Scholarly Literature
This is an aggregation of scholarly literature from peer-reviewed journals, bioRxiv , medRxiv and arXiv preprint servers focused on natural and engineered selfish genetic elements and genetic biocontrol. New citations are added as they appear. This content is intended for anyone interested in the scholarly literature on gene drive and genetic biocontrol.
Gene drive strategies of pest control in agricultural systems: challenges and opportunities
Tags: Agriculture, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Resistance, Risk assessment, UnderdominanceM. Legros, J. M. Marshall, S. Macfadyen, K. R. Hayes, A. Sheppard and L. G. Barrett, Evolutionary Applications, 2021.
Abstract Recent advances in gene editing technologies have opened new avenues for genetic pest control strategies, in particular around the use of gene drives to suppress or modify pest populations. Significant uncertainty, however, surrounds the applicability of these strategies ...
Resistance to a CRISPR-based gene drive at an evolutionarily conserved site is revealed by mimicking genotype fixation
Tags: Anopheles, CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Replicator/site directed nuclease, ResistanceS. Fuchs, W. Garrood, A. Beber, A. Hammond, R. Galizi, M. Gribble, G. Morselli, T.-Y. Hui, K. Willis, N. Kranjc, A. Burt, T. Nolan and A. Crisanti, bioRxiv, 2021.
CRISPR-based homing gene drives can be designed to disrupt essential genes whilst biasing their own inheritance, leading to suppression of mosquito populations in the laboratory. This class of gene drives relies on CRISPR-Cas9 cleavage of a target sequence and copying ...
Risk management recommendations for environmental releases of gene drive modified insects
Tags: Field trials, Gene drive synthetic, Modeling, Policy, Risk assessment, Stakeholder engagementY. Devos, J. D. Mumford, M. B. Bonsall, D. C. M. Glandorf and H. D. Quemada, Biotechnology Advances, 2021.
The ability to engineer gene drives (genetic elements that bias their own inheritance) has sparked enthusiasm and concerns. Engineered gene drives could potentially be used to address long-standing challenges in the control of insect disease vectors, agricultural pests and ...
The Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) hsp83 Gene Promoter Drives Strong Ubiquitous DsRed and ZsGreen Marker Expression in Transgenic Mosquitoes
Tags: Aedes, Genetic biocontrol, Genetically modified mosquitoes, Population suppressionS. H. Webster and M. J. Scott, Journal of Medical Entomology, 2021.
Transgenic strains of the mosquito disease vector Aedes aegypti (L.) are being developed for population suppression or modification. Transgenic mosquitoes are identified using fluorescent protein genes. Here we describe DsRed and ZsGreen marker genes driven by the constitutive ...
Sex separation of Aedes spp. mosquitoes for sterile insect technique application: a review
Tags: Cytoplasmic incompatibility, Genetic biocontrol, Mosquitoes, Sterile insect technique (SIT), WolbachiaB. M. Moran-Aceves, C. F. Marina, A. Dor, P. Liedo and J. Toledo, Entomologia Experimentalis Et Applicata, 10. 2021.
Separation of the sexes is necessary for the application of the sterile insect technique (SIT) in mosquitoes due to the hematophagous habits and disease vector activity of the females. In this review we analyze the history, current status, and future perspectives for the ...
Wolbachia as translational science: controlling mosquito-borne pathogens
Tags: Arbovirus, Cytoplasmic incompatibility, Dengue, Genetic biocontrol, Mosquitoes, WolbachiaE. P. Caragata, H. L. C. Dutra, P. H. F. Sucupira, A. G. A. Ferreira and L. A. Moreira, Trends in Parasitology, 2021.
In this review we examine how exploiting the Wolbachia?mosquito relationship has become an increasingly popular strategy for controlling arbovirus transmission. Field deployments of Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes have led to significant decreases in dengue virus incidence via high ...
CRISPR/Cas-9 mediated knock-in by homology dependent repair in the West Nile Virus vector Culex quinquefasciatus Say
Tags: CRISPR, Culex, Genetic biocontrol, Genetically modified mosquitoesD.-K. Purusothaman, L. Shackleford, M. A. E. Anderson, T. Harvey-Samuel and L. Alphey, Scientific Reports, 11:14964. 2021.
Culex quinquefasciatus Say is a mosquito distributed in both tropical and subtropical regions of the world. It is a night-active, opportunistic blood-feeder and vectors many animal and human diseases, including West Nile Virus and avian malaria. Current vector control methods ...
Using Moderate Transgene Expression to Improve the Genetic Sexing System of the Australian Sheep Blow Fly Lucilia cuprina
Tags: Genetic biocontrol, Sterile insect technique (SIT)Y. Yan, M. E. Williamson and M. J. Scott, Insects, 11. 2021.
The sterile insect technique (SIT) is a promising strategy to control the Australian sheep blow fly Lucilia cuprina, a major pest of sheep. We have previously developed a transgenic embryonic sexing system (TESS) for this pest to facilitate the potential SIT application. TESS ...
Combating mosquito-borne diseases using genetic control technologies
Tags: Dengue, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Malaria, Mosquitoes, Population modification/replacement, Population suppression, Underdominance, WolbachiaG.-H. Wang, S. Gamez, R. R. Raban, J. M. Marshall, L. Alphey, M. Li, J. L. Rasgon and O. S. Akbari, Nature Communications, 12:4388. 2021.
Mosquito-borne diseases, such as dengue and malaria, pose significant global health burdens. Unfortunately, current control methods based on insecticides and environmental maintenance have fallen short of eliminating the disease burden. Scalable, deployable, genetic-based ...
The Possible Role of Microorganisms in Mosquito Mass Rearing
Tags: Biological control, Genetic biocontrol, Mosquito husbandry, Sterile insect technique (SIT)L. Chersoni, A. Checcucci, M. Malfacini, A. Puggioli, F. Balestrino, M. Carrieri, I. Piunti, M. L. Dindo, P. Mattarelli and R. Bellini, Insects, 12. 2021.
In Europe, one of the most significant mosquitoes of public health importance is Aedes albopictus (Skuse), an allochthonous species of Asian origin. One of the most promising control methods against Aedes albopictus is the sterile insect technique (SIT), which consists of mass ...
Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) and Its Applications
Tags: Genetic biocontrol, Sterile insect technique (SIT)K. Bourtzis and M. J. B. Vreysen, Insects, 12. 2021.
Although most insect species have a beneficial role in the ecosystems, some of them represent major plant pests and disease vectors for livestock and humans. During the last six–seven decades, the sterile insect technique (SIT) has been used as part of area-wide integrated pest ...
Autocatalytic-protection for an unknown locus CRISPR-Cas countermeasure for undesired mutagenic chain reactions
Tags: Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Modeling, Replicator/site directed nuclease, Risk and safetyE. Schonfeld, E. Schonfeld and D. Schonfeld, Journal of Theoretical Biology, 528:110831. 2021.
The mutagenic chain reaction (MCR) is a genetic tool to use a CRISPR–Cas construct to introduce a homing endonuclease, allowing gene drive to influence whole populations in a minimal number of generations (Esvelt et al., 2014, Gantz and Bier, 2015, Gantz and Bier, 2016). The ...
Earth system interventions as technologies of the Anthropocene
Tags: Governance, Policy, Risk and safetyJ. L. Reynolds, Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions, 40:132-146. 2021.
Earth system interventions (ESIs)—intentional large-scale interventions in Earth systems—are not entirely new. However, in response to threats to sustainability, particularly from climate change and biodiversity loss, some scientists and others are researching, developing, ...
Improvement of the Mass-Rearing Protocols for the South American Fruit Fly for Application of the Sterile Insect Technique
Tags: Genetic biocontrol, Sterile insect technique (SIT)T. Mastrangelo, A. Kovaleski, B. Maset, M. D. Costa, C. Barros, L. A. Lopes and C. Caceres, Insects, 12. 2021.
The existing rearing protocols for Anastrepha fraterculus must be reviewed to make economically viable the production of sterile flies for their area-wide application. Additionally, evidence of sexual incompatibility between a long-term mass-reared Brazilian strain and wild ...
Comparative response to post-production process of two Anastrepha ludens strains: Application in the sterile insect technique
Tags: Fruit fly, Genetic biocontrol, Sterile insect technique (SIT)J. Arredondo, J. F. Aguirre-Medina, J. S. Meza, J. Cancino and F. Diaz-Fleischer, Journal of Applied Entomology, 11. 2021.
The new desiccation-resistant (DR) strain of Anastrepha ludens Loew differs in its life-history traits from the non-selected strain (NS). Given the innate resistance of DR flies to stressors, it is necessary to determine the packing and shipment conditions for their use in the ...
Distinct spermiogenic phenotypes underlie sperm elimination in the Segregation Distorter meiotic drive system
Tags: Fruit fly, Transmission distortionM. Herbette, X. L. Wei, C. H. Chang, A. M. Larracuente, B. Loppin and R. Dubruille, PLOS Genetics, 17:26. 2021.
Here we show that SD/SD+ males of different genotypes but with similarly strong degrees of distortion have distinct spermiogenic phenotypes. In some genotypes, SD+ spermatids fail to fully incorporate protamines after the removal of histones, and degenerate during the ...
Effect of the timing of pupal irradiation on the quality and sterility of oriental fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) for use in Sterile Insect Technique
Tags: Fruit fly, Genetic biocontrol, Mosquito husbandry, Sterile insect technique (SIT)T. J. Fezza, P. A. Follett and T. E. Shelly, Applied Entomology and Zoology, 8. 2021.
The Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) is a target-specific, biologically based method used to control pestiferous tephritids entailing the release of mass-reared, sterilized males of the target species to achieve sterile male x wild female matings. As documented for several ...
Gene drive that results in addiction to a temperature sensitive version of an essential gene triggers population collapse in Drosophila
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Population suppression, Self limiting, Toxin-antidoteG. Oberhofer, B. Hay and T. Ivy, bioRxiv, 2021.07.03.451005. 2021.
One strategy for population suppression seeks to use gene drive to spread genes that confer conditional lethality or sterility, providing a way of combining population modification with suppression. Stimuli of potential interest could be introduced by humans, such as an otherwise ...
Remating in Ceratitis capitata sterile males: Implications in sterile insect technique programmes
Tags: Fruit fly, Sterile insect technique (SIT)M. Catala-Oltra, E. Llacer, O. Dembilio, I. Pla, A. Urbaneja and M. Perez-Hedo, Journal of Applied Entomology, 8. 2021.
Sterile insect technique (SIT) is used, among other biological control tools, as a sustainable measure for the management of Ceratitis capitata Wiedemann (Diptera: Tephritidae) in many agricultural regions where this pest can trigger severe economic impacts. The tendency of wild ...
Preventing COVID-59
Tags: Arbovirus, Gene drive syntheticY. Erlich and D. Douek, github, 2021.
SARS-CoV-2 is the third betacoronavirus to enter the human population in the past 20 years, revealing a concerning pattern. Clearly, preventing a future pandemic from such viruses is a critical priority. Previous studies have shown that shRNAs can be powerful suppressors of RNA ...
INSIDER: alignment-free detection of foreign DNA sequences
Tags: Field trials, Gene drive syntheticA. P. Tay, B. Hosking, C. Hosking, D. C. Bauer and L. O. W. Wilson, Computational and Structural Biotechnology Journal, 19:3810-3816. 2021.
External DNA sequences can be inserted into an organism’s genome either through natural processes such as gene transfer, or through targeted genome engineering strategies. Being able to robustly identify such foreign DNA is a crucial capability for health and biosecurity ...
A wAlbB Wolbachia< transinfection displays stable phenotypic effects across divergent Aedes aegypti mosquito backgrounds
Tags: Aedes, Dengue, Population modification/replacement, WolbachiaP. A. Ross, X. Gu, K. L. Robinson, Q. Yang, E. Cottingham, Y. Zhang, H. L. Yeap, X. Xu, N. M. Endersby-Harshman and A. A. Hoffmann, bioRxiv, 2021.06.25.450002. 2021.
Aedes mosquitoes harboring intracellular Wolbachia bacteria are being released in arbovirus and mosquito control programs. With releases taking place around the world, understanding the contribution of host variation to Wolbachia phenotype is crucial. We generated a Wolbachia ...
A genetically encoded anti-CRISPR protein constrains gene drive spread and prevents population suppression
Tags: Anopheles, CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, MosquitoesC. Taxiarchi, A. Beaghton, N. I. Don, K. Kyrou, M. Gribble, D. Shittu, S. P. Collins, C. L. Beisel, R. Galizi and A. Crisanti, Nature Communications, 12:3977. 2021.
CRISPR-based gene drives offer promising means to reduce the burden of pests and vector-borne diseases. These techniques consist of releasing genetically modified organisms carrying CRISPR-Cas nucleases designed to bias their inheritance and rapidly propagate desired ...
A conditional female lethal system for genetic suppression of the global fruit crop pest Drosophila suzukii
F. Li, A. Yamamoto, E. J. Belikoff, A. Berger, E. H. Griffith and M. J. Scott, Pest Management Science, 2021.Abstract BACKGROUND Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura, 1931, Diptera: Drosophilidae) is a global pest of soft-skinned fruits such as blueberries, cherries and raspberries. Also known as spotted-wing drosophila, D. suzukii is native to Asia but is now widely distributed in the ...
A transgenic female killing system for the genetic control of Drosophila suzukii
Tags: Fruit fly, Genetic biocontrol, Sterile insect technique (SIT)M. F. Schetelig, J. Schwirz and Y. Yan, Scientific Reports, 11:12938. 2021.
The spotted wing Drosophila (Drosophila suzukii) is an invasive pest of soft-skinned fruit crops. It is rapidly transmitted in Europe and North America, causing widespread agricultural losses. Genetic control strategies such as the sterile insect technique (SIT) have been ...
Potential use of gene drive modified insects against disease vectors, agricultural pests and invasive species poses new challenges for risk assessment
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Policy, Regulation, Risk assessmentY. Devos, J. D. Mumford, M. B. Bonsall, A. M. Camargo, L. G. Firbank, D. C. M. Glandorf, F. Nogué, K. Paraskevopoulos and E. A. Wimmer, Critical Reviews in Biotechnology, 2021.
Potential future application of engineered gene drives (GDs), which bias their own inheritance and can spread genetic modifications in wild target populations, has sparked both enthusiasm and concern. Engineered GDs in insects could potentially be used to address long-standing ...
Patterns and Mechanisms of Sex Ratio Distortion in the Collaborative Cross Mouse Mapping Population
Tags: Rodents, Sex distorter, Transmission distortionB. A. Haines, F. Barradale and B. L. Dumont, bioRxiv, 2021.
In species with single-locus chromosome-based mechanisms of sex determination, the laws of segregation predict an equal ratio of females to males at birth. Here, we show that departures from this Mendelian expectation are commonplace in the 8-way recombinant inbred Collaborative ...
Selective inheritance of target genes from only one parent of sexually reproduced F1 progeny in Arabidopsis
Tags: Agriculture, CRISPR, Gene drive syntheticT. Zhang, M. Mudgett, R. Rambabu, B. Abramson, X. Dai, T. P. Michael and Y. Zhao, Nature Communications, 12:3854. 2021.
Sexual reproduction constrains progeny to inherit allelic genes from both parents. Selective acquisition of target genes from only one parent in the F1 generation of plants has many potential applications including the elimination of undesired alleles and acceleration of trait ...
Haldane’s duel: intragenomic conflict, selfish Y chromosomes and speciation
Tags: Chromosomal drive, Selfish genetic elements, Y-chromosomeS. W. Roy, Trends in Genetics, 2021.
Haldane?s rule, which states that the heterogametic sex (XY or ZW females) fares more poorly in interspecific hybrids, is generally attributed to absence of one of the two species' X/Z chromosomes. However, Haldane?s rule is also observed in mouse placentas despite paternal X ...
Sustainable Food Production: The Contribution of Genome Editing in Livestock
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Gene editing, Other mammalsA. Menchaca, Sustainability, 13. 2021.
This article is focused on the scope and perspectives for the application of this technology, which includes improving production traits, enhancing animal welfare through adaptation and resilience, conferring resistance to infectious diseases, and suppressing pests and invasive ...
Evaluating Flight Performance of Mass-Reared and Irradiated Navel Orangeworm (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) for Sterile Insect Technique
Tags: Mosquito husbandryJ. Reger, J. A. Wenger, G. Brar, C. Burks and H. Wilson, Journal of Economic Entomology, 2021.
Navel orangeworm (Pyralidae: Amyelois transitella) is a key pest of almonds and pistachios in California. Moths directly infest nuts which leads to reduced crop yield and quality, and infestation can predispose nuts to fungal pathogens that produce aflatoxins. While several ...
Population modification strategies for malaria vector control are uniquely resilient to observed levels of gene drive resistance alleles
Tags: Anopheles, CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Population modification/replacementG. C. Lanzaro, H. M. Sánchez C, T. C. Collier, J. M. Marshall and A. A. James, BioEssays, 2021.
Cas9/guide RNA (gRNA)-based gene drive systems are expected to play a transformative role in malaria elimination efforts., whether through population modification, in which the drive system contains parasite-refractory genes, or population suppression, in which the drive system ...
Wolbachia-mediated sterility suppresses Aedes aegypti populations in the urban tropics
Tags: Aedes, Incompatible insect technique, Population suppression, WolbachiaProject Wolbachia-Singapore Consortium, medRxiv, 2021.
Incompatible insect technique (IIT) via releases of male Wolbachiainfected mosquitoes is a promising tool for dengue control. In a three-year trial in Singaporean high-rise housing estates, we demonstrated that Wolbachia-based IIT dramatically reduces both wildtype Aedes aegypti ...
Stable high-density and maternally inherited Wolbachia infections in Anopheles moucheti and Anopheles demeilloni mosquitoes
Tags: Anopheles, Cytoplasmic incompatibility, Malaria, Population modification/replacement, WolbachiaT. Walker, S. Quek, C. L. Jeffries, J. Bandibabone, V. Dhokiya, R. Bamou, M. Kristan, L. A. Messenger, A. Gidley, E. A. Hornett, E. R. Anderson, C. Cansado-Utrilla, S. Hegde, C. Bantuzeko, J. C. Stevenson, N. F. Lobo, S. C. Wagstaff, C. A. Nkondjio, S. R., Current Biology, 31:2310. 2021.
Wolbachia, a widespread bacterium that can reduce pathogen transmission in mosquitoes, has recently been reported to be present in Anopheles (An.) species. In wild populations of the An. gambiae complex, the primary vectors of Plasmodium malaria in Sub-Saharan Africa, Wolbachia ...
Temperature-Inducible Precision Guided Sterile Insect Technique
Tags: CRISPR, Genetic biocontrol, Sterile insect technique (SIT)N. P. Kandul, J. Liu and O. S. Akbari, bioRxiv, 2021.06.14.448312. 2021.
Releases of sterile males are the gold standard for many insect population control programs, and precise sex sorting to remove females prior to male releases is essential to the success of these operations. To advance traditional methods for scaling the generation of sterile ...
Area-Wide Integrated Management of a Glossina palpalis gambiensis Population from the Niayes Area Of Senegal: A review of operational research in support of a phased conditional approach
Tags: Other arthropods, Population suppression, Sterile insect technique (SIT)M. J. B. Vreysen, M. T. Seck, B. Sall, A. G. Mbaye, M. Bassene, A. G. Fall, M. Lo and J. Bouyer, AREA-WIDE INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT:, 2021.
In 2005, the Government of Senegal initiated a project entitled "Projet de lutte contre les glossines dans les Niayes" (Tsetse control project in the Niayes) with the aim of creating a zone free of Glossina palpalis gambiensis in that area. The project received technical and ...
Using Wolbachia to Eliminate Dengue: Will the Virus Fight Back?
Tags: Aedes, Dengue, Genetic biocontrol, Population modification/replacement, WolbachiaM. Edenborough Kathryn, A. Flores Heather, P. Simmons Cameron, E. Fraser Johanna and C. Pierson Ted, Journal of Virology, 95:e02203-20. 2021.
Recent fieldtrials havedemonstratedthatdengue incidence can besubstantially reduced by introgressing strains of the endosymbiotic bacterium Wolbachia into Aedes aegypti mosquito populations. This strategy relies on Wolbachia reducing the susceptibility of Ae. aegypti to ...
Efficacy of Wolbachia-Infected Mosquito Deployments for the Control of Dengue
Tags: Aedes, Asia, Cytoplasmic incompatibility, Dengue, Genetic biocontrol, Population modification/replacement, WolbachiaA. Utarini, C. Indriani, R. A. Ahmad, W. Tantowijoyo, E. Arguni, M. R. Ansari, E. Supriyati, D. S. Wardana, Y. Meitika, I. Ernesia, I. Nurhayati, E. Prabowo, B. Andari, B. R. Green, L. Hodgson, Z. Cutcher, E. Rancès, P. A. Ryan, S. L. O’Neill, S. M. Dufau, New England Journal of Medicine, 384:2177-2186. 2021.
BACKGROUND Aedes aegypti mosquitoes infected with the wMel strain of Wolbachia pipientis are less susceptible than wild-type A. aegypti to dengue virus infection. METHODS We conducted a cluster-randomized trial involving releases of wMel-infected A. aegypti mosquitoes for the ...
Fine-scale estimation of key life-history parameters of malaria vectors: implications for next-generation vector control technologies
Tags: Ecology, Gene drive synthetic, Modeling, Mosquitoes, Population genetics/dynamicsA. L. Morris, A. Ghani and N. Ferguson, Parasites and Vectors, 14:311. 2021.
Mosquito control has the potential to significantly reduce malaria burden on a region, but to influence public health policy must also show cost-effectiveness. Gaps in our knowledge of mosquito population dynamics mean that mathematical modelling of vector control interventions ...
Vector control: Discovery of Wolbachia in malaria vectors
Tags: Anopheles, Cytoplasmic incompatibility, Malaria, Population modification/replacement, WolbachiaP. A. Ross and A. A. Hoffmann, Current Biology, 31:R738-R740. 2021.
Wolbachia bacteria are being widely released for suppression of dengue transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes. Walker, Quek, Jeffries and colleagues present robust evidence for natural Wolbachia infections in malaria-vectoring Anopheles mosquitoes, paving the way for new ...
Sequence of the supernumerary B chromosome of maize provides insight into its drive mechanism and evolution
Tags: Agriculture, Chromosomal driveN. Blavet, H. Yang, H. Su, P. Solanský, R. N. Douglas, M. Karafiátová, L. Šimková, J. Zhang, Y. Liu, J. Hou, X. Shi, C. Chen, M. El-Walid, M. E. McCaw, P. S. Albert, Z. Gao, C. Zhao, G. Ben-Zvi, L. Glick, G. Kol, J. Shi, J. Vrána, H. Šimková, J. C. Lamb,, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 118:e2104254118. 2021.
B chromosomes are nonvital chromosomes found in thousands of plants and animals that persist through various drive mechanisms. The drive mechanism of the maize B chromosome consists of mitotic nondisjunction at the second pollen division to produce two unequal sperm and then the ...
Nondisjunction and unequal spindle organization accompany the drive of Aegilops speltoides B chromosomes
Tags: Chromosomal driveD. Wu, A. Ruban, J. Fuchs, J. Macas, P. Novák, M. Vaio, Y. Zhou and A. Houben, New Phytologist, 223:1340-1352. 2021.
B chromosomes (Bs) are supernumerary chromosomes, which are often preferentially inherited. When transmission rates of chromosomes are higher than 0.5, not obeying the Mendelian law of equal segregation, the resulting transmission advantage is collectively referred to as ...
What is wrong in extinguishing a species? Charting the Ethical Challenges of using Gene-Drive Technologies to eradicate A. gambiae vector populations
Tags: Anopheles, Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Mosquitoes, Policy, RegulationM. Annoni and T. Pievani, Biolaw Journal-Rivista Di Biodiritto, 2021.
This article analyses three ethical arguments against the use of gene-drive technologies to control for, and possibly extinguish, a particular species of vector mosquitoes (Anopheles gambiae) causing the malaria infection. We conclude that none of these arguments is truly ...
Analysis of off-target effects in CRISPR-based gene drives in the human malaria mosquito
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Replicator/site directed nuclease, Risk and safetyW. T. Garrood, N. Kranjc, K. Petri, D. Y. Kim, J. A. Guo, A. M. Hammond, I. Morianou, V. Pattanayak, J. K. Joung, A. Crisanti and A. Simoni, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 118:e2004838117. 2021.
CRISPR-Cas9 nuclease-based gene drives have been developed toward the aim of control of the human malaria vector Anopheles gambiae. Gene drives are based on an active source of Cas9 nuclease in the germline that promotes super-Mendelian inheritance of the transgene by ...
Experimental demonstration of tethered gene drive systems for confined population modification or suppression
Tags: Fruit fly, Gene drive mechanisms, Gene drive synthetic, Population suppression, Replicator/site directed nucleaseM. Metzloff, E. Yang, S. Dhole, A. G. Clark, P. W. Messer and J. Champer, bioRxiv, 2021.05.29.446308. 2021.
Tethered drive systems, in which a locally confined gene drive provides the CRISPR nuclease needed for a homing drive, could provide a solution to this problem, offering the power of a homing drive and confinement of the supporting drive. Here, we demonstrate the engineering of a ...
First evidence of deviation from Mendelian proportions in a conservation programme
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Transmission distortionC. E. Grueber, K. A. Farquharson, B. R. Wright, G. P. Wallis, C. J. Hogg and K. Belov, Molecular Ecology, 13. 2021.
Classic Mendelian inheritance is the bedrock of population genetics and underpins pedigree-based management of animal populations. However, assumptions of Mendelian inheritance might not be upheld in conservation breeding programmes if early viability selection occurs, even when ...
Improving mosquito control strategies with population genomics
Tags: Aedes, Anopheles, Dengue, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Genomics, Malaria, ResistanceT. L. Schmidt, N. M. Endersby-Harshman and A. A. Hoffmann, Trends in Parasitology, 37:907-921. 2021.
Mosquito control strategies increasingly apply knowledge from population genomics research. This review highlights recent applications to three research domains: mosquito invasions, insecticide resistance evolution, and rear and release programs. Current research trends follow ...
A Novel Genetic Sexing Strain of Anastrepha Ludens for Cost-Effective Sterile Insect Technique Applications: Improved Genetic Stability and Rearing Efficiency
Tags: Fruit fly, Genetic biocontrol, Sterile insect technique (SIT)E. Ramírez-Santos, P. Rendon, G. Gouvi, A. Zacharopoulou, K. Bourtzis, C. Cáceres and K. Bloem, Insects, 12. 2021.
Anastrepha ludens (Loew) is one of the most destructive insect pests damaging several fruits of economic importance. The sterile insect technique (SIT) is used under an area-wide integrated pest management approach, to suppress these pest populations. Mass rearing facilities were ...
Suppression of female fertility in Aedes aegypti with a CRISPR-targeted male-sterile mutation
Tags: Aedes, CRISPR, Genetic biocontrol, Sterile insect technique (SIT)J. Chen, J. Luo, Y. Wang, A. S. Gurav, M. Li, O. S. Akbari and C. Montell, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 118:e2105075118. 2021.
We introduced and characterized the impact on female fertility of an Ae. aegypti mutation that disrupts a gene that is specifically expressed in testes. We used CRISPR/Cas9 to generate a null mutation in the Ae. aegypti β2-tubulin (B2t) gene, which eliminates male fertility. ...
The origin of island populations of the African malaria mosquito, Anopheles coluzzii
Tags: Africa, Anopheles, Gene drive synthetic, Genetics, Population modification/replacementM. Campos, M. Hanemaaijer, H. Gripkey, T. C. Collier, Y. S. Lee, A. J. Cornel, J. Pinto, D. Ayala, H. Rompao and G. C. Lanzaro, Communications Biology, 4:9. 2021.
Anopheles coluzzii is a major malaria vector throughout its distribution in west-central Africa. Here we present a whole-genome study of 142 specimens from nine countries in continental Africa and three islands in the Gulf of Guinea. This sample set covers a large part of this ...
