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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Genetic engineering of sex chromosomes for batch cultivation of non-transgenic, sex-sorted males

19246
S. R. Das, M. Maselko, A. Upadhyay and M. J. Smanski,  PloS Genetics,  16:11. 2020-11-02 22:13:55.
The field performance of Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) is improved by sex-sorting and releasing only sterile males. This can be accomplished by resource-intensive separation of males from females by morphology. Alternatively, sex-ratio biasing genetic constructs can be used to selectively remove one sex without the need for manual or automated sorting, but the resulting genetically engineered (GE) control agents would be subject to additional governmental regulation. Here we describe and demonstrate a genetic method for the batch production of non-GE males. This method could be applied to generate the heterogametic sex (XY, or WZ) in any organism with chromosomal sex determination. We observed up to 100% sex-selection with batch cultures of more than 10(3) individuals. Using a stringent transgene detection assay, we demonstrate the potential of mass production of transgene free males. Author summary In this manuscript, we describe and demonstrate in a model system a new genetic engineering approach for producing sex-sorted, non-transgenic batches of an organism with genetic sex determination. This approach could impact pest control programs using Sterile Insect Technique.

Gene Drives across engineered fitness valleys: Modeling a design to prevent drive spillover.

14880
F. J. H. de Haas and S. Otto,  bioRxiv,  2020.10.29.360404. 2020-10-29 15:44:22.
We model a proposed drive system that transitions in time from a low threshold drive system (homing-based gene drive) to a high threshold drive system (underdominance) using daisy chain technology. This combination leads to a spatially restricted drive strategy while maintaining an attainable release threshold.

The Sterile Insect Technique: Success and Perspectives in the Neotropics

15185
D. Perez-Staples, F. Diaz-Fleischer and P. Montoya,  Neotropical Entomology,  14. 2020-10-28 15:12:56.
Here, we review SIT in the Neotropics and focus on particular recent successful cases of eradication of the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), as well as effective programs used against the Mexican fruit fly Anastrepha ludens (Loew), the New World screwworm fly Cochliomyia hominivorax (Coquerel)), and the Cactus moth Cactoblastis cactorum (Berg). We examine when SIT does not work and innovations that have made SIT more efficient and also highlight complimentary techniques that can be used in conjunction. We address potential candidate species that could be controlled through SIT, for example Philornis downsi Dodge & Aitken. Finally, we consider the impact of climate change in the context of the use of the SIT against these pests. Given the recent dramatic decline in insect biodiversity, investing in environmentally friendly means of pest control should be a priority. We conclude that SIT should be promoted in the region, and leadership and political will is needed for continued success of SIT in the Neotropics.

Cellular mechanisms regulating synthetic sex ratio distortion in the Anopheles gambiae germline

14790
R. E. Haghighat-Khah, A. Sharma, M. R. Wunderlich, G. Morselli, L. A. Marston, C. Bamikole, A. Hall, N. Kranjc, C. Taxiarchi, I. Sharakhov and R. Galizi,  Pathogens and Global Health,  114:370-378. 2020-10-20 20:24:19.
Meiotic cleavage of rDNA repeats, located in the sex chromosomes of A. gambiae SD males, affects the competitiveness of mature sperm to fertilize the female oocyte.

Vector-Focused Approaches to Curb Malaria Transmission in the Brazilian Amazon: An Overview of Current and Future Challenges and Strategies

15960
E. M. Rocha, R. D. Katak, J. C. de Oliveira, M. D. Araujo, B. C. Carlos, R. Galizi, F. Tripet, O. Marinotti and J. A. Souza,  Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease,  5. 2020-10-20 18:16:39.
Here we present an overview on both conventional and novel promising vector-focused tools to curb malaria transmission in the Brazilian Amazon. If well designed and employed, vector-based approaches may improve the implementation of malaria-control programs, particularly in remote or difficult-to-access areas and in regions where existing interventions have been unable to eliminate disease transmission. However, much effort still has to be put into research expanding the knowledge of neotropical malaria vectors to set the steppingstones for the optimization of conventional and development of innovative vector-control tools.

Progress Toward Zygotic and Germline Gene Drives in Mice

14852
C. Pfitzner, M. A. White, S. G. Piltz, M. Scherer, F. Adikusuma, J. N. Hughes and P. Q. Thomas,  The CRISPR Journal,  3:388-397. 2020-10-20 17:17:24.
Here, we investigated the efficiency of CRISPR-Cas9-based gene drives in Mus musculus by constructing "split drive" systems where gRNA expression occurs on a separate chromosome to Cas9, which is under the control of either a zygotic (CAG) or germline (Vasa) promoter.

Selfish genetic elements and male fertility

15183
R. L. Verspoor, T. A. R. Price and N. Wedell,  Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B-Biological Sciences,  375:7. 2020-10-20 14:40:03.
Selfish genetic elements (SGEs) are diverse and near ubiquitous in Eukaryotes and can be potent drivers of evolution. Here, we discuss SGEs that specifically act on sperm to gain a transmission advantage to the next generation. The diverse SGEs that affect sperm often impose costs on carrier males, including damaging ejaculates, skewing offspring sex ratios and in particular reducing sperm-competitive success of SGE-carrying males. How males and females tolerate and mitigate against these costs is a dynamic and expanding area of research. The intense intra-genomic conflict that these selfish elements generate could also have implications for male fertility and spermatogenesis more widely. This article is part of the theme issue 'Fifty years of sperm competition'.

MGDrivE 2: A simulation framework for gene drive systems incorporating seasonality and epidemiological dynamics

14733
S. L. Wu, J. B. Bennett, H. M. Sanchez C, A. J. Dolgert, T. M. Leon and J. M. Marshall,  bioRxiv,  2020.10.16.343376. 2020-10-17 15:42:27.
We present MGDrivE 2 (Mosquito Gene Drive Explorer 2): an extension of and development from the MGDrivE 1 simulation framework that investigates the population dynamics of a variety of gene drive architectures and their spread through spatially-explicit mosquito populations.

Genetic engineering and bacterial pathogenesis against the vectorial capacity of mosquitoes

14721
M. Qasim, H. M. Xiao, K. He, M. A. A. Omar, F. L. Liu, S. Ahmed and F. Li,  Microbial Pathogenesis,  147:8. 2020-10-16 18:16:01.
Here we aimed to focus on the role of bacterial pathogenesis and molecular tactics for the management of mosquitoes and their vectorial capacity.

Stable Introduction of Plant-Virus-Inhibiting Wolbachia into Planthoppers for Rice Protection

19719
J. T. Gong, Y. Li, T. P. Li, Y. Liang, L. Hu, D. Zhang, C. Y. Zhou, C. Yang, X. Zhang, S. S. Zha, X. Z. Duan, L. A. Baton, X. Y. Hong, A. A. Hoffmann and Z. Xi,  Current Biology,  30:4837-4845.e5. 2020-10-10 12:20:07.
Progress has been made in developing the maternally inherited endosymbiotic bacterium Wolbachia as a tool for protecting humans from mosquito-borne diseases. In contrast, Wolbachia-based approaches have not yet been developed for the protection of plants from insect pests and their associated diseases, with a major challenge being the establishment of artificial Wolbachia infections expressing desired characteristics in the hemipterans that transmit the majority of plant viruses. Here, we report stable introduction of Wolbachia into the brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens, the most destructive rice pest that annually destroys millions of hectares of staple crops. The Wolbachia strain wStri from the small brown planthopper, Laodelphax striatellus, was transferred to this new host, where it showed high levels of cytoplasmic incompatibility, enabling rapid invasion of laboratory populations. Furthermore, wStri inhibited infection and transmission of Rice ragged stunt virus and mitigated virus-induced symptoms in rice plants, opening up the development of Wolbachia-based strategies against major agricultural pests and their transmitted pathogens

Engineering the Composition and Fate of Wild Populations with Gene Drive

14731
B. A. Hay, G. Oberhofer and M. Guo,  Annual Review of Entomology,  2020-10-09 15:37:03.
We describe technologies under consideration, progress that has been made, and remaining technological hurdles, particularly with respect to evolutionary stability and our ability to control the spread and ultimate fate of genes introduced into populations.

Towards rangatiratanga in pest management? Maori perspectives and frameworks on novel biotechnologies in conservation

14653
S. Palmer, O. R. Mercier and A. King-Hunt,  Pacific Conservation Biology,  11. 2020-10-09 13:58:04.
We gathered Maori perspectives on novel biotechnological controls for pest wasps through three distinct studies. Study participants included tertiary students, businesses, and spiritual or religiously affiliated groups. All participants drew from their identities as Maori people to help identify their position on these issues.

Assessing the acoustic behaviour of Anopheles gambiae (s.l.) dsxF mutants: implications for vector control

14647
M. P. Su, M. Georgiades, J. Bagi, K. Kyrou, A. Crisanti and J. T. Albert,  Parasites and Vectors,  13:507. 2020-10-07 13:33:23.
We analysed sound emissions and acoustic preference in a doublesex mutant previously used to collapse Anopheles gambiae (s.l.) cages.

Yes, Irradiated Sterile Male Mosquitoes Can Be Sexually Competitive!

14645
J. Bouyer and M. J. B. Vreysen,  Trends in Parasitology,  2020-10-06 13:28:30.
Here, we argue that a reduction in quality of the produced sterile male insects is mostly related to the mass-rearing, handling, marking, and release processes, rather than radiation per se.

Microbiome Innovation in Agriculture: Development of Microbial Based Tools for Insect Pest Management

19716
M. Qadri, S. Short, K. Gast, J. Hernandez and A. C.-N. Wong,  Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems,  4. 2020-10-06 12:11:19.
This review emphasizes the potential and use of microbes in sustainable insect pest management. We first review the diverse insect traits shaped by insect-microbe associations that span nutrition, immunity, ecological interactions with natural enemy, insecticide resistance, and behavior. This is followed by discussing different microbiome manipulation approaches to alter pest traits, describing some of the opportunities and obstacles for each approach. We then highlight microbiomes as untapped chemical inventories to discover novel biopesticides, including plant-incorporated protectants and semiochemicals. The last topic covered is the use of beneficial microbes to improve mass-reared insects' performance for autocidal programs, including sterile insect technique and incompatible insect technique, in which we identify topics where data are limited or inconclusive, for future research.

Embracing Dynamic Models for Gene Drive Management

14596
A. J. Golnar, E. Ruell, A. L. Lloyd and K. M. Pepin,  Trends in Biotechnology,  2020-09-30 13:54:04.
We describe how quantitative tools can reduce risk uncertainty, streamline empirical research, guide risk management, and promote cross-sector collaboration throughout the process of gene drive technology development and implementation.

Gene Drive: Modern Miracle or Environmental Disaster

14491
K. Brooks,  Journal of Law, Technology and Policy,  2020-09-25 19:57:31.
This Note will show how gene drive technology fits imperfectly into the old regulatory framework through case studies. The Analysis will also describe how the different regulatory agencies handle similar gene drive-like organisms inconsistently, and the inherent danger of this approach considering upcoming developments in the field.

Resistance to natural and synthetic gene drive systems

14468
T. A. R. Price, N. Windbichler, R. L. Unckless, A. Sutter, J.-N. Runge, P. A. Ross, A. Pomiankowski, N. L. Nuckolls, C. Montchamp-Moreau, N. Mideo, O. Y. Martin, A. Manser, M. Legros, A. M. Larracuente, L. Holman, J. Godwin, N. Gemmell, C. Courret, A. Buc,  Journal of Evolutionary Biology,  2020-09-24 17:20:31.
This review summarizes our current knowledge of drive resistance in both natural and synthetic gene drives. We explore how insights from naturally occurring and synthetic drive systems can be integrated to improve the design of gene drives, better predict the outcome of releases and understand genomic conflict in genera

Active Genetic Neutralizing Elements for Halting or Deleting Gene Drives

14444
X.-R. S. Xu, E. A. Bulger, V. M. Gantz, C. Klanseck, S. R. Heimler, A. Auradkar, J. B. Bennett, L. A. Miller, S. Leahy, S. S. Juste, A. Buchman, O. S. Akbari, J. M. Marshall and E. Bier,  Molecular Cell,  2020-09-18 11:30:45.
Here we describe two self-copying (or active) guide RNA-only genetic elements, called e-CHACRs and ERACRs. These elements use Cas9 produced in trans by a gene drive either to inactivate the cas9 transgene (e-CHACRs) or to delete and replace the gene drive (ERACRs).

Dynamics of Wild and Sterile Mosquito Population Models with Delayed Releasing

14817
L. M. Cai,  International Journal of Bifurcation and Chaos,  30:15. 2020-09-15 17:16:03.
We extend the previous ODE models to the delayed releasing models in two different ways of releasing sterile mosquitos, where both constant and exponentially distributed delays are considered, respectively. By applying the theory and methods of delay differential equations, the effect of time delays on the stability of equilibria in the system is rigorously analyzed.

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