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.
Malaria-Resistant Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae); The Principle is Proven, But Will the Effectors Be Effective?
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Mosquitoes, Population modification/replacementZ. N. Adelman and B. B. Kojin, Journal of Medical Entomology, 58:1997-2005. 2021.
Over the last few decades, a substantial number of anti-malarial effector genes have been evaluated for their ability to block parasite infection in the mosquito vector. While many of these approaches have yielded significant effects on either parasite intensity or prevalence of ...
Optimized CRISPR tools and site-directed transgenesis towards gene drive development in Culex quinquefasciatus mosquitoes
Tags: CRISPR, Culex, Gene drive synthetic, Gene editing, Genetically modified mosquitoesX. Feng, V. López Del Amo, E. Mameli, M. Lee, A. L. Bishop, N. Perrimon and V. M. Gantz, Nature Communications, 12:2960. 2021.
Culex mosquitoes are a global vector for multiple human and animal diseases, including West Nile virus, lymphatic filariasis, and avian malaria, posing a constant threat to public health, livestock, companion animals, and endangered birds. While rising insecticide resistance has ...
Targeting conserved sequences circumvents the evolution of resistance in a viral gene drive against human cytomegalovirus
Tags: Arbovirus, CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Population modification/replacement, Replicator/site directed nucleaseM. Walter, R. Perrone and E. Verdin, Journal of virology, 2021.
Here, we analyze in cell culture experiments the evolution of resistance in a viral gene drive against human cytomegalovirus. We report that, after an initial invasion of the wildtype population, a drive-resistant population is positively selected over time and outcompetes gene ...
Guidance framework for testing of genetically modified mosquitoes, second edition
Tags: Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Genetically modified mosquitoes, Policy, RegulationWHO, WHO-TDR, 2021.
For more than 2 decades, scientists have been working to harness the promise of molecular biology to develop genetically modified mosquitoes (GMMs) for use as public health tools to prevent the transmission of vector-borne diseases. Responding to a need for additional standards ...
Small-Cage Laboratory Trials of Genetically-Engineered Anopheline Mosquitoes
Tags: Anopheles, Field trials, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Malaria, Mosquitoes, Replicator/site directed nucleaseR. Carballar-Lejarazú, T. B. Pham, V. Bottino-Rojas, A. Adolfi and A. A. James, J Vis Exp, 2021.
Control of mosquito-borne pathogens using genetically-modified vectors has been proposed as a promising tool to complement conventional control strategies. CRISPR-based homing gene drive systems have made transgenic technologies more accessible within the scientific community. ...
Genetic Technologies for Sustainable Management of Insect Pests and Disease Vectors
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrolS. Grilli, R. Galizi and C. Taxiarchi, Sustainability, 13. 2021.
Recent advancements in genetic and genome editing research, augmented by the discovery of new molecular tools such as CRISPR, have revolutionised the field of genetic engineering by enabling precise site-specific genome modifications with unprecedented ease. These technologies ...
Sterile Insect Technique: Successful Suppression of an Aedes aegypti Field Population in Cuba
Tags: Aedes, Genetic biocontrol, Sterile insect technique (SIT)R. Gato, Z. Menendez, E. Prieto, R. Argiles, M. Rodriguez, W. Baldoquin, Y. Hernandez, D. Perez, J. Anaya, I. Fuentes, C. Lorenzo, K. Gonzalez, Y. Campo and J. Bouyer, Insects, 12:13. 2021.
Here, we describe an open field trial to evaluate the effect of the release of irradiated male Ae. aegypti on a wild population. The pilot trial was carried out in a suburb of Havana and compared the mosquito population density before and after the intervention, in both untreated ...
Experiments confirm a dispersive phenotype associated with a natural gene drive system
Tags: Rodents, Transmission distortionJ.-N. Runge and A. K. Lindholm, Royal Society Open Science, 8:202050. 2021.
Meiotic drivers are genetic entities that increase their own probability of being transmitted to offspring, usually to the detriment of the rest of the organism, thus ‘selfishly’ increasing their fitness. In many meiotic drive systems, driver-carrying males are less ...
CopyCatchers are versatile active genetic elements that detect and quantify inter-homolog somatic gene conversion
Tags: Fruit fly, Gene drive syntheticZ. Li, N. Marcel, S. Devkota, A. Auradkar, S. M. Hedrick, V. M. Gantz and E. Bier, Nature Communications, 12:2625. 2021.
CRISPR-based active genetic elements, or gene-drives, copied via homology-directed repair (HDR) in the germline, are transmitted to progeny at super-Mendelian frequencies. Active genetic elements also can generate widespread somatic mutations, but the genetic basis for such ...
A natural symbiotic bacterium drives mosquito refractoriness to Plasmodium infection via secretion of an antimalarial lipase
Tags: Anopheles, Genetic biocontrol, Malaria, Other SymbiontsH. Gao, L. Bai, Y. M. Jiang, W. Huang, L. L. Wang, S. G. Li, G. D. Zhu, D. Q. Wang, Z. H. Huang, X. S. Li, J. Cao, L. B. Jiang, M. Jacobs-Lorena, S. Zhan and S. B. Wang, Nature Microbiology, 25. 2021.
The stalling global progress in the fight against malaria prompts the urgent need to develop new intervention strategies. Whilst engineered symbiotic bacteria have been shown to confer mosquito resistance to parasite infection, a major challenge for field implementation is to ...
Sterile Insect Technique Programme against Mediterranean Fruit Fly in the Valencian Community (Spain)
Tags: Fruit fly, Genetic biocontrol, Pest management, Sterile insect technique (SIT)I. Plá, J. García de Oteyza, C. Tur, M. Á. Martínez, M. C. Laurín, E. Alonso, M. Martínez, Á. Martín, R. Sanchis, M. C. Navarro, M. T. Navarro, R. Argilés, M. Briasco, Ó. Dembilio and V. Dalmau, Insects, 12. 2021.
The Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wied.), is an endemic pest in fruit-growing areas of the Spanish Mediterranean coast. In the Valencian Community, it represents a serious problem in the cultivation of citrus and numerous species of fruit, such as peach, cherry, ...
Stable isotopes for reliable identification of wild and mass-reared Queensland fruit flies in sterile insect technique programs
Tags: Genetic biocontrol, Sterile insect technique (SIT)B. Mainali, A. S. Andrew, P. W. Taylor and P. Rempoulakis, Journal of Pest Science, 14. 2021.
Queensland fruit fly is one of the most economically important horticultural pests in Australia. Sterile insect technique (SIT) is now being reconsidered and upscaled to combat this pest so reliable discrimination of released sterile Q-flies from wild flies in monitoring traps is ...
Living in the endosymbiotic world of Wolbachia: A centennial review
Tags: Cytoplasmic incompatibility, Genetic biocontrol, WolbachiaR. Kaur, J. D. Shropshire, K. L. Cross, B. Leigh, A. J. Mansueto, V. Stewart, S. R. Bordenstein and S. R. Bordenstein, Cell Host and Microbe, 29:879-893. 2021.
The most widespread intracellular bacteria in the animal kingdom are maternally inherited endosymbionts of the genus Wolbachia. Their prevalence in arthropods and nematodes worldwide and stunning arsenal of parasitic and mutualistic adaptations make these bacteria a biological ...
Genetic Manipulation of Ticks: A Paradigm Shift in Tick and Tick-Borne Diseases Research
Tags: CRISPR, Gene editing, Other arthropodsA. Nuss, A. Sharma and M. Gulia-Nuss, Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology, 11:7. 2021.
Ticks are obligate hematophagous arthropods that are distributed worldwide and are one of the most important vectors of pathogens affecting humans and animals. Despite the growing burden of tick-borne diseases, research on ticks has lagged behind other arthropod vectors, such as ...
Mechanistically comparing reproductive manipulations caused by selfish chromosomes and bacterial symbionts
Tags: Chromosomal drive, Cytoplasmic incompatibility, Selfish genetic elements, WolbachiaE. Dalla Benetta, O. S. Akbari and P. M. Ferree, Heredity, 126:707-716. 2021.
Insects naturally harbor a broad range of selfish agents that can manipulate their reproduction and development, often leading to host sex ratio distortion. Such effects directly benefit the spread of the selfish agents. These agents include two broad groups: bacterial symbionts ...
The legal regulation of gene drive technologies
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Ethics, Gene drive, Governance, Policy, Regulation, Synthetic biologyC. Elves, Univeristy of Oxford, 2021.
Gene drive technologies purport to provide a panacea and yet in doing so present unprecedented risks that threaten to change, potentially irreversibly, the way in which we live in the world. Gene drive technologies raise questions about what ends societies ought to seek for their ...
Modeling and analysis of the implementation of the Wolbachia incompatible and sterile insect technique for mosquito population suppression.
Tags: Dengue, Genetic biocontrol, Incompatible insect technique, Mosquitoes, Population suppression, WolbachiaB. Zheng, J. S. Yu and J. Li, Siam Journal on Applied Mathematics, 81:718-740. 2021.
Mathematical analysis may offer guidance in designing effective mass release strategies for the area-wide application of this Wolbachia incompatible and sterile insect technique in the future. The two most crucial concerns in designing release strategies are how often and in what ...
Selection of Sites for Field Trials of Genetically Engineered Mosquitoes with Gene Drive
Tags: Africa, Anopheles, Field trials, Gene drive synthetic, Genetically modified mosquitoes, Governance, Malaria, Policy, Population modification/replacement, RegulationG. C. Lanzaro, M. Campos, M. Crepeau, A. Cornel, A. Estrada, H. Gripkey, Z. Haddad, A. Kormos, S. Palomares and W. Sharpee, bioRxiv, 2021.04.28.441877. 2021.
Novel malaria control strategies using genetically engineered mosquitoes (GEMs) are on the horizon. Population modification is one approach wherein mosquitoes are engineered with genes rendering them refractory to the malaria parasite coupled with a low-threshold, Cas9-based gene ...
“Maskandi experience”: exploring the use of a cultural song for community engagement in preparation for a pilot Sterile Insect Technique release programme for malaria vector control in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa 2019
Tags: Africa, Anopheles, Genetic biocontrol, Malaria, Sterile insect technique (SIT)P. N. Manana, S. Jewett, J. Zikhali, D. Dlamini, N. Mabaso, Z. Mlambo, R. Ngobese and G. Munhenga, Malaria Journal, 20:11. 2021.
Background An assessment of the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) as a complementary malaria vector control tool, is at an advanced stage in South Africa. The technique involves the release of laboratory-reared sterilized male mosquitoes of the major malaria vector Anopheles ...
Does Gene Technology Offer Potential to Wipe Out Malaria?
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genetically modified mosquitoes, MalariaAnonymous, AFIDEP, 2021.
The persisting high numbers of Malaria deaths and illnesses mean that the current tools will not get us to zero Malaria. For this reason, experts have continued to explore new tools for Malaria elimination. The gene drive technology is one of the tools being explored for Malaria ...
A functional bacteria-derived restriction modification system in the mitochondrion of a heterotrophic protist
Tags: Selfish genetic elements, Toxin-antidoteD. A.-O. Milner, J. A.-O. Wideman, C. A.-O. Stairs, C. D. Dunn and T. A.-O. Richards, PLoS Biology, 2021.
The overarching trend in mitochondrial genome evolution is functional streamlining coupled with gene loss. Therefore, gene acquisition by mitochondria is considered to be exceedingly rare. Selfish elements in the form of self-splicing introns occur in many organellar genomes, but ...
Selfish chromosomal drive shapes recent centromeric histone evolution in monkeyflowers
Tags: Chromosomal drive, Genetics, Transmission distortionF. R. Finseth, T. C. Nelson and L. Fishman, PLOS Genetics, 17:e1009418. 2021.
Centromeres must mediate faithful chromosomal transmission during cell division and sexual reproduction, but both the DNA and protein components of centromeres diverge rapidly across species. The selfish centromere model argues that this paradoxical diversity results from a ...
Development of Sterile Insect Technique for Control of the European Grapevine Moth, Lobesia botrana, in Urban Areas of Chile
Tags: Genetic biocontrol, Mosquito husbandry, Sterile insect technique (SIT)G. S. Simmons, M. C. Salazar Sepulveda, E. A. Fuentes Barrios, M. Idalsoaga Villegas, R. E. Medina Jimenez, A. R. Garrido Jerez, R. Henderson and H. Donoso Riffo, Insects, 12. 2021.
The European grapevine moth, a Palearctic pest, was first detected in the Americas in 2008. Its establishment in Chile presented production and export issues for grapes and other fruits, and a national control campaign was launched. Urban areas next to agricultural production ...
CRISPR-Cas and Its Wide-Ranging Applications: From Human Genome Editing to Environmental Implications, Technical Limitations, Hazards and Bioethical Issues
Tags: Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, Policy, Regulation, Risk assessmentR. Piergentili, A. Del Rio, F. Signore, F. U. Ronchi, E. Marinelli and S. Zaami, Cells, 10:24. 2021.
The CRISPR-Cas system is a powerful tool for in vivo editing the genome of most organisms, including man. During the years this technique has been applied in several fields, such as agriculture for crop upgrade and breeding including the creation of allergy-free foods, for ...
Estimates of the population size and dispersal range of Anopheles arabiensis in Northern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa: implications for a planned pilot programme to release sterile male mosquitoes
Tags: Africa, Anopheles, Genetic biocontrol, Sterile insect technique (SIT)M. L. Kaiser, O. R. Wood, D. Damiens, B. D. Brooke, L. L. Koekemoer and G. Munhenga, Parasites and Vectors, 14:18. 2021.
The Anopheles gambiae complex and An. funestus group species made up the majority of wild collections along with other anophelines. The An. arabiensis population size was estimated to be between 550 and 9500 males per hectare depending on time of year, weather conditions and ...
Engineered sex ratio distortion by X-shredding in the global agricultural pest Ceratitis capitata
Tags: Fruit fly, Gene drive synthetic, X chromosomeA. Meccariello, F. Krsticevic, R. Colonna, G. Del Corsano, B. Fasulo, P. A. Papathanos and N. Windbichler, BMC Biology, 19:78. 2021.
Genetic sex ratio distorters are systems aimed at effecting a bias in the reproductive sex ratio of a population and could be applied for the area-wide control of sexually reproducing insects that vector disease or disrupt agricultural production. One example of such a system ...
The Insect Pest Control Laboratory of the Joint FAO/IAEA Programme: Ten Years (2010–2020) of Research and Development, Achievements and Challenges in Support of the Sterile Insect Technique
Tags: Incompatible insect technique, Mosquito husbandry, Sterile insect technique (SIT)M. J. B. Vreysen, A. M. M. Abd-Alla, K. Bourtzis, J. Bouyer, C. Caceres, C. de Beer, D. Oliveira Carvalho, H. Maiga, W. Mamai, K. Nikolouli, H. Yamada and R. Pereira, Insects, 12. 2021.
The Joint FAO/IAEA Centre (formerly called Division) of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture was established in 1964 and its accompanying laboratories in 1961. One of its subprograms deals with insect pest control, and has the mandate to develop and implement the sterile ...
Introduction of a cold sensitivity-conferring mutation into the RTA-Bddsx hybrid system of Bactrocera dorsalis for establishment of a thermally controllable homozygous line
Tags: Fruit fly, Gene editing, Genetic biocontrol, Sterile insect technique (SIT)S. M. Dai, C. Y. Huang and C. Chang, Pest Management Science, 7. 2021.
BACKGROUND For efficient control of the economically important fruit pest Bactrocera dorsalis, a hybrid system combining ricin toxicity and sex-related alternative splicing of the doublesex gene has been developed. This system exhibits the expected female-specific lethal effect; ...
Evidence for natural hybridization and novel Wolbachia strain superinfections in the Anopheles gambiae complex from Guinea
Tags: Anopheles, Genetic biocontrol, Mosquitoes, Population modification/replacement, WolbachiaC. L. Jeffries, C. Cansado-Utrilla, A. H. Beavogui, C. Stica, E. K. Lama, M. Kristan, S. R. Irish and T. Walker, Royal Society Open Science, 8:18. 2021.
Wolbachia, a widespread bacterium which can influence mosquito-borne pathogen transmission, has recently been detected within Anopheles (An.) species that are malaria vectors in Sub-Saharan Africa. Although studies have reported Wolbachia strains in the An. gambiae complex, ...
CRISPR-mediated knock-in of transgenes into the malaria vector Anopheles funestus
Tags: Anopheles, Gene drive synthetic, Gene editing, Malaria, MosquitoesC. Quinn, A. Anthousi, C. Wondji and T. Nolan, bioRxiv, 2021.03.31.437891. 2021.
We describe herein an optimised transformation system based on the germline delivery of CRISPR components that allows efficient cleavage of a previously validated genomic site and preferential repair of these cut sites via homology-directed repair (HDR), which allows introduction ...
Determining the Sterilization Doses under Hypoxia for the Novel Black Pupae Genetic Sexing Strain of Anastrepha fraterculus (Diptera, Tephritidae)
Tags: Fruit fly, Genetic biocontrol, Sterile insect technique (SIT)P. D. Giustina, T. Mastrangelo, S. Ahmad, G. Mascarin and C. Caceres, Insects, 12. 2021.
Our study reports for the first time the dose-sterility response under hypoxia for two different A. fraterculus strains. The pupae were derived from a bisexual strain (a Brazilian-1 population) and a recently developed genetic sexing strain (GSS-89). Two hours prior to ...
Systematic identification of plausible pathways to potential harm via problem formulation for investigational releases of a population suppression gene drive to control the human malaria vector Anopheles gambiae in West Africa
Tags: Anopheles, CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Regulation, Risk assessmentJ. B. Connolly, J. D. Mumford, S. Fuchs, G. Turner, C. Beech, A. R. North and A. Burt, Malaria Journal, 20:170. 2021.
Population suppression gene drive has been proposed as a strategy for malaria vector control. A CRISPR-Cas9-based transgene homing at the doublesex locus (dsxFCRISPRh) has recently been shown to increase rapidly in frequency in, and suppress, caged laboratory populations of the ...
Sterile Insect Technique in an Integrated Vector Management Program against Tiger Mosquito Aedes albopictus in the Valencia Region (Spain): Operating Procedures and Quality Control Parameters
Tags: Aedes, Dengue, Mosquito husbandry, Sterile insect technique (SIT), Vector controlC. Tur, D. Almenar, S. Benlloch-Navarro, R. Argilés-Herrero, M. Zacarés, V. Dalmau and I. Pla, Insects, 12. 2021.
The Agriculture Department of the Valencian Region is promoting an ongoing pilot project to evaluate the efficacy of an integrated vector management program (IVM) based on the use of the SIT as the main method of control. The laboratory studies for evaluating the entomological ...
Experimenting with co-development: a qualitative study of gene drive research for malaria control in Mali
Tags: Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, Policy, Risk and safety, Stakeholder engagementS. Hartley, K. Ledingham, R. Owen, S. Leonelli, S. Diarra and S. Diop, Social Science and Medicine, 2021.
Our findings suggest co-development is opening up previously expert-dominated spaces as researchers attempt to take responsibility for the societal implications of their work. However, its main function is as a project management tool to enable and instrumentally support ...
Ethics of Genome Editing
Tags: Agriculture, Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, Gene editing, Governance, PolicyEuropean Group on Ethics, European Group on Ethics in Science and New Technologies, 2021.
This Opinion addresses the profound ethical questions raised and revived by them. It analyses various domains of application, from human health to animal experimentation, from livestock breeding to crop variety and to gene drives. With its wide view across areas, it identifies ...
Evaluating unintended consequences of intentional species introductions and eradications for improved conservation management
Tags: Biological control, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrolD. E. Pearson, T. J. Clark and P. G. Hahn, Conserv Biol, 2021.
We conducted a global literature review of these conservation actions to quantify how often unintended outcomes occur and to elucidate their underlying causes. We found that studies reported intended outcomes in 51% of cases, a combination of intended outcomes and unintended ...
The ethical scientist in a time of uncertainty
Tags: Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, Malaria, Policy, Population suppression, Stakeholder engagement, Target malariaL. Zoloth, Cell, 184:1430-1439. 2021.
Using the example of gene drives for malaria control to explore the problem of deep uncertainty in biomedical research, I argue that profound uncertainty is an essential feature. Applying the language and presumptions of the discipline of philosophical ethics, I describe three ...
Driving to Safety: CRISPR-Based Genetic Approaches to Reducing Antibiotic Resistance
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive syntheticE. Bier and V. Nizet, Trends in Genetics, 2021.
The complex and challenging problem of reducing antibiotic resistance (AR) requires a network of both societal and science-based solutions to preserve the most lifesaving pharmaceutical intervention known to medicine. In addition to developing new classes of antibiotics, it is ...
Ultra-conserved sequences in the genomes of highly diverse Anopheles mosquitoes, with implications for malaria vector control
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Population suppression, Replicator/site directed nuclease, ResistanceS. M. O'Loughlin, A. J. Forster, S. Fuchs, T. Dottorini, T. Nolan, A. Crisanti and A. Burt, G3-Genes Genomes Genetics, 2021.
Here we search for conserved sequences of 18bp and over in an alignment of 21 Anopheles genomes, spanning an evolutionary timescale of 100 million years, and characterise the resulting sequences according to their location and function. Over 8000 ultra-conserved elements were ...
Meiotic Cas9 expression mediates genotype conversion in the male and female mouse germline.
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Population suppression, RodentsA. J. Weitzel, H. A. Grunwald, R. Levina, V. M. Gantz, S. M. Hedrick, E. Bier and K. L. Cooper, 2021.03.16.435716, 2021.
We previously showed that such a system of genotype conversion from heterozygous to homozygous after a sequence targeted CRISPR/Cas9 double strand DNA break is feasible in the female mouse germline. In the male germline, however, all double strand breaks were instead repaired by ...
Differentiated impacts of human interventions on nature: Scaling the conversation on regulation of gene technologies
Tags: Ethics, Genetically modified organisms, Governance, Policy, Regulation, Risk and safetyJ. A. Heinemann, D. J. Paull, S. Walker and B. Kurenbach, Elementa: Science of the Anthropocene, 9. 2021.
Biotechnology describes a range of human activities in medicine, agriculture, and environmental management. One biotechnology in particular, gene technology, continues to evolve both in capacity and potential to benefit and harm society. The purpose of this article is to offer a ...
Genetically Encoded CRISPR components Yield Efficient Gene Editing in the Invasive Pest, Drosophila suzukii
Tags: CRISPR, Fruit fly, Gene drive synthetic, Gene editingN. P. Kandul, E. J. Belikoff, J. Liu, A. Buchman, F. Li, A. Yamamoto, T. Yang, I. Shriner, M. J. Scott and O. Akbari, bioRxiv, 2021.03.15.435483. 2021.
Here we have developed transgenic strains that encode three different terminators and four different promoters to express Cas9 in both the soma and/or germline of SWD. The Cas9 lines were evaluated through genetic crossing to transgenic lines that encode single guide RNAs ...
Ugandan stakeholder hopes and concerns about gene drive mosquitoes for malaria control: new directions for gene drive risk governance
Tags: Africa, Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, Stakeholder engagementS. Hartley, R. D. J. Smith, A. Kokotovich, C. Opesen, T. Habtewold, K. Ledingham, B. Raymond and C. B. Rwabukwali, Malaria Journal, 20:149. 2021.
The African Union’s High-Level Panel on Emerging Technologies identified gene drive mosquitoes as a priority technology for malaria elimination. The first field trials are expected in 5–10 years in Uganda, Mali or Burkina Faso. In preparation, regional and international ...
Lessons from Drosophila: Engineering Genetic Sexing Strains with Temperature-Sensitive Lethality for Sterile Insect Technique Applications
T. N. M. Nguyen, A. Choo and S. W. Baxter, Insects, 12. 2021.Some of the most successful Genetic Sexing Strains (GSS) reared and released for SIT control were developed for Mediterranean fruit fly (Medfly), Ceratitis capitata, and carry a temperature sensitive lethal (tsl) mutation that eliminates female but not male embryos when heat ...
Current Effector and Gene-Drive Developments to Engineer Arbovirus-Resistant Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) for a Sustainable Population Replacement Strategy in the Field
Tags: Aedes, Arbovirus, Gene drive synthetic, Mosquitoes, Population modification/replacementW. R. Reid, K. E. Olson and A. W. E. Franz, J Med Entomol, 2021.
Conventional mosquito control efforts based on insecticide treatments and/or the use of bednets and window curtains are currently insufficient to reduce arbovirus prevalence in affected regions. Novel, genetic strategies that are being developed involve the genetic manipulation ...
When More is Less: Mosquito Population Suppression Using Sterile, Incompatible and Genetically Modified Male Mosquitoes
Tags: Cytoplasmic incompatibility, Genetic biocontrol, Incompatible insect technique, Mosquitoes, Sterile insect technique (SIT), WolbachiaS. L. Dobson, Journal of Medical Entomology, 58:1980-1986. 2021.
The current review of the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) is motivated by new technologies and the recent renaissance of male release field trials, which is driving an evolution in mosquito control and regulation. Practitioners that are releasing male mosquitoes would do well to ...
femaleless Controls Sex Determination and Dosage Compensation Pathways in Females of Anopheles Mosquitoes
Tags: Gene editing, Genetic biocontrol, Malaria, Mosquitoes, Population suppressionE. Krzywinska, L. Ferretti, J. Li, J.-C. Li, C.-H. Chen and J. Krzywinski, Current Biology, 31:1084-1091.e4. 2021.
Here we show that in the African malaria mosquito Anopheles gambiae, a gene, which likely arose in the Anopheles lineage and which we call femaleless (fle), controls sex determination in females by regulating splicing of dsx and fruitless (fru; another terminal gene within a ...
Sex Determination and Dosage Compensation: femaleless Is the Link in Anopheles Mosquitoes
Tags: Genetic biocontrol, Genetics, Mosquitoes, Population suppressionM. Scott, Current Biology, 31:R260-R263. 2021.
A new study finds that the femaleless gene is essential for sexual development and repression of X-chromosome dosage compensation in the malaria vector Anopheles gambiae. This could provide the basis for a new genetic approach to control this pest.
Experts’ moral views on gene drive technologies: a qualitative interview study
Tags: Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, Policy, Stakeholder engagementN. de Graeff, K. R. Jongsma and A. L. Bredenoord, BMC Medical Ethics, 22:25. 2021.
Gene drive technologies (GDTs) promote the rapid spread of a particular genetic element within a population of non-human organisms. Potential applications of GDTs include the control of insect vectors, invasive species and agricultural pests. Whether, and if so, under what ...
Eliminating Mosquitoes with Precision Guided Sterile Males
Tags: Aedes, Dengue, Gene drive synthetic, Mosquitoes, Sterile insect technique (SIT)M. Li, T. Yang, M. Bui, S. Gamez, T. Wise, N. P. Kandul, J. Liu, L. Alcantara, H. Lee, J. R. Edula, R. Raban, Y. Zhan, Y. Wang, N. DeBeaubien, J. Chen, H. M. Sanchez C, J. B. Bennett, I. Antoshechkin, C. Montell, J. M. Marshall and O. S. Akbari, bioRxiv, 2021.03.05.434167. 2021.
Here we develop a molecular genetic control system termed precision guided sterile insect technique (pgSIT) in Aedes aegypti. PgSIT uses a simple CRISPR-based approach to generate sterile males that are deployable at any life stage. Supported by mathematical models, we ...
