Bista, P. R. Berg, C. Bleidorn, A. Bombarely, A. Crottini, G. R. Gallo, J. A. Godoy, S. Jentoft, J. Malukiewicz, A. Mouton, R. A. Oomen, S. Paez, P. J. Palsbøll, C. Pampoulie, M. J. Ruiz-López, S. Secomandi, H,  Trends in Genetics,  2023.
Genomics provides effective tools to characterize biodiversity, but the full implementation of genomic techniques in practical conservation is still limited. We review some of the main approaches in biodiversity genomics available to conservationists and genomicists.High-quality, ...

Evaluating the mating competency of genetically modified male mosquitoes in laboratory conditions

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B. Contreras, Z. N. Adelman and K. Chae,  Frontiers in Tropical Diseases,  4. 2023.
Efforts to eradicate mosquito-borne diseases have increased the demand for genetic control strategies, many of which involve the release of genetically modified (GM) mosquito males into natural populations. The first hurdle for GM males is to compete with their wild-type ...

Gene Drive: Past, Present and Future Roads to Vertebrate Biocontrol

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G. R. McFarlane, C. B. A. Whitelaw and S. G. Lillico,  Applied Biosciences,  2:52-70. 2023.
Scientists have long sought a technology to humanely control populations of damaging invasive pests in a species-specific manner. Gene drive technology could see this become a reality. This review charts the twists and turns on the road to developing gene drives in vertebrates. ...

Review of gene drive modelling and implications for risk assessment of gene drive organisms

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J. L. Frieß, C. R. Lalyer, B. Giese, S. Simon and M. Otto,  Ecological Modelling,  478:110285. 2023.
Synthetic gene drive (GD) systems constitute a form of novel invasive environmental biotechnology with far-reaching consequences beyond those of other known genetically modified organisms (GMOs). During the last 10 years, the development of GD systems has been closely linked to ...

The Anthropocene as the End of Nature? Why Recognizing Interventionism Is Key in Coming to Terms with the Anthropocene

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K. Boersma,  ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS,  44:195-219. 2023.
In this article, I address and argue against the tendency to understand the anthropocene as inaugurating the end of nature. I conduct two key moves. First, by way of an engagement with the concept of anthropocene technology I explain how understanding the anthropocene as the end ...

Expansion and loss of sperm nuclear basic protein genes in Drosophila correspond with genetic conflicts between sex chromosomes

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C.-H. Chang, I. Mejia Natividad and H. S. Malik,  eLife,  12:e85249. 2023.
Many animal species employ sperm nuclear basic proteins (SNBPs) or protamines to package sperm genomes tightly. SNBPs vary across animal lineages and evolve rapidly in mammals. We used a phylogenomic approach to investigate SNBP diversification in Drosophila species. We found ...

When less is more: accounting for overcompensation in mosquito SIT projects

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J. Bouyer,  Trends in Parasitology,  2023.
Compensation and overcompensation under field conditions are confirmed in Aedes mosquitoes recently by Evans et al.: equal or increased densities of emerging adults may thus result from reduced larval densities. Here the consequences when applying the sterile insect technique and ...

NDUFA8 potentially rescues Wolbachia-induced cytoplasmic incompatibility in Laodelphax striatellus

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J. Chen, M. K. Wang, Q. X. Xie, X. L. Bing, T. P. Li and X. Y. Hong,  Insect Sci,  2023.
The endosymbiont Wolbachia manipulates host reproduction by several strategies, one of the most important of which is cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI). CI can be rescued when Wolbachia-infected (WI) males mate with females infected with the same Wolbachia strain. However, the ...

Investigating Wolbachia symbiont-mediated host protection against a bacterial pathogen using a natural Wolbachia nuclear insert

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C. Prigot-Maurice, B. Lheraud, S. Guéritault, S. Beltran-Bech, R. Cordaux, J. Peccoud and C. Braquart-Varnier,  Journal of Invertebrate Pathology,  197:107893. 2023.
Wolbachia bacterial endosymbionts provide protection against pathogens in various arthropod species but the underlying mechanisms remain misunderstood. By using a natural Wolbachia nuclear insert (f-element) in the isopod Armadillidium vulgare, we explored whether Wolbachia ...

A Zika virus-responsive sensor-effector system in Aedes aegypti

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S. Basu, C. M. Reitmayer, S. Lumley, B. Atkinson, M. L. Schade-Weskott, S. Rooney, W. Larner, E. E. Montiel, R. Gutierrez-Lopez, E. Levitt, H. M. Munyanduki, A. M. E. Elrefaey, A. T. Clarke, S. Koit, E. Zusinaite, R. Fragkoudis, A. Merits and L. Alphey,  bioRxiv,  2023.02.06.527261. 2023.
Zika virus (ZIKV) is a recently re-emerged flavivirus transmitted primarily through the bite of an infected mosquito, Aedes aegypti being the main vector. ZIKV infection is associated with a range of adverse effects; infection during pregnancy can lead to foetal abnormalities, ...

A selfish genetic element and its suppressor causes gross damage to testes in a fly

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S. Lyth, A. Manser, G. Hurst, T. Price and R. Verspoor,  bioRxiv,  2023.02.06.527273. 2023.
Selfish genetic elements (SGEs), specifically X-chromosome meiotic drive (XCMD), create huge conflicts within a hosts genome and can have profound effects on fertility. Suppressors are a common evolutionary response to XCMD to negate its costs. However, whether suppressors ...

Moving beyond narrow definitions of gene drive: Diverse perspectives and frames enable substantive dialogue among science and humanities teachers in the United States and United Kingdom

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S. Hartley, A. Stelmach, J. A. Delborne and S. K. Barnhill-Dilling,  Public Understanding of Science,  2023.
Gene drive is an emerging biotechnology with applications in global health, conservation and agriculture. Scientists are preparing for field trials, triggering debate about when and how to release gene-drive organisms. These decisions depend on public understandings of gene ...

Pangenomic analysis of Wolbachia provides insight into the evolution of host adaptation and cytoplasmic incompatibility factor genes

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B. Liu, Y. S. Ren, C. Y. Su, Y. Abe and D. H. Zhu,  Frontiers in Microbiology,  14:1084839. 2023.
INTRODUCTION: The genus Wolbachia provides a typical example of intracellular bacteria that infect the germline of arthropods and filarial nematodes worldwide. Their importance as biological regulators of invertebrates, so it is particularly important to study the evolution, ...

Horizontal gene transfer from plant to whitefly

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T. Islam, R. B. Azad, S. H. Kasfy, A. A. Rahman and T. Z. Khan,  Trends in Biotechnology,  2023.
The recent discovery of the horizontal transfer of a toxin-neutralizing gene from plant to whitefly (Bemisia tabaci), a polyphagous insect, sparked a new area of study. In this forum, we discuss some potential biotechnological applications of this newly discovered knowledge in ...

Biological comparative study between Wolbachia-infected Aedes aegypti mosquito and Wolbachia-uninfected strain, Jeddah city, Saudi Arabia

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A. G. Algamdi, F. M. Shaher and J. A. Mahyoub,  Saudi J Biol Sci,  30:103581. 2023.
In this study, samples of Wolbachia-infected Aedes aegypti mosquitoes were collected from Al-Safa district in Jeddah city, Saudi Arabia. The presence of Wolbachia bacteria in mosquitoes was confirmed by PCR technique and they were reared and propagated in the laboratory. ...

Engineered Antiviral Sensor Targets Infected Mosquitoes

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E. 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 ...

Impact of randomised wmel Wolbachia deployments on notified dengue cases and insecticide fogging for dengue control in Yogyakarta City

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C. 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 ...

Control of Aedes mosquito populations using recombinant microalgae expressing short hairpin RNAs and their effect on plankton

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X. 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 ...

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