Keywords: Arbovirus
Evaluation of Wolbachia infection in Aedes aegypti suggests low prevalence and highly heterogeneous distribution in Medellín, Colombia
Tags: Aedes, Arbovirus, Population modification/replacement, South/Central America, Vector control, Wolbachiarley Calle-Tobón, Raúl Rojo-Ospina, et al., Acta Tropica, 260. 2024.
Dengue virus, transmitted mainly by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, is a significant public health challenge in tropical and subtropical countries, with an incidence that is growing at an alarming rate. The release of Wolbachia-carrying mosquitoes has been suggested as a strategy to ...
Current status of the sterile insect technique for the suppression of mosquito populations on a global scale
Tags: Aedes, Arbovirus, Sterile insect technique (SIT), Vector controlBouyer, J., Infectious Diseases of Poverty, 13. 2024.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has emphasized the urgent need for alternative strategies to chemical insecticides for controlling mosquito populations, particularly the invasive Aedes species, which are known vectors of arboviruses. Among these alternative approaches, the ...
Wolbachia-Based Emerging Strategies for Control of Vector-Transmitted Disease
Tags: Arbovirus, Ecology, Genetically modified organisms, Risk and safety, WolbachiaMontenegro-López D, Cortés-Cortés G, et al., Acta Tropica, 2024.
Dengue fever is a mosquito-transmitted disease of great public health importance. Dengue lacks adequate vaccine protection and insecticide-based methods of mosquito control are proving increasingly ineffective. Here we review the emerging use of mosquitoes transinfected with the ...
Mark–Release–Recapture Trial with Aedes albopictus (Diptera, Culicidae) Irradiated Males: Population Parameters and Climatic Factors
Tags: Aedes, Arbovirus, Sterile insect technique (SIT), Vector controlAmaro FIF, Soares P, Velo E, et al, Insects, 15. 2024.
Aedes albopictus mosquitoes spread arboviruses like dengue, Zika, or chikungunya. The Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) can be used as a prevention and control tool against Ae. albopictus populations. Mark–release–recapture (MRR) trials are fundamental to estimate the size of ...
Bunyamwera Virus Infection of Wolbachia-Carrying Aedes aegypti Mosquitoes Reduces Wolbachia Density
Tags: Aedes, Arbovirus, WolbachiaLefteri, D.A.; Rainey, S.M.; Murdochy, S.M.; Sinkins, S.P., Viruses, 16. 2024.
Wolbachia symbionts introduced into Aedes mosquitoes provide a highly effective dengue virus transmission control strategy, increasingly utilised in many countries in an attempt to reduce disease burden. Whilst highly effective against dengue and other positive-sense RNA viruses, ...
Gene Drives: A Powerful and Controversial Genetic Technology
Tags: Arbovirus, Genetic engineering, Invasive speciesBiomedical and Life Sciences Simplified, YouTube, 2024.
Wolbachia endosymbionts in Drosophila regulate the resistance to Zika virus infection in a sex dependent manner
Tags: Arbovirus, WolbachiaGhada Tafesh-Edwards, Margarita Kyza Karaviot, Klea Markollari, et al, Frontiers in Microbiology, 15. 2024.
Drosophila melanogaster has been used extensively for dissecting the genetic and functional bases of host innate antiviral immunity and virus-induced pathology. Previous studies have shown that the presence of Wolbachia endosymbionts in D. melanogaster confers resistance to ...
Culex-Transmitted Diseases: Mechanisms, Impact, and Future Control Strategies using Wolbachia
Tags: Arbovirus, Culex, Mosquitoes, WolbachiaMadhav, M.; Blasdell, K.R.; Trewin, B.; Paradkar, P.N.; López-Denman, A.J., Viruses, 16:1134. 2024.
Mosquitoes of the Culex genus are responsible for a large burden of zoonotic virus transmission globally. Collectively, they play a significant role in the transmission of medically significant diseases such as Japanese encephalitis virus and West Nile virus. Climate change, ...
Scientists use gut bacteria to prevent mosquito-borne diseases
Tags: Arbovirus, Dengue, North AmericaCGTN, 2024.
Chinese scientists have developed a more natural strategy to prevent mosquito-borne diseases by changing insects' gut microbes, which might be used as an alternative to controversial experiments that see genetically-modified mosquitoes released in Florida. Mosquito-borne viruses, ...
Bacteria found in mosquito guts could help scientists fight dengue, Zika
Tags: Arbovirus, Dengue, Mosquitoes, WolbachiaCatherine Offord, Science, 2024.
A team in China probing the guts of local mosquitoes has found a potential helper in the fight against two human diseases. Researchers identified a new bacterium that disables the viruses responsible for dengue and Zika before they can establish an infection in the insects. ...
Wolbachia Infection through Hybridization to Enhance an Incompatible Insect Technique-Based Suppression of Aedes albopictus in Eastern Spain
Tags: Arbovirus, Cytoplasmic incompatibility, Genetic biocontrol, Population suppression, WolbachiaCholvi, M.; Trelis, M.; Bueno-Marí, R.; Khoubbane, M.; Gil, R.; Marcilla, A.; Moretti, R., Insects, 15:206. 2024.
The emergence of insecticide resistance in arbovirus vectors is putting the focus on the development of new strategies for control. In this regard, the exploitation of Wolbachia endosymbionts is receiving increasing attention due to its demonstrated effectiveness in reducing the ...
The Perpetual Vector Mosquito Threat and Its Eco-Friendly Nemeses
Tags: Aedes, Arbovirus, Biological controlMiranda, L.S.; Rudd, S.R.; Mena, O.; Hudspeth, P.E.; Barboza-Corona, J.E.; Park, H.-W.; Bideshi, D.K., Biology, 13:182. 2024.
Aedes, Culex, and Anopheles mosquitoes are the most prolific arthropod vectors of viral and parasitic agents of debilitating and lethal diseases in humans and animals. Despite some success in integrated pest management programs to control vectors, mosquito-borne diseases, such as ...
Wolbachia Infection through Hybridization to Enhance an Incompatible Insect Technique-Based Suppression of Aedes albopictus in Eastern Spain
Tags: Arbovirus, Cytoplasmic incompatibility, Genetic biocontrol, Population suppression, WolbachiaCholvi M, Trelis M, Bueno-Marí R, Khoubbane M, Gil R, Marcilla A, Moretti R., Insects, 15. 2024.
Wolbachia bacteria occur naturally as symbionts of many insect species and are responsible for various phenomena that modify the hosts’ reproductive biology. Among them, cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) refers to the sterility of eggs produced by crosses between infected males ...
Detection and quantification of natural Wolbachia in Aedes aegypti in Metropolitan Manila, Philippines using locally designed primers
Tags: Aedes, Arbovirus, WolbachiaReyes JIL, Suzuki T, Suzuki Y, Watanabe K., Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology, 2024.
The Philippines bears health and economic burden caused by high dengue cases annually. Presently, the Philippines still lack an effective and sustainable vector management. The use of Wolbachia, a maternally transmitted bacterium, that mitigate arbovirus transmission has been ...
Intra-lineage microevolution of Wolbachia leads to the emergence of new cytoplasmic incompatibility patterns
Tags: Arbovirus, Malaria, WolbachiaNamias A, Ngaku A, Makoundou P, Unal S, Sicard M, Weill M, PLoS Biology, 2024.
Mosquitoes of the Culex pipiens complex are worldwide vectors of arbovirus, filarial nematodes, and avian malaria agents. In these hosts, the endosymbiotic bacteria Wolbachia induce cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI), i.e., reduced embryo viability in so-called incompatible ...
Maxizyme-mediated suppression of chikungunya virus replication and transmission in transgenic Aedes aegypti mosquitoes
Tags: Aedes, Arbovirus, Gene editing, MosquitoesMishra P, Balaraman V, Fraser Jr. M, Frontiers in Microbiology, 14. 2024.
Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is an emerging mosquito-borne pathogen of significant public health importance. There are currently no prophylactic vaccines or therapeutics available to control CHIKV. One approach to arbovirus control that has been proposed is the replacement of ...
Wolbachia still works when it is warm
Tags: Arbovirus, Biological control, Dengue, Ecology, WolbachiaMcKay, A., Nature Ecology and Evolution, 8. 2024.
Wolbachia is a maternally inherited endosymbiotic bacterium that can impede the transmission of viruses such as dengue and Zika by some mosquito vectors to humans. Over the past decade, this self-sustaining disease-control method has been rolled out in cities of increasing size; ...
Antiviral Wolbachia strains associate with Aedes aegypti endoplasmic reticulum membranes and induce lipid droplet formation to restrict dengue virus replication
Tags: Aedes, Arbovirus, Dengue, WolbachiaRobson K. Loterio, Ebony A. Monson, Rachel Templin, Jyotika T. de Bruyne, Heather A. Flores, Jason M. Mackenzie, Georg Ramm, Karla J. Helbig, Cameron P. Simmons, Johanna E. Fraser, Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 2023.
Wolbachia are a genus of insect endosymbiotic bacteria which includes strains wMel and wAlbB that are being utilized as a biocontrol tool to reduce the incidence of Aedes aegypti-transmitted viral diseases like dengue. However, the precise mechanisms underpinning the antiviral ...
Viruses that ‘infect’ viruses: Cas12f1 and Cas9 gene drive in HSV1
Tags: Arbovirus, CRISPR, Gene drive, Genetic engineeringHongsheng Dai, Qiaorui Yao, Zhuangjie Lin, Keyuan Lai, Xianyin Zeng, Guangxiong Lei, Tongwen Zhang, bioRxiv, 2023.
Cas9-based synthetic gene drives constitute some minimal elements capable of editing DNA with sequence specificity. However, they face high resistance rate and mitigation strategies developed so far are difficult to implement. Here, we engineered herpes simplex virus type 1 ...
Male-killing virus leads to more female moths
Tags: Arbovirus, Moths, Selfish genetic elements, Sex distorterAnonymous, Nature, 2023.
Keisuke Nagamine at Minami Kyushu University in Miyazaki, Japan, and his colleagues have identified another virus that kills male embryos of the tobacco caterpillar, Spodoptera litura. Female moths infected with the virus produced an equal number of male and female embryos, but ...
Male-killing virus in a noctuid moth Spodoptera litura
Tags: Arbovirus, Moths, Selfish genetic elements, Sex distorterK. Nagamine, Y. Kanno, K. Sahara, T. Fujimoto, A. Yoshido, Y. Ishikawa, M. Terao, D. Kageyama and Y. Shintani, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 120:e2312124120. 2023.
A female-biased sex ratio is considered advantageous for the cytoplasmic elements that inhabit sexually reproducing organisms. There are numerous examples of bacterial symbionts in the arthropod cytoplasm that bias the host sex ratio toward females through various means, ...
Wolbachia interferes with Zika virus replication by hijacking cholesterol metabolism in mosquito cells
Tags: Arbovirus, Population modification/replacement, WolbachiaB. Edwards, E. A.-O. X. Ghedin and D. A.-O. Voronin, Microbiology Spectrum, 2023.
Zika virus is a member of the arbovirus Flaviviridae family transmitted by Aedes mosquitos and it is associated with microcephaly in infants born to infected mothers. Wolbachia is an intracellular gram-negative alpha-proteobacteria that infects many species of arthropods, ...
Jamestown Canyon virus is transmissible by Aedes aegypti and is only moderately blocked by Wolbachia co-infection
Tags: Aedes, Arbovirus, Dengue, Population modification/replacement, WolbachiaM. J. Lau, H. L. C. Dutra, M. J. Jones, B. P. McNulty, A. M. Diaz, F. Ware-Gilmore and E. A. McGraw, PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 17. 2023.
Jamestown Canyon virus (JCV), a negative-sense arbovirus, is increasingly common in the upper Midwest of the USA. Transmitted by a range of mosquito genera, JCV's primary amplifying host is white-tailed deer. Aedes aegypti is responsible for transmitting various positive-sense ...
wMel Wolbachia alters female post-mating behaviors and physiology in the dengue vector mosquito Aedes aegypti
Tags: Aedes, Arbovirus, Population modification/replacement, WolbachiaJ. Osorio, S. Villa-Arias, C. Camargo, L. F. Ramírez-Sánchez, L. M. Barrientos, C. Bedoya, G. Rúa-Uribe, S. Dorus, C. Alfonso-Parra and F. W. Avila, Communications Biology, 6:865. 2023.
Globally invasive Aedes aegypti disseminate numerous arboviruses that impact human health. One promising method to control Ae. aegypti populations is transinfection with Wolbachia pipientis, which naturally infects ~40–52% of insects but not Ae. aegypti. Transinfection of Ae. ...
Wolbachia -mediated resistance to Zika virus infection in Aedes aegypti is dominated by diverse transcriptional regulation and weak evolutionary pressures
Tags: Aedes, Arbovirus, Dengue, WolbachiaE. C. Boehm, A. S. Jaeger, H. J. Ries, D. Castañeda, A. M. Weiler, C. C. Valencia, J. Weger-Lucarelli, G. D. Ebel, S. L. O'Connor, T. C. Friedrich, M. Zamanian and M. T. Aliota, bioRxiv, 2023.
A promising candidate for arbovirus control and prevention relies on replacing arbovirus-susceptible Aedes aegypti populations with mosquitoes that have been colonized by the intracellular bacterium Wolbachia and thus have a reduced capacity to transmit arboviruses. This reduced ...
Wolbachia -induced inhibition of O’nyong nyong virus in Anopheles mosquitoes is mediated by Toll signaling and modulated by cholesterol
Tags: Anopheles, Arbovirus, Population modification/replacement, WolbachiaS. Pujhari, G. L. Hughes, N. Pakpour, Y. Suzuki and J. L. Rasgon, bioRxiv, 10.1101/2023.05.31.543096. 2023.
Enhanced host immunity and competition for metabolic resources are two main competing hypotheses for the mechanism of Wolbachia -mediated pathogen inhibition in arthropods. Using an Anopheles mosquito - somatic Wolbachia infection - O'nyong nyong virus (ONNV) model, we ...
Wolbachia protects Drosophila melanogaster against two naturally occurring and virulent viral pathogens
Tags: Arbovirus, Fruit fly, WolbachiaG. Bruner-Montero and F. M. Jiggins, Scientific Reports, 13:8518. 2023.
Wolbachia is a common endosymbiont that can protect insects against viral pathogens. However, whether the antiviral effects of Wolbachia have a significant effect on fitness remains unclear. We have investigated the interaction between Drosophila melanogaster, Wolbachia and two ...
Dengue Exposure and Wolbachia wMel Strain Affects the Fertility of Quiescent Eggs of Aedes aegypti
Tags: Aedes, Arbovirus, Dengue, WolbachiaM. T. Petersen, D. Couto-Lima, G. A. Garcia, M. G. Pavan, M. R. David and R. Maciel-de-Freitas, Viruses, 15. 2023.
(1) Background: The deployment of the bacterium Wolbachia to reduce arbovirus transmission is ongoing in several countries worldwide. When Wolbachia-carrying Aedes aegypti are released and established in the field, females may feed on dengue-infected hosts. The effects of ...
Scientists disable protective gene in mosquitoes, making them susceptible to disease
Tags: Aedes, Arbovirus, Genetic biocontrolTexas A&M University, Phys Org, 2023.
Immune pathways that protect mosquitoes from human pathogens, including West Nile, Zika and dengue viruses were disabled by Texas A&M AgriLife Research scientists. The research study, "RNA interference is essential to modulating the pathogenesis of mosquito-borne viruses in the ...
A male-killing gene encoded by a symbiotic virus of Drosophila
Tags: Arbovirus, Fruit fly, Genetic biocontrol, Sex distorterD. Kageyama, T. Harumoto, K. Nagamine, A. Fujiwara, T. N. Sugimoto, A. Jouraku, M. Tamura, T. K. Katoh and M. Watada, Nature Communications, 14:1357. 2023.
In most eukaryotes, biparentally inherited nuclear genomes and maternally inherited cytoplasmic genomes have different evolutionary interests. Strongly female-biased sex ratios that are repeatedly observed in various arthropods often result from the male-specific lethality ...
Emerging Gene Drive Applications
Tags: Agriculture, Arbovirus, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Invasive speciesDavid O'Brochta, 2023.
Gene drive systems are being engineered in the laboratory and in some cases shown to be effective at rapidly altering target-gene frequencies in experimental populations. Much of this foundational work has been conducted in insects in the laboratory. This webinar series will ...
Engineered Antiviral Sensor Targets Infected Mosquitoes
Tags: Aedes, Arbovirus, Dengue, Genetic biocontrol, Population modification/replacementE. Dalla Benetta, A. J. Lopez-Denman, H.-H. Li, R. A. Masri, D. J. Brogan, M. Bui, T. Yang, M. Li, M. Dunn, M. J. Klein, S. Jackson, K. Catalan, K. R. Blasdell, P. Tng, I. Antoshechkin, L. S. Alphey, P. N. Paradkar and O. Akbari, bioRxiv, 2023.01.27.525922. 2023.
Escalating vector disease burdens pose significant global health risks, so innovative tools for targeting mosquitoes are critical. We engineered an antiviral strategy termed REAPER (vRNA Expression Activates Poisonous Effector Ribonuclease) that leverages the programmable ...
Wolbachia-Virus interactions and arbovirus control through population replacement in mosquitoes
Tags: Aedes, Arbovirus, Cytoplasmic incompatibility, Population modification/replacement, WolbachiaT. H. Ant, M. V. Mancini, C. J. McNamara, S. M. Rainey and S. P. Sinkins, Pathogens and Global Health, 2022.
Following transfer into the primary arbovirus vector Aedes aegypti, several strains of the intracellular bacterium Wolbachia have been shown to inhibit the transmission of dengue, Zika, and chikungunya viruses, important human pathogens that cause significant morbidity and ...
Externalities modulate the effectiveness of the Wolbachia release programme
Tags: Aedes, Arbovirus, Dengue, Modeling, Population modification/replacement, WolbachiaE. E. Ooi and A. Wilder-Smith, The Lancet Infectious Diseases, 2022.
Despite the remarkable outcome in Yogyakarta, the wMel approach also has some challenges. In particular, the extent to which ecological, weather, and other external factors influence the dissemination and establishment of wMel in complex urban environments remains unclear. ...
Outbreaks of arboviruses, biotechnological innovations and vector control: facing the unexpected
Tags: Aedes, Arbovirus, Dengue, Genetic biocontrol, Genetically modified mosquitoesC. Boëte, Innovative Strategies for Vector Control, 6:219-231. 2022.
Outbreaks of arboviruses have occurred in the last decades in many places around the world and a variety of responses have been taken in order to control them. Responses ranged from vaccination campaigns to the use of conventional vector control methods. Innovative approaches ...
Changing mosquito genes, spreading bacteria: Science sees success vs dengue
Tags: Aedes, Arbovirus, Dengue, Genetic biocontrol, Population modification/replacement, WolbachiaC. E. Baclig, INQUIRER.NET, 2022.
Wolbachia, according to WMP, are extremely common bacteria that occur naturally in 50 percent of insect species, including mosquitoes, fruit flies, moths, dragonflies, and butterflies. Aedes aegypti or dengue-carrying mosquitoes, however, do not normally carry Wolbachia. Studies ...
Wolbachia wPip Blocks Zika Virus Transovarial Transmission in Aedes albopictus
Tags: Aedes, Arbovirus, Population modification/replacement, WolbachiaY. Guo, J. Guo, Y. Li, X. Zheng and Y. Wu, Microbiol Spectrum, e0263321. 2022.
Area-wide application of Wolbachia to suppress mosquito populations and their transmitted viruses has achieved success in multiple countries. However, the mass release of Wolbachia-infected male mosquitoes involves a potential risk of accidentally releasing fertile females. In ...
Intron-derived small RNAs for silencing viral RNAs in mosquito cells
Tags: Arbovirus, Dengue, Genetic biocontrol, Genetically modified mosquitoes, MosquitoesP. Y. L. Tng, L. Z. Carabajal Paladino, M. A. E. Anderson, Z. N. Adelman, R. Fragkoudis, R. Noad and L. Alphey, PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 16:e0010548. 2022.
Aedes aegypti and Ae. albopictus are the main vectors of mosquito-borne viruses of medical and veterinary significance. Many of these viruses have RNA genomes. Exogenously provided, e.g. transgene encoded, small RNAs could be used to inhibit virus replication, breaking the ...
Modeling the impact of genetically modified male mosquitoes in the spatial population dynamics of Aedes aegypti
Tags: Aedes, Arbovirus, Dengue, Genetic biocontrol, ModelingM. R. da Silva, P. H. G. Lugão, F. Prezoto and G. Chapiro, Scientific Reports, 12:9112. 2022.
The mosquito Aedes aegypti is the primary vector of diseases such as dengue, Zika, chikungunya, and yellow fever. Improving control techniques requires a better understanding of the mosquito’s life cycle, including spatial population dynamics in endemic regions. One of the most ...
Novel molecular approaches to combat vectors and vector-borne viruses: Special focus on RNA interference (RNAi) mechanisms
Tags: Arbovirus, Genetic biocontrolA. Agarwal, D. K. Sarma, D. Chaurasia and H. S. Maan, Acta Tropica, 2022.
Vector-borne diseases, such as dengue, chikungunya, zika, yellow fever etc pose significant burden among the infectious diseases globally, especially in tropical and sub-tropical regions. Globalization, deforestation, urbanization, climate change, uncontrolled population growth, ...
Mosquitoes Genetically Modified to Stop Disease Pass Early Test
Tags: Aedes, Arbovirus, Dengue, Genetically modified mosquitoes, North America, OxitecL. Rapaport, WebMD, 2022.
Genetically modified mosquitoes released in the U.S. appear to have passed an early test that suggests they might one day help reduce the population of insects that transmit infectious diseases. As part of the test, scientists released nearly 5 million genetically engineered ...
Transient Introgression of Wolbachia into Aedes aegypti Populations Does Not Elicit an Antibody Response to Wolbachia Surface Protein in Community Members
Tags: Aedes, Arbovirus, Dengue, WolbachiaE. Lee, T. Hien Nguyen, T. Yen Nguyen, S. Nam Vu, N. Duong Tran, L. Trung Nghia, Q. Mai Vien, T. Dong Nguyen, R. Kriiger Loterio, I. Iturbe-Ormaetxe, H. A. Flores, S. L. O'Neill, D. Anh Dang, C. P. Simmons and J. E. Fraser, Pathogens, 11. 2022.
Wolbachia is an endosymbiotic bacterium that can restrict the transmission of human pathogenic viruses by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. Recent field trials have shown that dengue incidence is significantly reduced when Wolbachia is introgressed into the local Ae. aegypti population. ...
A metapopulation approach to identify targets for Wolbachia-based dengue control
Tags: Aedes, Arbovirus, Dengue, Modeling, Population modification/replacement, WolbachiaA. Reyna-Lara, D. Soriano-Paños, J. H. Arias-Castro, H. J. Martínez and J. Gómez-Gardeñes, Chaos, 32:041105. 2022.
Over the last decade, the release of Wolbachia-infected Aedes aegypti into the natural habitat of this mosquito species has become the most sustainable and long-lasting technique to prevent and control vector-borne diseases, such as dengue, zika, or chikungunya. However, the ...
Genetically Modified Mosquitoes May Be Released in California, Experts Express Concern
Tags: Arbovirus, Dengue, Genetic biocontrol, Mosquitoes, North America, Oxitec, Sterile insect technique (SIT)Z. Papadakis, NEWSMAX, 2022.
Millions of genetically engineered mosquitos could soon be set loose in California in an effort to curb the disease-carrying Aedes aegypti mosquito population — but some experts are concerned that it could backfire. On March 7, Oxitec, a private company, obtained a permit from ...
Genetic Stability and Fitness of Aedes aegypti Red-Eye Genetic Sexing Strains With Pakistani Genomic Background for Sterile Insect Technique Applications
Tags: Aedes, Arbovirus, Dengue, Sterile insect technique (SIT), Vector controlM. Misbah-ul-Haq, D. O. Carvalho, L. D. de la Fuente, A. A. Augustinos and K. Bourtzis, Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology, 10. 2022.
The mosquito species Aedes aegypti is the primary transmitter of viruses that cause endemic diseases like dengue in Pakistan. It is also a cause of other vector-borne diseases like yellow fever, Zika fever, and chikungunya, which significantly impact human health worldwide. In ...
Differential viral RNA methylation contributes to pathogen blocking in Wolbachia-colonized arthropods
Tags: Aedes, Arbovirus, Genetic biocontrol, Population modification/replacement, WolbachiaT. Bhattacharya, L. Yan, J. M. Crawford, H. Zaher, I. L. G. Newton and R. W. Hardy, PLoS Pathogens, 18:e1010393. 2022.
Arthropod endosymbiont Wolbachia pipientis is part of a global biocontrol strategy to reduce the replication of mosquito-borne RNA viruses such as alphaviruses. We previously demonstrated the importance of a host cytosine methyltransferase, DNMT2, in Drosophila and viral RNA as a ...
Wolbachia Impacts Anaplasma Infection in Ixodes scapularis Tick Cells
Tags: Arbovirus, Other arthropods, Other Symbionts, WolbachiaK. M. Skinner, J. Underwood, A. Ghosh, A. S. Oliva Chavez and C. L. Brelsfoard, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19. 2022.
The specific interactions of members of tick bacterial microbiota and their effects on pathogen transmission remains relatively unexplored. Here, we introduced a novel Wolbachia infection type into Ixodes scapularis tick cells and examined the antipathogenic effects on the ...
Assessing Aedes aegypti candidate genes during viral infection and Wolbachia-mediated pathogen blocking
Tags: Aedes, Arbovirus, Dengue, WolbachiaL. T. Sigle, M. Jones, M. Novelo, S. A. Ford, N. Urakova, K. Lymperopoulos, R. T. Sayre, Z. Xi, J. L. Rasgon and E. A. McGraw, Insect Molecular Biology, 2022.
Abstract One approach to control dengue virus transmission is the symbiont Wolbachia, that limits viral infection in mosquitoes. Despite plans for its widespread use in Aedes aegypti, Wolbachia's mode of action remains poorly understood. Many studies suggest that the mechanism is ...
CRISPR Technology Can Eliminate Disease-Spreading Mosquitoes
Tags: Arbovirus, Dengue, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Malaria, MosquitoesS. Krishana, Now, 2022.
Scientists have uncovered a new technique they call the “precision-guided sterile insect technique,” or pgSIT. While most CRISPR procedures affect organisms that spread diseases by passing a gene change down generations, this system is more limited. It targets male mosquito ...
Wolbachia: Biological Control Strategy Against Arboviral Diseases
Tags: Aedes, Arbovirus, Genetic biocontrol, Population modification/replacement, WolbachiaI. Mohanty, A. Rath and R. K. Hazra, Genetically Modified and other Innovative Vector Control Technologies, 2021.
Arboviral diseases like dengue, chikungunya, and Zika are among the major causes of mortality and morbidity in human population. The limited control methods together with lack of antiviral therapies and effective vaccines have paved way for new approaches. One such approach to ...
Genomic insertion locus and Cas9 expression in the germline affect CRISPR/Cas9-based gene drive performance in the yellow fever mosquito Aedes aegypti
Tags: Aedes, Arbovirus, CRISPR, Dengue, Gene drive synthetic, Population modification/replacement, ResistanceW. R. Reid, J. Lin, A. E. Williams, R. Juncu, K. E. Olson and A. W. E. Franz, bioRxiv, 2021.12.08.471839. 2021.
The yellow fever mosquito Aedes aegypti is a major vector of arthropod-borne viruses, including dengue, chikungunya, and Zika. A novel approach to mitigate arboviral infections is to generate mosquitoes refractory to infection by overexpressing antiviral effector molecules. Such ...
Wolbachia reduces virus infection in a natural population of Drosophila
Tags: Arbovirus, Dengue, Fruit fly, Genetic biocontrol, Other Symbionts, WolbachiaR. Cogni, S. D. Ding, A. C. Pimentel, J. P. Day and F. M. Jiggins, Communications Biology, 4:1327. 2021.
Wolbachia is a maternally transmitted bacterial symbiont that is estimated to infect approximately half of arthropod species. In the laboratory it can increase the resistance of insects to viral infection, but its effect on viruses in nature is unknown. Here we report that in a ...
Prevalence and molecular characterization of Wolbachia in field-collected Aedes albopictus, Anopheles sinensis, Armigeres subalbatus, Culex pipiens and Cx. tritaeniorhynchus in China
Tags: Aedes, Anopheles, Arbovirus, Culex, Population suppression, WolbachiaY. Yang, Y. He, G. Zhu, J. Zhang, Z. Gong, S. Huang, G. Lu, Y. Peng, Y. Meng, X. Hao, C. Wang, J. Sun and S. Shang, PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 15:e0009911. 2021.
Wolbachia are maternally transmitted intracellular bacteria that can naturally and artificially infect arthropods and nematodes. Recently, they were applied to control the spread of mosquito-borne pathogens by causing cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) between germ cells of females ...
A decade of stability for wMel Wolbachia in natural Aedes aegypti populations
Tags: Arbovirus, Dengue, Oceania, Population modification/replacement, WolbachiaP. A. Ross, K. L. Robinson, Q. Yang, A. G. Callahan, T. L. Schmidt, J. K. Axford, M. P. Coquilleau, K. M. Staunton, M. Townsend, S. A. Ritchie, M.-J. Lau, X. Gu and A. A. Hoffmann, bioRxiv, 2021.10.27.466190. 2021.
Mosquitoes carrying Wolbachia endosymbionts are being released in many countries for arbovirus control. The wMel strain of Wolbachia blocks Aedes-borne virus transmission and can spread throughout mosquito populations by inducing cytoplasmic incompatibility. Aedes aegypti ...
RNA virome diversity and Wolbachia infection in individual Drosophila simulans flies
Tags: Arbovirus, Fruit fly, WolbachiaA. S. Ortiz-Baez, M. Shi, A. A. Hoffmann and E. C. Holmes, Journal of General Virology, 102. 2021.
The endosymbiont bacteria of the genus Wolbachia are associated with multiple mutualistic effects on insect biology, including nutritional and antiviral properties. Members of the genus Wolbachia naturally occur in fly species of the genus Drosophila, providing an operational ...
Novel Symbiotic Genome-Scale Model Reveals Wolbachia’s Arboviral Pathogen Blocking Mechanism in Aedes aegypti
Tags: Aedes, Arbovirus, Cytoplasmic incompatibility, Dengue, Population modification/replacement, WolbachiaN. E. Jiménez, Z. P. Gerdtzen, Á. Olivera-Nappa, J. C. Salgado and C. Conca, mBio, e0156321. 2021.
Arboviral diseases such as Zika and Dengue have been on the rise mainly due to climate change, and the development of new treatments and strategies to limit their spreading is needed. The use of Wolbachia as an approach for disease control has motivated new research related to ...
Structural and mechanistic insights into the complexes formed by Wolbachia cytoplasmic incompatibility factors
Tags: Arbovirus, Cytoplasmic incompatibility, WolbachiaY. Xiao, H. Chen, H. Wang, M. Zhang, X. Chen, J. M. Berk, L. Zhang, Y. Wei, W. Li, W. Cui, F. Wang, Q. Wang, C. Cui, T. Li, C. Chen, S. Ye, L. Zhang, X. Ji, J. Huang, W. Wang, Z. Wang, M. Hochstrasser and H. Yang, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 118. 2021.
Wolbachia bacteria, inherited through the female germ line, infect a large fraction of arthropod species. Many Wolbachia strains manipulate host reproduction, most commonly through cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI). CI, a conditional male sterility, results when Wolbachia-infected ...
Wolbachia-Conferred Antiviral Protection Is Determined by Developmental Temperature
Tags: Arbovirus, Fruit fly, Population modification/replacement, WolbachiaE. Chrostek, N. Martins, M. S. Marialva and L. Teixeira, mBio, e0292320. 2021.
Overall, we show that Wolbachia-conferred antiviral protection is temperature dependent, being present or absent depending on the environmental conditions. This interaction likely impacts Wolbachia-host interactions in nature and, as a result, frequencies of host and symbionts in ...
wMel Wolbachia genome remains stable after 7 years in Australian Aedes aegypti field populations
Tags: Aedes, Arbovirus, Dengue, WolbachiaK. R. Dainty, J. Hawkey, L. M. Judd, E. C. Pacidônio, J. M. Duyvestyn, D. S. Gonçalves, S. Y. Lin, T. B. O'Donnell, S. L. O'Neill, C. P. Simmons, K. E. Holt and H. A. Flores, Microbial Genomics, 7. 2021.
Infection of wMel Wolbachia in Aedes aegypti imparts two signature features that enable its application for biocontrol of dengue. First, the susceptibility of mosquitoes to viruses such as dengue and Zika is reduced. Second, a reproductive manipulation is caused that enables wMel ...
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 ...
Genetically Modifying Bats Could Prevent the Next Pandemic, Scientists Say
Tags: Arbovirus, Biodiversity/Conservation, Ecology, Gene drive synthetic, Other mammalsG. Dutton, BioSpace, 2021.
The next COVID pandemic could be prevented by using a gene drive to preemptively edit the genome of bats to prevent them from becoming hosts for coronaviruses, according to a proposal by scientists from Israel’s Interdisciplinary Center (IDC) Herzelia and the National ...
Targeting Conserved Sequences Circumvents the Evolution of Resistance in a Viral Gene Drive against Human Cytomegalovirus
Tags: Arbovirus, Gene drive synthetic, Population modification/replacement, Replicator/site directed nucleaseM. Walter, R. Perrone, E. Verdin and F. Goodrum, Journal of Virology, 95:e00802-21. 2021.
Gene drives are genetic systems designed to efficiently spread a modification through a population. They have been designed almost exclusively in eukaryotic species, especially in insects. We recently developed a CRISPR-based gene drive system in herpesviruses that relies on ...
Could editing the genomes of bats prevent future coronavirus pandemics? Two scientists think it’s worth a try
Tags: Arbovirus, Gene drive syntheticE. C. Hayden, STAT, 2021.
Amid the devastating Covid-19 pandemic, two researchers are proposing a drastic way to stop future pandemics: using a technology called a gene drive to rewrite the DNA of bats to prevent them from becoming infected with coronaviruses. The scientists aim to block spillover ...
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 ...
The (Losing) Battle Against Mosquitoes In Texas
Tags: Arbovirus, Dengue, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Malaria, MosquitoesJ. Clayton, Texas Public Radio, 2021.
Jerry Clayton: Mosquitoes are a fact of life in Texas, and the battle against the pesky biting insects is never ending. But there are some new weapons on the horizon. Zach Adleman is an associate professor of entomology at Texas A&M University. He joins us today. Thanks for being ...
Targeting conserved sequences circumvents the evolution of resistance in a viral gene drive against human cytomegalovirus
Tags: Arbovirus, CRISPR, Gene drive syntheticM. 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 ...
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 ...
How to engage communities on a large scale? Lessons from World Mosquito Program in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil [version 2; peer review: 1 approved, 2 approved with reservations]
Tags: Arbovirus, Cytoplasmic incompatibility, Dengue, Ethics, Genetic biocontrol, Policy, Stakeholder engagement, WolbachiaG. B. Costa, R. Smithyman, S. L. O'Neill and L. A. Moreira, Gates Open Research, 2021.
Here we discuss and analyse the framework for community engagement implemented by the WMP in Brazil, during the large-scale deployment of the method in the municipalities of Niterói and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Our experience indicates that the community engagement work for ...
Mosquitoes genetically modified to be resistant to Zika
Tags: Aedes, Arbovirus, Gene drive synthetic, Gene editing, Genetic biocontrol, MosquitoesStaff, Lab+Life Scientist, 2021.
Researchers have wrestled with different strategies for controlling the spread of Zika virus, which is transmitted to humans from female mosquito bites. One approach, which has been approved by the US Environmental Protection Agency, will see more than 750 million genetically ...
Sexual Competitiveness and Induced Egg Sterility by Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus Gamma-Irradiated Males: A Laboratory and Field Study in Mexico
Tags: Aedes, Arbovirus, Dengue, Mosquitoes, Sterile insect technique (SIT)J. G. Bond, S. Aguirre-Ibáñez, A. R. Osorio, C. F. Marina, Y. Gómez-Simuta, R. Tamayo-Escobar, A. Dor, P. Liedo, D. O. Carvalho and T. Williams, Insects, 12. 2021.
The sterile insect technique may prove useful for the suppression of mosquito vectors of medical importance in regions where arboviruses pose a serious public health threat. In the present study, we examined the effects of sterilizing irradiation doses across different ratios of ...
Genetically-modified mosquitoes key to stopping Zika virus spread
Tags: Aedes, Arbovirus, Gene drive synthetic, Gene editing, Genetic biocontrol, MosquitoesUniversity of Missouri, Medical Xpress, 2021.
Alexander Franz, an associate professor in the MU College of Veterinary Medicine, collaborated with researchers at Colorado State University by using CRISPR gene-editing technology to produce mosquitoes that are unable to replicate Zika virus and therefore cannot infect a human ...
Targeting evolutionary conserved sequences circumvents the evolution of resistance in a viral gene drive against human cytomegalovirus
Tags: Arbovirus, CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, ResistanceM. Walter, R. Perrone and E. Verdin, bioRxiv, 2021.01.08.425902. 2021.
Here, we analyze in cell culture experiments the evolution of resistance in a 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 drive ...
Wolbachia strain wAlbB maintains high density and dengue inhibition following introduction into a field population of Aedes aegypti
Tags: Aedes, Arbovirus, Cytoplasmic incompatibility, Dengue, Evolution, Genetic biocontrol, Population genetics/dynamics, WolbachiaN. A. Ahmad, M.-V. Mancini, T. H. Ant, J. Martinez, G. M. R. Kamarul, W. A. Nazni, A. A. Hoffmann and S. P. Sinkins, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 376:20190809. 2020.
Here, wAlbB-carrying Ae. aegypti collected from the field 20 months after the cessation of releases showed no reduction in Wolbachia density or tissue distribution changes compared to a wAlbB laboratory colony. The wAlbB strain continued to induce complete unidirectional ...
CRISPR/Cas9 knockout of female-biased genes AeAct-4 or myo-fem in Ae. aegypti results in a flightless phenotype in female, but not male mosquitoes
Tags: Aedes, Arbovirus, Dengue, Genetic biocontrol, Sterile insect technique (SIT)S. O’Leary and Z. N. Adelman, PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 14:e0008971. 2020.
Author summary Ae. aegypti is the most important vector of arboviruses throughout the world, and new strategies are urgently needed to add to our existing arsenal of control methods to prevent or halt disease transmission. Importantly, only female Ae. aegypti mosquitoes transmit ...
The Antiviral Small-Interfering RNA Pathway Induces Zika Virus Resistance in Transgenic Aedes aegypti
Tags: Aedes, Arbovirus, CRISPR, Gene drive, Gene editing, Genetic engineering, Vector controlA. E. Williams, I. Sanchez-Vargas, W. R. Reid, J. Y. Lin, A. W. E. Franz and K. E. Olson, Viruses, 12:18. 2020.
We used CRISPR/Cas9 to re-target a previously characterized locus (Chr2:321382225) and engineered mosquitoes expressing an inverted repeat (IR) dsRNA against the NS3/4A region of the ZIKV genome. Small RNA analysis revealed that the IR effector triggered the mosquito's siRNA ...
Reply to: “Enhancement of Aedes aegypti susceptibility to dengue by Wolbachia is not supported”
Tags: Aedes, Arbovirus, Dengue, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Resistance, WolbachiaC. Souto-Maior, J. G. King, L. M. Sartori, R. Maciel-de-Freitas and M. G. M. Gomes, Nature Communications, 11:6113. 2020.
Ant et al.4 claim that concerns with the data and broader analysis make our conclusions misleading. We herein respond to their comments by demonstrating the robustness of our results to different treatments of the data, and expand our arguments for replacing currently adopted ...
Enhancement of Aedes aegypti susceptibility to dengue by Wolbachia is not supported
Tags: Aedes, Arbovirus, Dengue, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Resistance, WolbachiaT. H. Ant, M.-V. Mancini, J. Martinez and S. P. Sinkins, Nature Communications, 11:6111. 2020.
King et al.3 used DENV infection and transmission modelling to reinterpret experimental data from two previous studies4,5. The authors claimed that wMel Wolbachia increase the mean susceptibility of Ae. aegypti to DENV, contradicting various other studies6,7,8,9,10,11,12. Here, ...
Stable Introduction of Plant-Virus-Inhibiting Wolbachia into Planthoppers for Rice Protection
Tags: Arbovirus, Cytoplasmic incompatibility, Dengue, WolbachiaJ. 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.
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 ...
Gene Drives Could Kill Mosquitoes And Suppress Herpesvirus Infections
Tags: Arbovirus, CRISPR, Gene drive syntheticA. Berezow, American Council on Science and Health, 2020.
A team of researchers writing in the journal Nature Communications has shown that a gene drive can be used to suppress infection with cytomegalovirus, a type of herpesvirus.
Viral gene drive in herpesviruses
Tags: Arbovirus, Gene drive synthetic, Genetics, Population modification/replacement, Population suppression, Replicator/site directed nucleaseM. Walter and E. Verdin, Nature Communications, 11:4884. 2020.
Here, we report on a gene drive system that allows the spread of an engineered trait in populations of DNA viruses and, in particular, herpesviruses.
Incorporating Characteristics of Gene Drive Engineered Ae. aegypti as Methods to Reduce Dengue and Zika Virus into the Bayesian Network – Relative Risk Model, Using Ponce, Puerto Rico as a Case Study
Tags: Aedes, Arbovirus, Dengue, Gene drive synthetic, Modeling, Policy, Regulation, Risk assessmentS. R. Eikenbary, WWU Graduate School Collection, 2020.
The Bayesian network relative risk model can perform the risk assessment of gene drive engineered Ae. aegypti for vector control and as part of an adaptive management strategy to reduce dengue and Zika transmission. This study illustrates how the BN-RRM can integrate gene drive ...
Artificial Selection Finds New Hypotheses for the Mechanism of Wolbachia-Mediated Dengue Blocking in Mosquitoes
Tags: Aedes, Arbovirus, Genetic incompatibilities, Genetics, Resistance, WolbachiaS. A. Ford, I. Albert, S. L. Allen, S. F. Chenoweth, M. Jones, C. Koh, A. Sebastian, L. T. Sigle and E. A. McGraw, Frontiers in Microbiology, 11:1456. 2020.
We recently used experimental evolution to reveal that Wolbachia-mediated dengue blocking could be selected upon in the A. aegypti host and showed evidence that strong levels of blocking could be maintained by natural selection. In this study, we investigate the genetic variation ...
Genetically Modified Mosquitoes Approved For Insect Population Control In The U.S.
Tags: Arbovirus, Dengue, Genetic biocontrol, North America, Oxitec, Sterile insect technique (SIT)J. Blum, HUFFPOST, 2020.
Genetically modified mosquitoes with the ability to prevent other mosquitoes from spreading deadly diseases may be making their way to Florida backyards in the near future. British biotech group Oxitec announced on Tuesday that the company had won both federal and state ...
Florida says ‘this is fine’ to release of genetically modified mosquitoes
Tags: Arbovirus, Dengue, Genetic biocontrol, North America, Oxitec, Sterile insect technique (SIT)J. K. Elliot, Global News, 2020.
That’s the question hanging over a recent decision by state regulators in Florida, which would allow the biotech company Oxitec to unleash hundreds of millions of genetically modified male mosquitoes in the Florida Keys. The lab-altered, patented insects are members of Aedes ...
Plan to Release GMO Mosquitoes Moves Ahead
Tags: Arbovirus, Dengue, Genetic biocontrol, North America, Oxitec, Sterile insect technique (SIT)A. Dier, newser, 2020.
A plan to set loose 750 million genetically modified mosquitoes in Florida and Texas will move forward despite concerns from environmentalists who liken it to a "Jurassic Park experiment." The non-biting male Aedes aegypti mosquitoes developed by British biotechnology company ...
Genetically engineered mosquitoes get EPA approval for Florida release despite objections from environmental groups
Tags: Arbovirus, Dengue, Genetic biocontrol, North America, Oxitec, Sterile insect technique (SIT)S. LaMotte, CNN Health, 2020.
A genetically modified male mosquito named OX5034 has received both state and federal approval to be released into the Florida Keys now through 2022, against the objection of many local residents and a coalition of environmental advocacy groups. "The administration has used ...
Florida Keys plans killer insect attack on disease-carrying mosquitoes
Tags: Arbovirus, Dengue, Genetic biocontrol, North America, Oxitec, Sterile insect technique (SIT)P. Brinkmann, UPI, 2020.
The Florida Keys is close to adding a new weapon to help control a mosquito-borne disease -- genetically modified mosquitoes that produce dead offspring. Outbreaks of dengue fever in the Keys in recent years prompted local authorities to consider the genetically modified bugs ...
Plan to release genetically modified mosquitoes in Florida gets go-ahead
Tags: Arbovirus, Dengue, Genetic biocontrol, North America, Oxitec, Sterile insect technique (SIT)O. Milman, The Guardian, 2020.
A plan to release a horde of 750 million genetically modified mosqutioes in Florida and Texas is a step closer to fruition after a state regulator approved the idea, over the objections of many environmentalists.
Fact check: Genetically modified mosquitoes are cleared for release in the US
Tags: Arbovirus, Genetic biocontrol, North America, Oxitec, Sterile insect technique (SIT)A. Staver, USA Today, 2020.
The Environmental Protection Agency approved an experimental use permit May 1 that allows Oxitec to release genetically modified mosquitoes in the Florida Keys and Harris County, Texas, where Houston is located.
Editorial Expression of Concern: Transgenic Aedes aegypti Mosquitoes Transfer Genes into a Natural Population
Tags: Aedes, Arbovirus, Dengue, Genetic biocontrol, Genetically modified mosquitoes, Oxitec, Risk and safety, South/Central America, Sterile insect technique (SIT)B. R. Evans, P. Kotsakiozi, A. L. Costa-Da-Silva, R. S. Ioshino, L. Garziera, M. C. Pedrosa, A. Malavasi, J. F. Virginio, M. L. Capurro and J. R. Powell, Scientific Reports, 10:2. 2020.
Shortly after publication of this Article in September 2019, the Editors were alerted to concerns regarding the interpretation of the data and some of the conclusions.
Antiviral effectors and gene drive strategies for mosquito population suppression or replacement to mitigate arbovirus transmission by Aedes aegypti
Tags: Aedes, Arbovirus, Gene drive synthetic, Population modification/replacement, Population suppressionA. E. Williams, A. W. E. Franz, W. R. Reid and K. E. Olson, Insects, 11:1-18. 2020.
The mosquito vector Aedes aegypti transmits arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses) of medical importance, including Zika, dengue, and yellow fever viruses. Controlling mosquito populations remains the method of choice to prevent disease transmission. Novel mosquito control ...
Transgenic Aedes aegypti Mosquitoes Transfer Genes into a Natural Population
Tags: Aedes, Arbovirus, Dengue, Genetic biocontrol, Genetically modified mosquitoes, Oxitec, Risk and safety, South/Central America, Sterile insect technique (SIT)B. R. Evans, P. Kotsakiozi, A. L. Costa-da-Silva, R. S. Ioshino, L. Garziera, M. C. Pedrosa, A. Malavasi, J. F. Virginio, M. L. Capurro and J. R. Powell, Scientific Reports, 9:6. 2019.
We genotyped the release strain and the target Jacobina population before releases began for >21,000 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Genetic sampling from the target population six, 12, and 27-30 months after releases commenced provides clear evidence that portions of the ...
Viral gene drive in herpesviruses
Tags: Arbovirus, Gene drive syntheticWalter, M. and E. Verdin, bioRxiv, 2019:717017. 2019.
Herpesviruses are ubiquitous pathogens in need of novel therapeutic solutions. Current engineered gene drive strategies rely on sexual reproduction, and are thought to be restricted to sexual organisms. Here, we report on the design of a novel gene drive system that allows the ...
Variability in the durability of CRISPR-Cas immunity
Tags: Arbovirus, Evolution, Gene drive mechanisms, Gene drive syntheticChabas, HN, A.; Meaden, S.; Westra, E. R.; Tremblay, D. M.; Pradier, L.; Lion, S.; Moineau, S.; Gandon, S., Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B-Biological Sciences, 374:1-9. 2019.
The durability of host resistance is challenged by the ability of pathogens to escape the defence of their hosts. Understanding the variability in the durability of host resistance is of paramount importance for designing more effective control strategies against infectious ...
Engineered resistance to Zika virus in transgenic Aedes aegypti expressing a polycistronic cluster of synthetic small RNAs
Tags: Aedes, Arbovirus, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Population suppression, Resistance, Vector control, WolbachiaBuchman, AG, S.; Li, M.; Antoshechkin, I.; Li, H. H.; Wang, H. W.; Chen, C. H.; Klein, M. J.; Duchemin, J. B.; Paradkar, P. N.; Akbari, O. S., Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 116:3656-3661. 2019.
Recent Zika virus (ZIKV) outbreaks have highlighted the necessity for development of novel vector control strategies to combat arboviral transmission, including genetic versions of the sterile insect technique, artificial infection with Wolbachia to reduce population size and/or ...
A secret weapon against Zika and other mosquito-borne diseases
Tags: Arbovirus, Genetic biocontrol, Oxitec, Sterile insect technique (SIT)Nina Federoff, TEDxMidAtlantic, 2017.
Genetically Modified Mosquitoes Probably Headed to Florida Keys to Fight Zika
Tags: Aedes, Arbovirus, Genetic biocontrol, Genetically modified mosquitoes, North America, OxitecT. Elfrink, Miami New Times, 2016.
The bad news: Zika is coming to Florida. This past Friday, two new cases of the virus linked to serious birth defects were reported in the state, and scientists believe it could spread rapidly come summer as mosquito populations explode. And we're still a long way away from a ...
