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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A cross-sectional survey of biosafety professionals regarding genetically modified insects
5650O’Brochta, D. A., W. K. Tonui, B. Dass and S. James, Applied Biosafety, 2019:1-9. 2019-12-17 17:57:33.
Background:Genetic technologies such as gene editing and gene drive create challenges for existing frameworks used to assess risk and make regulatory determinations by governments and institutions. Insect genetic technologies including transgenics, gene editing, and gene drive may be particularly challenging because of the large and increasing number of insect species being genetically modified and the degree of familiarity with these organisms and technologies by biosafety officials charged with making containment decisions.Methods:An anonymous online survey of biosafety professionals was distributed to the membership of ABSA International, a global society of biosafety professionals, to investigate their perspectives on their preparedness to meet these new challenges.Results:Existing guidance used to make containment decisions for nongenetically modified insects was widely seen as adequate, and most respondents thought the available guidance for making containment decisions for genetically modified insects with and without gene drives was inadequate. Most respondents reported having less confidence in their decisions concerning containment of genetically modified insects compared to decisions involving genetically modified microbes, (noninsect) animals, and plants.Conclusions:These results reveal a need for additional support for biosafety professionals to improve the quality of and confidence in containment decisions regarding genetically modified insects with and without gene drive. These needs might be addressed by increasing training, updating existing guidance, creating new guidance, and creating a third-party accreditation entity to support institutions. Sixty percent of the respondents said they either would or might use a voluntary third-party accreditation service to support insect containment decisions.
The potential for a released autosomal X-shredder becoming a driving-Y chromosome and invasively suppressing wild populations of malaria mosquitoes
5648Alcalay, Y., S. Fuchs, R. Galizi, F. Bernardini, R. E. Haghighat-Khah, D. B. Rusch, J. R. Adrion, M. W. Hahn, P. Tortosa and P. A. Papathanos, bioRxiv, 2019:860551. 2019-12-17 17:51:02.
Synthetic sex-ratio distorters based on X-chromosome shredding are predicted to be more efficient than sterile males for population suppression of malaria mosquitoes using genetic control. X chromosome shredding operates through the targeted elimination of X-chromosome-bearing gametes during male spermatogenesis, resulting in males that have a high fraction of male offspring. Strains harboring autosomal constructs containing a modified endonuclease I-PpoI have now been developed in the malaria mosquito Anopheles gambiae, resulting in strong sex-ratio distortion towards males. Data are being gathered for these strains for submission of regulatory dossiers for contained use and subsequent field release in West Africa. Since autosomal X shredders are transmitted in a Mendelian fashion and can be selected against their frequency in the population is expected to decline once releases are halted. However, any unintended transfer of the X-shredder to the Y-chromosome could theoretically change these dynamics: This could lead to 100% transmission of the newly Y-linked X-shredder to the predominant male-biased offspring and its insulation from negative selection in females, resulting in its potential spread in the population and ultimately to suppression. Here, we analyze plausible mechanisms whereby an autosomal X-shredder could become linked to the Y-chromosome after release and provide data regarding its potential for activity should it become linked to the Y-chromosome. Our results strongly suggest that Y-chromosome linkage through remobilization of the transposon used for the initial genetic transformation is unlikely, and that, in the unexpected event that the X-shredder becomes linked to the Y-chromosome, expression and activity of the X-shredder would likely be inhibited by meiotic sex chromosome inactivation. We conclude that a functioning X-shredding based Y-drive resulting from a naturally induced transposition or translocation of the transgene onto the Y-chromosome is unlikely.
Plasmodium falciparum (Haemosporodia: Plasmodiidae) and O’nyong-nyong virus development in a transgenic Anopheles gambiae (Diptera: Culicidae) strain
5634Mumford, J. D., C. A. Long, S. C. Weaver, K. Miura, E. Wang, R. Rotenberry, E. M. Dotson and M. Q. Benedict, " Journal of Medical Entomology, 56:936-941. 2019-12-17 16:55:10.
ransgenic Anopheles gambiae Giles (Diptera: Culicidae) mosquitoes have been developed that confer sexual sterility on males that carry a transgene encoding a protein which cuts ribosomal DNA. A relevant risk concern with transgenic mosquitoes is that their capacity to transmit known pathogens could be greater than the unmodified form. In this study, the ability to develop two human pathogens in these transgenic mosquitoes carrying a homing endonuclease which is expressed in the testes was compared with its nontransgenic siblings. Infections were performed with Plasmodium falciparum (Welch) and o’nyong-nyong virus (ONNV) and the results between the transgenic and nontransgenic sibling females were compared. There was no difference observed with ONNV isolate SG650 in intrathoracic infections or the 50% oral infectious dose measured at 14 d postinfection or in mean body titers. Some significant differences were observed for leg titers at the medium and highest doses for those individuals in which virus titer could be detected. No consistent difference was observed between the transgenic and nontransgenic comparator females in their ability to develop P. falciparum NF54 strain parasites. This particular transgene caused no significant effect in the ability of mosquitoes to become infected by these two pathogens in this genetic background. These results are discussed in the context of risk to human health if these transgenic individuals were present in the environment.
Genetically engineering wild mice to combat Lyme disease: An ecological perspective
5631Snow, A. A., BioScience, 69:746-756. 2019-12-17 16:51:55.
Genetic engineering of wild populations has been proposed for reducing human diseases by altering pathogens’ hosts. For example, CRISPR- based genome editing may be used to create white-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus) that are resistant to the Lyme disease spirochete vectored by blacklegged ticks (Ixodes scapularis). Toward this goal, academic researchers are developing Lyme-resistant and tick-resistant white-footed mice, which are a primary pathogen reservoir for Lyme disease in the United States. If field trials on small, experimental islands are successful, the project would scale up to the larger islands of Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, and possibly to the mainland, most likely with a local gene drive to speed the traits’ proliferation, pending approvals from relevant constituents. Despite considerable publicity, this project has yet to be evaluated by independent professional ecologists. In the present article, I discuss key ecological and evolutionary questions that should be considered before such genetically engineered mice are released into natural habitats
What risk assessments of genetically modified organisms can learn from institutional analyses of public health risks
5628Rajan, S. R. and D. K. Letourneau, Journal of Biomedicine and Biotechnology, 2012:8. 2019-12-17 16:46:43.
The risks of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are evaluated traditionally by combining hazard identification and exposure estimates to provide decision support for regulatory agencies. We question the utility of the classical risk paradigm and discuss its evolution in GMO risk assessment. First, we consider the problem ofuncertainty, by comparing risk assessment for environmental toxins in the public health domain with genetically modified organisms in the environment; we use the specific comparison of an insecticide to a transgenic, insecticidal food crop. Next, we examine normal accident theory (NAT) as a heuristic to consider runaway effects ofGMOs, such as negative community level consequences of gene flow from transgenic, insecticidal crops. These examples illustrate how risk assessments are made more complex and contentious by both their inherent uncertainty and the inevitability of failure beyond expectation in complex systems. We emphasize the value of conducting decision-support research, embracing uncertainty, increasing transparency, and building interdisciplinary institutions that can address the complex interactions between ecosystems and society. In particular, we argue against black boxing risk analysis, and for a program to educate policy makers about uncertainty and complexity, so that eventually, decision making is not the burden that falls upon scientists but is assumed by the public at large
Design and analysis of CRISPR-based underdominance toxin-antidote gene drives
5626Champer, J., S. E. Champer, I. Kim, A. G. Clark and P. W. Messer, bioRxiv, 861435:861435. 2019-12-17 16:38:34.
CRISPR gene drive systems offer a mechanism for transmitting a desirable transgene throughout a population for purposes ranging from vector-borne disease control to invasive species suppression. In this simulation study, we model and assess the performance of several CRISPR-based underdominance gene drive constructs employing toxin-antidote principles. These drives disrupt the wild-type version of an essential gene using a CRISPR nuclease (the toxin) while simultaneously carrying a recoded version of the gene (the antidote). Drives of this nature allow for releases that could be potentially confined to a desired geographic location. This is because such drives have a nonzero invasion threshold frequency, referring to the critical frequency required for the drive to spread through the population. We model drives which target essential genes that are either haplosufficient or haplolethal, using nuclease promoters with expression restricted to the germline, promoters that additionally result in cleavage activity in the early embryo from maternal deposition, and promoters that have ubiquitous somatic expression. We also study several possible drive architectures, considering both “same-site” and “distant-site” systems, as well as several reciprocally targeting drives. Together, these drive variants provide a wide range of invasion threshold frequencies and options for both population modification and suppression. Our results suggest that CRISPR toxin-antidote underdominance drive systems could allow for the design of highly flexible and potentially confinable gene drive strategies.
Disrupting female flight in the vector Aedes aegypti
5624O'Leary, S. and Z. N. Adelman, bioRxiv, 862300:862300. 2019-12-17 16:35:43.
Aedes aegypti is a vector of dengue, chikungunya, and Zika viruses. Current vector control strategies such as community engagement, source reduction, and insecticides have not been sufficient to prevent viral outbreaks. Thus, interest in novel strategies involving genetic engineering is growing. Female mosquitoes rely on flight to mate with males and obtain a bloodmeal from a host. We hypothesized that knockout of genes specifically expressed in female mosquitoes associated with the indirect flight muscles would result in a flightless female mosquito. With the CRISPR-Cas9 system, we performed embryonic microinjections of Cas9 protein and guide RNAs specific to genes hypothesized to control flight in mosquitoes, and have obtained genetic knockouts in several genes specifically expressed in the flight-muscle, including those specific to female flight muscle. Analysis of the phenotype of these female-specific gene knockout mutants resulted in flightless females and flying males. While further assessment is required, this work lays the groundwork for a mechanism of population control that is female-specific for the Ae. aegypti vector.
Maintenance of fertility in the face of meiotic drive
5622Meade, L., S. Finnegan, R. Kad, K. Fowler and A. Pomiankowsk, The American Naturalist, 2019:2019. 2019-12-17 16:32:30.
Selfish genetic elements that gain a transmission advantage through the destruction of sperm have grave implications for drive male fertility. In the X-linked SR meiotic drive system of a stalk-eyed fly, we found that drive males have greatly enlarged testes and maintain high fertility despite the destruction of half their sperm, even when challenged with fertilizing large numbers of females. Conversely, we observed reduced allocation of resources to the accessory glands that probably explains the lower mating frequency of SR males. Body size and eyespan were also reduced, which are likely to impair viability and pre-copulatory success. We discuss the potential evolutionary causes of these differences between drive and standard males.
The analytical review on futuristic use of CRISPR-Cpf1 aided gene drive technology
5618Satyam, R., N. Singh and T. Bhardwaj, International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development, 2:525-530. 2019-12-17 16:27:59.
Organisms edited by gene editing or traditional selective breeding are typically less able to survive and reproduce which effectively prevents those alterations from spreading in the wild populations. This paper focuses on how the CRISPR-Cpf1 system can be used to build a Gene Drive capable of spreading particular alterations in the wild population, and its potential applications. Named for the ability to "drive" themselves and nearby genes through populations of organisms over many generations. Normally, the sexually reproducing organism comprises of 50-50% genetic information from both parents. But with gene drive, you can have 100% chance of passing a particular gene. The discovery of new Gene Editing Technology, based on the bacterial immune system, allow us to edit genome at specific sites with more precision, accuracy and ease. CRISPR Gene Drives including the edited version of the targeted gene and additional sequences with the DNA cutting Cpf1 protein and Guide RNA gene. When an organism containing a Gene Drive, mates with the wild counterparts, the offspring inherit one altered and one original copy of the target gene. The Guide RNAs Cpf1 directs to cut the original copy which is repaired by copying the altered gene as template synthesizing Gene Drive sequence in its place. Because the organism now has two identical copies of the alteration and the Gene Drive one on each chromosome, all of the organism will inherit both components. The same process will be repeated in subsequent generation causing the altered gene and Gene Drive to spread into the entire wild population. The Gene Drive technology has the potential to save millions of lives and give us unprecedented control over the natural world. This technology can be used to eradicate insect-born diseases, empower sustainable agriculture and promote ecological conservation.
An assessment of the immune costs associated with meiotic drive elements in Drosophila
5614Lea, J. K. and R. L. Unckless, Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 286:20191534. 2019-12-17 16:21:00.
Most organisms are constantly adapting to pathogens and parasites that exploit their host for their own benefit. Less studied, but perhaps more ubiquitous, are intragenomic parasites or selfish genetic elements. These include transposable elements, selfish B chromosomes and meiotic drivers that promote their own replication without regard to fitness effects on hosts. Therefore, intragenomic parasites are also a constant evolutionary pressure on hosts. Gamete-killing meiotic drive elements are often associated with large chromosomal inversions that reduce recombination between the drive and wild-type chromosomes. This reduced recombination is thought to reduce the efficacy of selection on the drive chromosome and allow for the accumulation of deleterious mutations. We tested whether gamete-killing meiotic drive chromosomes were associated with reduced immune defence against two bacterial pathogens in three species of Drosophila. We found little evidence of reduced immune defence in lines with meiotic drive. One line carrying the Drosophila melanogaster autosomal Segregation Distorter did show reduced defence, but we were unable to attribute that reduced defence to either genotype or immune gene expression differences. Our results suggest that though gamete-killing meiotic drive chromosomes probably accumulate deleterious mutations, those mutations do not result in reduced capacity for immune defence.
Invasive insects: Management methods explored
5612McLaughlin, G. M. and P. K. Dearden, Journal of Insect Science, 19:1-9. 2019-12-17 16:18:09.
Invasive insect species can act as a plague across the globe, capable of vast expansion and rapid, proliferate reproduction. The spread of pathogens of serious diseases such as malaria and Zika virus and damages to agricultural crops number some of the afflictions invasive insects provide to humans alone. Additionally, an escape from predators can fail to keep invasive insects in check, providing potential threats such as extra resource competition to native species when insects invade. A variety of methods are employed to combat these invasive species, each with their own varying levels of success. Here, we explore the more traditional methods of invasive insect pest control, such as pesticides and biological control. In lieu of several unintended consequences resulting from such practices, we suggest some should be abandoned. We evaluate the potential of new techniques, in particular, those with a genetic component, regarding the costs, benefits and possible consequences of implementing them. And finally, we consider which techniques should be the focus of future research, if we truly wish to manage or even eradicate invasive insects in their introduced lands.
Winning the tug-of-war between effector gene design and pathogen evolution in vector population replacement strategies
5609Marshall, J. M., R. R. Raban, N. P. Kandul, J. R. Edula, T. M. León and O. S. Akbari, Frontiers in Genetics, 10:1072. 2019-12-17 16:13:33.
While efforts to control malaria with available tools have stagnated, and arbovirus outbreaks persist around the globe, the advent of clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)-based gene editing has provided exciting new opportunities for genetics-based strategies to control these diseases. In one such strategy, called “population replacement”, mosquitoes, and other disease vectors are engineered with effector genes that render them unable to transmit pathogens. These effector genes can be linked to “gene drive” systems that can bias inheritance in their favor, providing novel opportunities to replace disease-susceptible vector populations with disease-refractory ones over the course of several generations. While promising for the control of vector-borne diseases on a wide scale, this sets up an evolutionary tug-of-war between the introduced effector genes and the pathogen. Here, we review the disease-refractory genes designed to date to target Plasmodium falciparum malaria transmitted by Anopheles gambiae, and arboviruses transmitted by Aedes aegypti, including dengue serotypes 2 and 3, chikungunya, and Zika viruses. We discuss resistance concerns for these effector genes, and genetic approaches to prevent parasite and viral escape variants. One general approach is to increase the evolutionary hurdle required for the pathogen to evolve resistance by attacking it at multiple sites in its genome and/or multiple stages of development. Another is to reduce the size of the pathogen population by other means, such as with vector control and antimalarial drugs. We discuss lessons learned from the evolution of resistance to antimalarial and antiviral drugs and implications for the management of resistance after its emergence. Finally, we discuss the target product profile for population replacement strategies for vector-borne disease control. This differs between early phase field trials and wide-scale disease control. In the latter case, the demands on effector gene efficacy are great; however, with new possibilities ushered in by CRISPR-based gene editing, and when combined with surveillance, monitoring, and rapid management of pathogen resistance, the odds are increasingly favoring effector genes in the upcoming evolutionary tug-of-war.
Identification and characterisation of a Masculinizer homolog in the diamondback moth Plutella xylostella
5607Harvey-Samuel, T., V. C. Norman, R. Carter, E. Lovett and L. Alphey, Insect Molecular Biology, 2019:2019. 2019-12-17 16:09:12.
Recently, a novel sex-determination system was identified in the silkworm (Bombyx mori) in which a piRNA encoded on the female-specific W chromosome silences a Z-linked gene (Masculinizer) which would otherwise initiate male sex-determination and dosage compensation. Masculinizer provides various opportunities for developing improved genetic pest management tools. A pest lepidopteran in which a genetic pest management system has been developed, but which would benefit greatly from such improved designs, is the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella. However, Masculinizer has not yet been identified in this species. Here, focusing on the previously described ?masculinizing? domain of B. mori Masculinizer, we identify P. xylostella Masculinizer (PxyMasc). We show that PxyMasc is Z-linked, regulates sex-specific alternative splicing of doublesex and is necessary for male survival. Similar results in B. mori suggest this survival effect is possibly through failure to initiate male dosage compensation. The highly conserved function and location of this gene between these two distantly related lepidopterans suggests a deep role for Masculinizer in the sex-determination systems of the Lepidoptera.
A novel drug-inducible sex separation technique for insects
5605Kandul, N. P., J. Liu, A. D. Hsu, B. A. Hay and O. S. Akbari, bioRxiv, 2019:2019.12.13.875716. 2019-12-17 16:05:02.
Large sterile male releases are the gold standard for most insect population control methods and thus precise sex sorting is essential to the success of these technologies. Sex sorting is especially important for mosquito control because female mosquitoes bite and transmit diseases. However, current methods for insect sex sorting have deficiencies as they are error prone, low throughput, expensive, reduce male fitness, or lack cross species adaptability. Here we describe a novel drug-inducible system for insect sex-separation that demonstrates proof-of-principle for positive sex selection in D. melanogaster. The system exploits the toxicity of commonly used broad-spectrum antibiotics geneticin and puromycin and rescues only one sex. Sex specific rescue is achieved by inserting the sex-specific introns, TraF and DsxM, into the coding sequence of antibiotic resistance genes, NeoR or PuroR. We engineer a dual sex-sorter gene cassette and demonstrate sex specific, constitutive expression of NeoR and PuroR proteins in females and males, respectively. When raised on geneticin supplements, this sex-sorter line established 100% positive selection for female progeny, while the food supplemented with puromycin generated 100% male progeny. This system is 100% efficient and operates at remarkably low fitness costs in D. melanogaster. Since the described system exploits a conserved sex-specific splicing mechanism and reagents, which are active in many insects, it has the potential to be adaptable to insect species of medical and agricultural importance.
Gene drive and resilience through renewal with next generation Cleave and Rescue selfish genetic elements
5602Oberhofer, G., T. Ivy and B. A. Hay, bioRxiv, 2019:2019.2012.2013.876169. 2019-12-17 16:01:29.
Gene drive-based strategies for modifying populations face the problem that genes encoding cargo and the drive mechanism are subject to separation, mutational inactivation, and loss of efficacy. Resilience, an ability to respond to these eventualities in ways that restore population modification with functional genes is needed for long-term success. Here we show that resilience can be achieved through cycles of population modification with Cleave and Rescue (ClvR) selfish genetic elements. ClvR comprises a DNA sequence-modifying enzyme such as Cas9/gRNAs that disrupts endogenous versions of an essential gene, and a recoded version of the essential gene resistant to cleavage. ClvR spreads by creating conditions in which those lacking ClvR die because they lack functional versions of the essential gene. Cycles of modification can in principal be carried out if two ClvR elements targeting different essential genes are located at the same genomic position, and one of them, ClvRn+1, carries a Rescue transgene from an earlier element, ClvRn. ClvRn+1 should spread within a population of ClvRn, while also bringing about a decrease in its frequency. To test this hypothesis we first show that multiple ClvRs, each targeting a different essential gene, function when located at a common chromosomal position in Drosophila. We then show that when several of these also carry the Rescue from a different ClvR, they spread to transgene fixation in populations fixed for the latter, and at its expense. Therefore, genetic modifications of populations can be overwritten with new content, providing an ongoing point of control.
A bacterial gene-drive system efficiently edits and inactivates a high copy number antibiotic resistance locus
5595Valderrama, J. A., S. S. Kulkarni, V. Nizet and E. Bier, Nature Communications, 10:5726. 2019-12-17 15:48:28.
Gene-drive systems in diploid organisms bias the inheritance of one allele over another. CRISPR-based gene-drive expresses a guide RNA (gRNA) into the genome at the site where the gRNA directs Cas9-mediated cleavage. In the presence of Cas9, the gRNA cassette and any linked cargo sequences are copied via homology-directed repair (HDR) onto the homologous chromosome. Here, we develop an analogous CRISPR-based gene-drive system for the bacterium Escherichia coli that efficiently copies a gRNA cassette and adjacent cargo flanked with sequences homologous to the targeted gRNA/Cas9 cleavage site. This “pro-active” genetic system (Pro-AG) functionally inactivates an antibiotic resistance marker on a high copy number plasmid with ~ 100-fold greater efficiency than control CRISPR-based methods, suggesting an amplifying positive feedback loop due to increasing gRNA dosage. Pro-AG can likewise effectively edit large plasmids or single-copy genomic targets or introduce functional genes, foreshadowing potential applications to biotechnology or biomedicine.
Development of genetic control strategies for insect pests using CRISPR/Cas9 Développement de méthodes de lutte génétique contre de l’insecte nuisible basé sur le system CRISPR/Cas9
18505E. Green, Université de Strasbourg, 2019-12-17 14:20:21.
nsect pest control remains an important economic, environmental, and public health challenge. CRISPR/Cas9 gene drive (GD) is a novel genetic control strategy. GDs are genetic systems that can rapidly invade a population. This manuscript presents my efforts to develop gene drives in two important pest species, Anopheles gambiae, a major vector of malaria, and Drosophila suzukii, a global crop pest. The goals of this project were to develop a suppression gene drive in D. suzukii, to reduce population size, and a modification drive in An. gambiae, to reduce malaria transmission. While I was unable to produce a functional gene drive in D. suzukii, the efforts and protocols presented here can serve as a baseline for future work in this economically important crop pest. In An. gambiae, I successfully characterized two transgenic lines, one of which significantly blocks malaria transmission to a rodent model. Finally, I present my efforts to engineer a new modification gene drive strategy, indirect gene drive.
Genetic Control of Mosquitoes
5588Alphey, L., Annual Review of Entomology, 59:205-224. 2019-12-16 19:01:55.
Genetics can potentially provide new, species-specific, environmentally friendly methods for mosquito control. Genetic control strategies aim either to suppress target populations or to introduce a harm-reducing novel trait. Different approaches differ considerably in their properties, especially between self-limiting strategies, where the modification has limited persistence, and self-sustaining strategies, which are intended to persist indefinitely in the target population and may invade other populations. Several methods with different molecular biology are under development and the first field trials have been completed successfully.
Community Engagement Prior to a Small-Scale Pilot of the Sterile Insect Technique in Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa 2018
25918P. N. Manana, J. Zikhali, D. Dlamini, S. Gumede, N. Mabaso, T. Mpungose and G. Munhenga, Journal of Public Health and Disease Prevention, 2. 2019-12-16 13:14:53.
Approximately 165 000 listeners were engaged during two 30 minute radio interviews at a local radio station. Two hundred and fifty farm workers, several outpatients from primary health care facilities and 1400 secondary school pupils were given education on malaria transmission and control strategies including SIT. Furthermore, two road shows; one in areas around Mamfene and a second at KwaPhuza market, were done. In total, 447 falciparum-specific rapid diagnostic tests were conducted with 20 people testing positive. These patients were immediately treated for malaria. Conclusions: The campaigns showed that the majority of community members are informed concerning malaria transmission and control. However, there is a lack of understanding regarding the SIT as a vector control option. A more extensive public awareness programme on SIT as a vector control strategy is recommended to prepare the community of Mamfene for future small field pilot sterile male mosquito releases.
Mass-Rearing of Drosophila suzukii for Sterile Insect Technique Application: Evaluation of Two Oviposition Systems
17766F. Sassù, K. Nikolouli, S. Caravantes, G. Taret, R. Pereira, M. J. B. Vreysen, C. Stauffer and C. Cáceres, Insects, 10. 2019-12-12 15:07:36.
Drosophila suzukii (Diptera: Drosophilidae) is an invasive pest of a wide range of commercial soft-skinned fruits. To date, most management tactics are based on spraying of conventional and/or organic insecticides, baited traps, and netting exclusion. Interest has been expressed in using the sterile insect technique (SIT) as part of area-wide integrated pest management (AW-IPM) programs to control D. suzukii infestations. Mass-rearing protocols are one of the prerequisites for successful implementation of the SIT. To establish mass-rearing methods for this species, two different egg-collection systems were developed and compared with respect to the number of eggs produced, egg viability, pupa and adult recovery, adult emergence rate, and flight ability. Female flies kept in cages equipped with a wax panel produced significantly more eggs with higher viability and adult emergence rate, as compared to the netted oviposition system. The wax panel system was also more practical and less laborious regarding the collection of eggs. Furthermore, the wax panel oviposition system can be adapted to any size or design of an adult cage. In conclusion, this system bears great promise as an effective system for the mass production of D. suzukii for SIT.
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