Keywords: Rodents
Reenacting a mouse genetic evolutionary arms race in yeast reveals that SLXL1/SLX compete with SLY1/2 for binding to Spindlins
Tags: Genetics, Rodents, X chromosome, Y-chromosomeM.F. Arlt,A.N. Kruger,C.M. Swanepoel,& J.L. Mueller, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 122. 2025.
In the house mouse, an evolutionary arms race between proteins encoded by the X-linked Slxl1/Slx and Y-linked Sly gene families during spermatogenesis can distort offspring sex ratio, but how these proteins compete remains unknown. We report how SLXL1/SLX competes with SLY1/SLY2 ...
What are the evolutionary considerations of rodent gene drives for conservation and human health?
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive, Rodents, VideoTriangle Center for Evolutionary Medicine, YouTube, 2025.
Biodiversity, human health, and food security can all be impacted by invasive rodents. These negative impacts are particularly seen on islands, where rodent eradications with traditional methods can sometimes fail due to evolutionary resistance. Gene drives may offer an approach ...
Meiotic Drive and Speciation
Tags: Fruit fly, Rodents, Sex distorter, X chromosome, Y-chromosomeJeremy B. Searle and Fernando Pardo-Manuel de Villena, Annual Review of Genetics, 58:341-363. 2024.
Meiotic drive is the biased transmission of alleles from heterozygotes, contrary to Mendel's laws, and reflects intragenomic conflict rather than organism-level Darwinian selection. Theory has been developed as to how centromeric properties can promote female meiotic drive and ...
How genetically engineered mice could stop the spread of Lyme disease
Tags: Genetic biocontrol, North America, Population modification/replacement, RodentsCristela Guerra and Stephanie Brown, WBUR Radio Boston, 2024.
New England has some of the highest rates of Lyme disease in the country. MIT researchers are trying to fight the disease in a project that involves releasing hundreds of thousands of engineered mice onto the shores of Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard. On Radio Boston, Kevin ...
The Meiotic Drive: Intragenomic Competition and Selection
Tags: Chromosomal drive, Fruit fly, Genetics, Rodents, Yeast and FungiI. A. Zakharov, Russian Journal of Genetics, 60:1311-1318. 2024.
The article considers the distribution and mechanisms of the meiotic drive as a phenomenon manifested in unequal transmission of gene alleles and/or homologous chromosomes into gametes during meiosis. The meiotic drive has been studied in the most detail in Drosophila, mice, ...
Viral gene drive spread during herpes simplex virus 1 infection in mice
Tags: Gene drive, RodentsWalter, M., Haick, A.K., Riley, R. et al., Nature Communications, 15. 2024.
Gene drives are genetic modifications designed to propagate efficiently through a population. Most applications rely on homologous recombination during sexual reproduction in diploid organisms such as insects, but we recently developed a gene drive in herpesviruses that relies on ...
An egg-sabotaging mechanism drives non-Mendelian transmission in mice
Tags: Genetic engineering, Rodents, Selfish genetic elementsFrances E. Clark, Naomi L. Greenberg, Duilio M.Z.A. Silva, et al, Current Biology, 2024.
Selfish genetic elements drive in meiosis to distort their transmission ratio and increase their representation in gametes, violating Mendel’s law of segregation. The two established paradigms for meiotic drive, gamete killing and biased segregation, are fundamentally ...
Research breakthrough in genetic biocontrol striving to transform pest management: Centre for Invasive Species Solutions
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Oceania, RodentsARR News, Australian Rural and Regional News, 2023.
A potential new non-lethal and ethical approach to control invasive mammal pests was showcased at a briefing held at the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute in Adelaide on Tuesday 31 October. Hosted by the Centre for Invasive Species Solutions and the ...
Meiotic drive of noncentromeric loci in mammalian meiosis II eggs
Tags: Rodents, Sex distorter, Transmission distortionD. M. Silva and T. Akera, Curr Opin Genet Dev, 81:102082. 2023.
The germline produces haploid gametes through a specialized cell division called meiosis. In general, homologous chromosomes from each parent segregate randomly to the daughter cells during meiosis, providing parental alleles with an equal chance of transmission. Meiotic drivers ...
Probing “Selfish” Centromeres Unveils an Evolutionary Arms Race
Tags: History, Rodents, Transmission distortionM. Lampson, The Scientist, 2023.
The so-called Robertsonian (Rb) fusions that led to these rapid karyotype changes are relatively common chromosomal rearrangements. But their accumulation in the populations of Madeira Island and in multiple other isolated mouse populations elsewhere is likely due to another ...
Gene drive-mediated population elimination for biodiversity conservation. When you come to a fork in the road, take it
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Population suppression, Rodents, Transmission distortionB. A. Hay and M. Guo, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 119:e2218020119. 2022.
How can the ability of t w2 to spread at super-Mendelian frequencies be utilized even if it is unable to directly drive the population to an unfit state? Gierus, Birand, and colleagues proposed placing Cas9 and a gRNA at a neutral position within the t haplotype. In this hybrid ...
New CRISPR tech makes it possible to wipe out invasive mice
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Invasive species, Population suppression, Rodents2022.
A natural gene drive could steer invasive rodents on islands to extinction
Tags: Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Invasive species, Population suppression, Rodents, Sex distorter, Transmission distortionB. Brookshire, ScienceNews, 2022.
In the battle against the invasive house mouse on islands, scientists are using the rodent’s own genes against it. With the right tweaks, introducing a few hundred genetically altered mice could drive an island’s invasive mouse population to extinction in about 25 years, ...
Gene drive could be used to wipe out invasive mice on islands
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Population suppression, Rodents, Transmission distortionM. Le Page, NewScientist, 2022.
For the first time, researchers have created a gene drive – a kind of genetic parasite – that could be used to eradicate mammalian pests such as mice by making them infertile. The technology could provide a humane alternative to the poison baits currently used to tackle ...
World first trial to eradicate mice through gene modification
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Population suppression, Rodents, Transmission distortionI. Mannix, COSMOS, 2022.
Mouse populations could be eradicated in some areas through new gene modification technology to render female mice infertile. The technology – called t-CRISPR – was previously developed to target malaria-transmitting mosquitoes. This is the first proof of concept for its use ...
Gene drive technology to suppress invasive mice
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive, Genetic biocontrol, Modeling, Population suppression, RodentsUniversity of Adelaide, Phys Org, 2022.
Researchers at the University of Adelaide have released their first findings on the potential effectiveness of revolutionary gene drive technology to control invasive mice. The team has developed a world-first proof of concept for the technology—called t-CRISPR—using ...
Leveraging a natural murine meiotic drive to suppress invasive populations
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, CRISPR, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Modeling, Population suppression, Rodents, Transmission distortionL. Gierus, A. Birand, M. D. Bunting, G. I. Godahewa, S. G. Piltz, K. P. Oh, A. J. Piaggio, D. W. Threadgill, J. Godwin, O. Edwards, P. Cassey, J. V. Ross, T. A. A. Prowse and P. Q. Thomas, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 119:e2213308119. 2022.
Invasive rodents are a major cause of environmental damage and biodiversity loss, particularly on islands. Unlike insects, genetic biocontrol strategies including population-suppressing gene drives with biased inheritance have not been developed in mice. Here, we demonstrate a ...
Meiotic drive in house mice: mechanisms, consequences, and insights for human biology
Tags: Rodents, Sex distorter, Transmission distortionU. P. Arora and B. L. Dumont, Chromosome Research, 2022.
Meiotic drive occurs when one allele at a heterozygous site cheats its way into a disproportionate share of functional gametes, violating Mendel's law of equal segregation. This genetic conflict typically imposes a fitness cost to individuals, often by disrupting the process of ...
Generation of Gene Drive Mice for Invasive Pest Population Suppression
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive synthetic, Invasive species, Rodents, Sex distorter, Transmission distortionM. D. Bunting, C. Pfitzner, L. Gierus, M. White, S. Piltz and P. Q. Thomas, Applications of Genome Modulation and Editing, 2022.
Gene drives are genetic elements that are transmitted to greater than 50% of offspring and have potential for population modification or suppression. While gene drives are known to occur naturally, the recent emergence of CRISPR-Cas9 genome-editing technology has enabled ...
A meiotic driver alters sperm form and function in house mice: a possible example of spite
Tags: Rodents, Transmission distortionL. Winkler and A. K. Lindholm, Chromosome Research, 2022.
The ability to subvert independent assortment of chromosomes is found in many meiotic drivers, such as the t haplotype in house mice Mus musculus, in which the t-bearing chromosomal homolog is preferentially transmitted to offspring. This is explained by a poison-antidote system, ...
Bayesian network-based risk assessment of synthetic biology: Simulating CRISPR-Cas9 gene drive dynamics in invasive rodent management
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Invasive species, Pest management, Risk assessment, Rodents, Synthetic biologyE. A. Brown, S. R. Eikenbary and W. G. Landis, Risk Analysis, 2022.
Gene drive technology has been proposed to control invasive rodent populations as an alternative to rodenticides. However, this approach has not undergone risk assessment that meets criteria established by Gene Drives on the Horizon, a 2016 report by the National Academies of ...
Selfish migrants: How a meiotic driver is selected to increase dispersal
Tags: Ecology, Genetic biocontrol, Modeling, Rodents, Transmission distortionJ. N. Runge, H. Kokko and A. K. Lindholm, J Evol Biol, 2022.
Meiotic drivers are selfish genetic elements that manipulate meiosis to increase their transmission to the next generation to the detriment of the rest of the genome. One example is the t haplotype in house mice, which is a naturally occurring meiotic driver with deleterious ...
Could we delete diseases passed down through our DNA?
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Invasive species, RodentsE. Rayne, SYFY, 2022.
What has now been proven possible was once the stuff of science fiction dreams. CRISPR has shown it can successfully edit out detrimental genetic conditions before they are inherited — which could mean the beginning of the end for hereditary diseases. It could also help ...
Scientists expand CRISPR-Cas9 genetic inheritance control in mammals
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Invasive species, RodentsM. Aguilera, Phys Org, 2022.
Led by graduate student Alexander Weitzel, Grunwald, Cooper and their colleagues have now succeeded in developing CRISPR-Cas9 inheritance control in male mice by shifting the gene editing window to more closely match the timing of meiosis in both sexes. Their results were ...
Modeling CRISPR gene drives for suppression of invasive rodents using a supervised machine learning framework
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Invasive species, Modeling, Replicator/site directed nuclease, RodentsS. E. Champer, N. Oakes, R. Sharma, P. García-Díaz, J. Champer and P. W. Messer, PLoS Comput Biol, 17:e1009660. 2021.
Invasive rodent populations pose a threat to biodiversity across the globe. When confronted with these invaders, native species that evolved independently are often defenseless. CRISPR gene drive systems could provide a solution to this problem by spreading transgenes among ...
Meiotic Cas9 expression mediates gene conversion in the male and female mouse germline
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, RodentsA. J. Weitzel, H. A. Grunwald, C. Weber, R. Levina, V. M. Gantz, S. M. Hedrick, E. Bier and K. L. Cooper, PLOS Biology, 19:e3001478. 2021.
Highly efficient gene conversion systems have the potential to facilitate the study of complex genetic traits using laboratory mice and, if implemented as a “gene drive,” to limit loss of biodiversity and disease transmission caused by wild rodent populations. We previously ...
How sci-fi weapon could stop grey squirrels killing Britain’s trees
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive synthetic, Invasive species, Rodentsrymeradelle, INentertainment, 2021.
Grey squirrels pose the greatest threat to British foresters at the moment. They eat the bark of trees, leaving them to die. Picture: Grey squirrel perched on a tree It’s bad enough watching Britain’s ash trees wither from the ash dieback fungus now ravaging our countryside. ...
Scientists Used CRISPR Gene Editing to Choose the Sex of Mouse Pups
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Rodents, Sex distorterS. Fan, Singuarity Hub, 2021.
“Do you want a boy or a girl?” can be an awkward question.But in certain circles, it’s a question that’s asked every day. Take agriculture. In a perfect world, most cows would only birth females. Chicks would grow up to be all hens. “Sexing” a farm animal when ...
Gene editing used to create all-male or all-female litters of mice
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Rodents, Sex distorterJ. Goodyer, Science Focus, 2021.
As males are unable to produce milk or lay eggs, the ability to breed cows and hens that produce all-female litters is likely to be high on most poultry and dairy farmers’ wish lists. Now, scientists at the Francis Crick Institute and the University of Kent have come a step ...
Gene editing used to create all-male or all-female mice litters
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Rodents, Sex distorterA. Reis, European Scientist, 2021.
Researchers from the Francis Crick Institute and the University of Kent used gene-editing technologies to create male-only and female-only mice litters, according to a study published in Nature Communications (1). The authors also suggested ways in which this method could be used ...
Gene-editing used to create single sex mice litters
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Rodents, Sex distorterThe Francis Crick Institute, Phys Org, 2021.
Scientists at the Francis Crick Institute, in collaboration with University of Kent, have used gene editing technology to create female-only and male-only mice litters with 100% efficiency. This proof of principle study, published in Nature Communications today, demonstrates how ...
Single-sex mice litters were created with 100% efficiency using gene editing.
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Rodents, Sex distorterR. Silman, Brinkwire, 2021.
The Francis Crick Institute, in partnership with the University of Kent, has employed gene editing technology to construct 100% efficient female-only and male-only mouse litters. This proof-of-concept study, which was published today (Friday, December 3rd, 2021) in Nature ...
Lab animals: Gene-editing technology is used to create female-only and male-only mice litters
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Rodents, Sex distortertodayuknews, Today UK News, 2021.
Single-sex litters of mice — comprising only either female or male pups — have been produced by means of so-called CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing technology. The technique, developed by experts at the Francis Crick Institute and the University of Kent, works by inactivating embryos ...
Gene editing produces all-male or all-female litters of mice
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Rodents, Sex distorterE. Pennisi, Science, 2021.
In some farmers’ ideal world, cows would birth only females, sows would bear no boars, and chicks would all grow up to be hens. Such sex ratios would stop them from killing millions of male animals, which don’t produce eggs or milk. Now, scientists are a step closer to this ...
CRISPR-Cas9 effectors facilitate generation of single-sex litters and sex-specific phenotypes
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Rodents, Sex distorter, X chromosome, Y-chromosomeC. Douglas, V. Maciulyte, J. Zohren, D. M. Snell, S. K. Mahadevaiah, O. A. Ojarikre, P. J. I. Ellis and J. M. A. Turner, Nature Communications, 12:6926. 2021.
Animals are essential genetic tools in scientific research and global resources in agriculture. In both arenas, a single sex is often required in surplus. The ethical and financial burden of producing and culling animals of the undesired sex is considerable. Using the mouse as a ...
Transmission distortion and genetic incompatibilities between alleles in a multigenerational mouse advanced intercross line
Tags: Genetic incompatibilities, Rodents, Transmission distortionD. Arends, S. Kärst, S. Heise, P. Korkuc, D. Hesse and G. A. Brockmann, Genetics, 2021.
While direct additive and dominance effects on complex traits have been mapped repeatedly, additional genetic factors contributing to the heterogeneity of complex traits have been scarcely investigated. To assess genetic background effects, we investigated transmission ratio ...
To exterminate, or not to: Scientists debate tweaking wild genomes
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Invasive species, Policy, Regulation, RodentsFrench Press Agency, Daily Sabah, 2021.
veryone remembers Jeff Goldblum's famous speech in 1993 classic Jurassic Park: “Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether they could, they didn't stop to think if they should.” Well, these scientists are debating whether one should. In the movie, reconstructing and ...
Scientists debate promise, peril of tweaking wild genomes
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Invasive species, RodentsJ. Zamora, Phys Org, 2021.
In the movie Jurassic Park, reconstructing and tweaking genetic material makes it possible to bring dinosaurs back to life. Today, a technology that manipulates animal genomes, called gene drive, has become a reality. The goal, however, is not to revive long-gone species, but to ...
$1M in funding for project to cull mouse plagues
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Invasive species, Oceania, RodentsK. Brown, University of Adelaide NEWSROOM, 2021.
South Australian researchers are set to use genetic tools to help find innovative solutions to the devastating mouse plagues that have caused massive economic damage to Australian farmers.The University of Adelaide has been awarded $1 million in funding from the South Australian ...
GeneConvene Global Collaborative Webinar Series | Invasive Species Management: Informing Gene Drive Considerations
Tags: Field trials, Gene drive, Genetic biocontrol, Invasive species, Rodents, WebinarDavid O'Brochta and Hector Quemada, GeneConvene Global Collaborative, 2021.
The management, control and elimination of invasive species involves solving problems that have analogs to those anticipating the use of gene drive technologies to control and eliminate malaria in Africa. Avoiding unintended consequences from interventions designed to reduce or ...
Mice Plague Eastern Australia in Record Numbers
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Invasive species, Rodents, X chromosomeB. Nogrady, The Scientist, 2021.
Just before Christmas last year, Julie Leven and her husband Des took their camper up to visit their son in northern New South Wales, Australia. Driving back at night to their home in Gilgandra, around 430 kilometers northwest of Sydney, they saw masses of white spots moving ...
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 ...
Selfish DNA: how new gene technology could stop the advance of mice
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Oceania, Rodents, X chromosomeM. McMillan, Tentenfield Star, 2021.
It used to be that seeing a mouse in the house was a rare occurrence. Now, it's rarely a day that goes by where we aren't seeing or hearing the little vermin. Current methods of baiting and trapping are struggling to control the plague of mice spreading across regional ...
Victory: NSW Government Invests in Humane Mice Control!
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Invasive species, Rodents, X chromosomePETA Australia, PETA Australia, 2021.
Just two weeks after calling us “brainless” for suggesting that the state government invest in more ethical, eco-friendly methods of mice control – Minister for Agriculture Adam Marshall announced a $1.8 million package to “fast-track the delivery of next generation ...
New biocontrol research to help prevent mice plagues
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Invasive species, Oceania, Other mammals, Population suppression, RodentsAnonymous, The National Tribune, 2021.
Scientists at the University of Adelaide are partnering with the CSIRO and the Centre for Invasive Species Solutions on breakthrough genetic biocontrol research to help control mice populations and prevent future mice plagues. The three-year research program will identify fast ...
Gene drive could be a game changer for future mouse control.
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Invasive species, Rodents, X chromosomeAnonymous, Centre for Invasive Species Solutions, 2021.
We are proud to announce we will be coordinating a brand new, three-year program of genetic biocontrol research, which will identify fast acting gene drives designed to spread an inherited characteristic through a population at higher-than-normal rates. Using targeted gene ...
“Gene Drive” Technology To Control Mouse Invasions | Liverpool City Champion
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Oceania, Rodents, X chromosomeT. Carrington, Liverpool IL, 2021.
As western New South Wales faces a devastating mouse plague, the government is investing in groundbreaking genetic biocontrol research that could transform pest management in Australia. Agriculture Minister Adam Marshall said the NSW government will provide $ 1.8 million for the ...
Australia plots biological warfare to eradicate rampaging ‘mouse plague’
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Rodents, X chromosomeJ. Smyth, Financial Times, 2021.
Australia is home to some of the world’s most fearsome creatures. But none is more destructive than the humble house mouse, a plague of which is rampaging across vast swaths of farmland and terrorising countryfolk. Farmers in New South Wales, the worst affected state, warned ...
Mouse plague control hopes raised with funding for genetic biocontrol research
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Oceania, Rodents, X chromosomeAnonymous, From Press, 2021.
As communities and farmers continue to battle the mouse plague, a funding announcement for genetic biocontrol research could be a potential game changer for future plagues. The New South Wales government has today announced a $50 million mouse control package which includes $1.8 ...
‘Gene drive’ tech to control mice plagues
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Rodents, X chromosomeAAP, Countryman, 2021.
As western NSW deals with a devastating mouse plague the government is investing in breakthrough genetic biocontrol research that could transform pest management in Australia. Agriculture Minister Adam Marshall said the NSW government would provide $1.8 million to the project to ...
Scientists want to alter rodent genes to prevent mice plagues
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Invasive species, Oceania, Other mammals, Population suppression, RodentsP. Hannon, The Sydney Morning Herald, 2021.
Mice plagues, such as the one ravaging parts of inland NSW, could become a thing of the past if scientists succeed in modifying the genes of the rodents so that populations crash before they can take off. Paul Thomas, a researcher at the University of Adelaide, is part of an ...
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 ...
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 ...
Gene-Editing Approach To Control the Invasive Gray Squirrel
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Invasive species, Replicator/site directed nuclease, Resistance, Rodents, Self limiting, Self sustaining, Toxin-antidoteM. Campbell, Technology Networks, 2021.
Biodiversity refers to the extent of the variety of life that is found on planet Earth – and it is currently under threat. Changes in biodiversity have been flagged as "surpassing safe limits" for several years, and world leaders and scientists across the globe are consequently ...
Ecology: Gene drives may help control invasive grey squirrel in the UK
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Invasive species, Replicator/site directed nuclease, Resistance, Rodents, Self limiting, Self sustaining, Toxin-antidoteA. Korn, EurekaAlert, 2021.
Gene drives introduce genes into a population that have been changed to induce infertility in females, allowing for the control of population size. However, they face technical challenges, such as controlling the spread of altered genes as gene drive individuals mate with wild ...
Genetically modified squirrels could curb growing population of greys
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Invasive species, Replicator/site directed nuclease, Resistance, Rodents, Self limiting, Self sustaining, Toxin-antidoteS. Knapton, Telegraph, 2021.
Mutant grey squirrels, genetically modified to spread infertility genes, could be released into the wild to tackle the burgeoning population,
Expert reaction to a paper suggesting that gene drives could be used to help control grey squirrel numbers in the UK
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Invasive species, Replicator/site directed nuclease, Resistance, Rodents, Self limiting, Self sustaining, Toxin-antidoteAnonymous, Science Media Centre, 2021.
This study assesses the prospects for using a gene drive to control invasive grey squirrels in the UK. This is a modelling study exploring the potential for such an approach – no such gene drives currently exist and developing them for grey squirrels would be quite a long-term ...
CRISPR gene drives may come to a squirrel near you.
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Invasive species, Replicator/site directed nuclease, Resistance, Rodents, Self limiting, Self sustaining, Toxin-antidoteAnonymous, NewsBeezer, 2021.
Today’s gene drive technologies could be blended to provide control of the invasive gray squirrel population in the UK – with minimal risk to other populations, according to a new modeling published in the journal Scientific reports. Gene driving introduces altered genes ...
Population genomics of invasive rodents on islands: Genetic consequences of colonization and prospects for localized synthetic gene drive
Tags: Containment, CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Gene editing, Genetic biocontrol, Risk and safety, Rodents, Synthetic biologyK. P. Oh, A. B. Shiels, L. Shiels, D. V. Blondel, K. J. Campbell, J. R. Saah, A. L. Lloyd, P. Q. Thomas, F. Gould, Z. Abdo, J. R. Godwin and A. J. Piaggio, Evolutionary Applications, 2021.
Here we used pooled whole-genome sequencing of invasive mouse (Mus musculus) populations on four islands along with paired putative source populations to test genetic predictions of island colonization and characterize locally fixed Cas9 genomic targets. Patterns of variation ...
Grey squirrels: is birth control the solution to Britain’s invasive species problem?
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Invasive species, RodentsJ. Gilchrist, The Conversation, 2021.
As with the UK’s other invasive species, such as rabbits, signal crayfish and Japanese knotweed, introducing the grey squirrel has proved to be an expensive mistake. Not only do grey squirrels displace red squirrels, they strip bark from trees. A recent report estimated that ...
The New Yorker Magazine: Gene Drives as a Tool for Saving Nature
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive synthetic, Invasive species, Rodents, X chromosome, Y-chromosomeE. Heber, Island Conservation, 2021.
In a recent New Yorker Magazine article, entitled “CRISPR and the Splice to Survive,” journalist and best-selling author Elizabeth Kolbert dives into the world of gene drive research. She touches on aspects of gene drive research from altering the toxin produced by cane toads ...
Polyandry blocks gene drive in a wild house mouse population
Tags: Ecology, Population genetics/dynamics, Rodents, Sex distorter, Transmission distortionA. Manser, B. Konig and A. K. Lindholm, Nature Communications, 11:8. 2020.
Here, we study the impact of polyandry on a well-known gene drive, called t haplotype, in an intensively monitored population of wild house mice. First, we show that house mice are highly polyandrous: 47% of 682 litters were sired by more than one male. Second, we find that ...
Modeling CRISPR gene drives for suppression of invasive rodents
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Ecology, Gene drive synthetic, Modeling, Resistance, RodentsS. E. Champer, N. Oakes, R. Sharma, P. García-Díaz, J. Champer and P. W. Messer, bioRxiv, 2020.11.05.369942. 2020.
Here, we develop a high-fidelity model of an island population of invasive rodents that includes three types of suppression gene drive systems. The individual-based model is spatially explicit and allows for overlapping generations and a fluctuating population size. Our model ...
Progress Toward Zygotic and Germline Gene Drives in Mice
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Invasive species, Replicator/site directed nuclease, RodentsC. Pfitzner, M. A. White, S. G. Piltz, M. Scherer, F. Adikusuma, J. N. Hughes and P. Q. Thomas, The CRISPR Journal, 3:388-397. 2020.
Here, we investigated the efficiency of CRISPR-Cas9-based gene drives in Mus musculus by constructing "split drive" systems where gRNA expression occurs on a separate chromosome to Cas9, which is under the control of either a zygotic (CAG) or germline (Vasa) promoter.
Why the UK could end up deploying risky gene drives while ignoring natural biological control
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive synthetic, Invasive species, Regulation, RodentsJ. Mathews, GM Watch, 2020.
First they cloned Dolly the sheep. Now they’re targeting grey squirrels
Generating single-sex litters: development of CRISPR-Cas9 genetic tools to produce all-male offspring
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive synthetic, Rodents, Sex distorterC. Douglas, V. Maciulyte, J. Zohren, D. M. Snell, O. A. Ojarikre, P. J. Ellis and J. M. A. Turner, bioRxiv, 2020.09.07.285536. 2020.
Using the mouse as a model, we developed a synthetic, two-part bicomponent strategy for generating all-male litters.
Novel combination of CRISPR-based gene drives eliminates resistance and localises spread
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Invasive species, Replicator/site directed nuclease, Resistance, Rodents, Self limiting, Self sustaining, Toxin-antidoteN. R. Faber, G. R. McFarlane, R. C. Gaynor, I. Pocrnic, C. B. A. Whitelaw and G. Gorjanc, bioRxiv, 2020.
We present HD-ClvR, a novel combination of CRISPR-based gene drives that eliminates resistance and localises spread. As a case study, we model HD-ClvR in the grey squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis), which is an invasive pest in the UK and responsible for both biodiversity and ...
Viewpoint: Is there a scientific basis to ban gene drive technology that can rid us of virus-carrying rodents and mosquitoes?
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Policy, Risk assessment, RodentsK. Vavitas, Genetic Literacy Project, 2020.
Gene drives may be invaluable tools to control the spread of parasites, invasive species, and disease carriers. But the technology has faced strong opposition from activist groups and some mainstream scientists based on environmental and food safety. Are these concerns valid?
Towards Responsive Eco-technology: The Development of a Male Sex-biased Mouse
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Rodents, Sex distorterW. Kamau, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2020.
CRISPR-Cas systems have catalyzed the emergence of several synthetic population management strategies, like gene drives, for controlling pests and disease vectors. As these technologies garner greater visibility in both general and regulatory audiences, questions have arisen ...
Development of zygotic and germline gene drives in mice
Tags: CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Invasive species, RodentsC. Pfitzner, J. N. Hughes, M. A. White, M. Scherer, S. G. Piltz and P. Q. Thomas, bioRxiv, 2020.
Here we investigated the efficiency of CRISPR/Cas9-based gene drives in Mus musculus by constructing "split drive" systems with Cas9 under the control of zygotic (CAG) or germline (Vasa) promoters.
What squirrels can teach us about why, when, and how to use gene drives
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive synthetic, Invasive species, RodentsRebecca Nesbit, synbiobeta, 2020.
As the last ice age drew to a close, red squirrels made Britain their home. They adapted to a changing landscape and thrived as the UK’s only squirrel species. That all changed in 1876 when grey squirrels were introduced to England from North America as an ornamental species in ...
Can CRISPR Save Tufty Fluffytail?
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive synthetic, RodentsL. Tracey, JSTOR Daily, 2020.
The native red squirrel population in the UK has been decimated by the encroachment of its American cousin, an invasive species. Could a “gene drive” hel
Mosquitoes Genetically Engineered To Resist Dengue Fever
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive synthetic, RodentsR. Bailey, reason, 2020.
Gene drives could spread this beneficial trait through wild mosquito populations.
DNA ‘edit’ that could wipe out grey invaders
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive synthetic, RodentsLevy, A., Scottish Daily Mail, 2020.
It is the big, brash invasive species whose advance has left the native red squirrel clinging on for survival in areas where once it thrived. But the march of the grey squirrel could be halted by a 'gene drive', say researchers at the laboratory responsible for Dolly the sheep.
Scenario analysis on the use of rodenticides and sex-biasing gene drives for the removal of invasive house mice on islands
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Ethics, Gene drive synthetic, Policy, RodentsM. E. Serr, R. X. Valdez, K. S. Barnhill-Dilling, J. Godwin, T. Kuiken and M. Booker, Biological Invasions, 2020.
Since the 1960s conservation efforts have focused on recovering island biodiversity by eradicating invasive rodents. These eradication campaigns have led to considerable conservation gains, particularly for nesting seabirds. However, eradications are complex and lengthy endeavors ...
Red squirrels to thrive again in Britain as new plan considered to eradicate grey breed
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive synthetic, RodentsHudson, W., Express, 2020.
RED SQUIRRELS could soon be thriving in Britain again as a new plan to put an end to destructive grey squirrels is being developed. The 150 year reign of the grey squirrel could come to a halt from DNA editing to ensure all future females are born infertile. Researchers at the ...
Scientists want to hack grey squirrels to death
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive synthetic, RodentsCutlack, C., Gizmodo, 2020.
Scottish scientists are planning to hack the DNA of the often-hated grey squirrel, in hope that selectively breeding a broken female strain could lead to their eventual eradication from the wild. It's the only way a map of Scotland is likely to turn red in the foreseeable future.
Scientists behind Dolly the sheep want to edit squirrel DNA to get rid of greys and protect reds UK
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive synthetic, RodentsBedoya, D., Inforsurhoy, 2020.
The scientists who cloned Dolly the sheep are now targeting grey squirrels in a bid to rid Britain of them altogether.
First they cloned Dolly the sheep. Now they’re targeting grey squirrels
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive synthetic, Other mammals, RodentsLeake, J., The Times, 2020.
For 150 years they have wreaked havoc on Britain’s woods and wildlife, but the destructive reign of the grey squirrel could soon be over — ended by DNA editing to ensure that all future females are born infertile. Researchers at the Roslin Institute, the genetics laboratory ...
Dolly the sheep scientists hope DNA editing can wipe out grey squirrels
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive synthetic, Other mammals, RodentsMcLaughlin, M., The Scotsman, 2020.
They have been poisoned, shot at, and stumbled into traps laid by those who regard them as a ruinous blight on the country’s woodland and wildlife. But now, the grey squirrel is facing arguably its biggest threat yet, with plans to harness the cutting edge of genetic science ...
A selfish genetic element linked to increased lifespan impacts metabolism in female house mice
Tags: Evolution, Fruit fly, Population genetics/dynamics, Rodents, Transmission distortionLopes, P. C. and A. K. Lindholm, The Journal of Experimental Biology, 2019:212704. 2019.
Gene drive systems can lead to the evolution of traits that further enhance the transmission of the driving element. In gene drive, one allele is transmitted to offspring at a higher frequency than the homologous allele. This has a range of consequences, which generally include a ...
Genetically engineering wild mice to combat Lyme disease: An ecological perspective
Tags: Evolution, Gene drive synthetic, Other mammals, RodentsSnow, A. A., BioScience, 69:746-756. 2019.
Genetic engineering of wild populations has been proposed for reducing human diseases by altering pathogens’ hosts. For example, CRISPR- based genome editing may be used to create white-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus) that are resistant to the Lyme disease ...
Effects of a male meiotic driver on male and female transcriptomes in the house mouse
Tags: Evolution, Gene drive, Gene drive mechanisms, Gene editing, Population genetics/dynamics, Rodents, Transmission distortionA. Lindholm, A. Sutter, S. Kunzel, D. Tautz and H. Rehrauer, Proceedings of the Royal Society B-Biological Sciences, 286:1-8. 2019.
Not all genetic loci follow Mendel's rules, and the evolutionary consequences of this are not yet fully known. Genomic conflict involving multiple loci is a likely outcome, as restoration of Mendelian inheritance patterns will be selected for, and sexual conflict may also arise ...
Rodent gene drives for conservation: opportunities and data needs
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive synthetic, RodentsJ. Godwin, M. Serr, K. Barnhill-Dilling, D. V. Blondel, P. R. Brown, K. Campbell, J. Delborne, A. L. Lloyd, K. P. Oh, T. A. A. Prowse, R. Saah and P. Thomas, Proceedings of the Royal Society B-Biological Sciences, 286:20191606. 2019.
Invasive rodents impact biodiversity, human health and food security worldwide. The biodiversity impacts are particularly significant on islands, which are the primary sites of vertebrate extinctions and where we are reaching the limits of current control technologies. Gene ...
Gene Drive and Thinking Animals
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive synthetic, RodentsIsland Conservation, 2019.
Royden Saah, Island Conservation's GBIRd program manager, recently spoke at the Thinking Animals Summit alongside Leilani Münter, a former professional race car driver and environmental activist. The Genetic Biocontrol of Invasive Rodents partnership (GBIRd) is designed for ...
Self-destructing mosquitoes and sterilized rodents: the promise of gene drives
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive mechanisms, Gene drive synthetic, RodentsM. Scudellari, Nature, 571:160-162. 2019.
Altering the genomes of entire animal populations could help to defeat disease and control pests, but researchers worry about the consequences of unleashing this new technology.
Exploring Stakeholder Perspectives on the Development of a Gene Drive Mouse for Biodiversity Protection on Islands: Workshop Report
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive synthetic, Invasive species, Rodents, Sex distorter, Transmission distortionM. Farooque, S. K. Barnhill-Dilling, J. Shapiro and J. Delborne, North Carolina State University, 2019.
The “Exploring Stakeholder Perspectives on the Development of a Gene Drive Mouse for Biodiversity Protection” workshop was held on the North Carolina State University campus in Raleigh, NC on March 7-8, 2019, aiming to convene a diverse group of stakeholders, scientists, ...
Genetic pest management technologies to control invasive rodents
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, CRISPR, Culex, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Invasive species, Pest management, Rodents, Sex distorter, Transmission distortionD. Kanavy and D. Threadgill, Island invasives: scaling up to meet the challenge, 2019.
Many strategies exist to manage invasive pests on islands, ranging from poison to trapping, with varying degrees of success. Genetic technologies are increasingly being applied to insect pests, but so far, not to vertebrates. We are implementing a genetic strategy to eradicate ...
Trialling gene drives to control invasive species: what, where and how?
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, CRISPR, Culex, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Invasive species, Pest management, RodentsT. Harvey-Samuel, K. J. Campbell, M. Edgington and L. Alphey, Island invasives: scaling up to meet the challenge, 2019.
The control of invasive species would be enhanced through the addition of novel, more effective and sustainable pest management methods. One control option yet to be trialled in the field is to deploy transgene-based ‘Gene Drives’: technologies which force the inheritance of ...
Towards a genetic approach to invasive rodent eradications: assessing reproductive competitiveness between wild and laboratory mice
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, CRISPR, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Genetic biocontrol, Invasive species, Pest management, RodentsM. Serr, N. Heard and J. Godwin, Island invasives: scaling up to meet the challenge, 2019.
House mice are significant invasive pests, particularly on islands without native mammalian predators. As part of a multi-institutional project aimed at suppressing invasive mouse populations on islands, we aim to create heavily male-biased sex ratios with the goal of causing the ...
A potential new tool for the toolbox: assessing gene drives for eradicating invasive rodent populations
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Gene editing, Genetic biocontrol, Invasive species, Pest management, Risk assessment, Rodents, Stakeholder engagementK. J. Campbell, J. R. Saah, P. R. Brown, J. Godwin, F. Gould, G. R. Howald, A. Piaggio, P. Thomas, D. M. Tompkins, D. Threadgill, J. Delborne, D. Kanavy, T. Kuiken, H. Packard, M. Serr and A. Shiels, Island invasives: scaling up to meet the challenge, 2019.
Invasive rodents have significant negative impacts on island biodiversity. All but the smallest of rodent eradications currently rely on island-wide rodenticide applications. Although signifi cant advances have been made in mitigating unintended impacts, rodent eradication on ...
Gene drive technology makes mouse offspring inherit specific traits from parents
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, RodentsCooper, KLG, Hannah A., The Conversation, 2019.
As mouse geneticists, we spend a lot of time waiting for mice to make more mice. Their small size, ease of care and willingness to mate have made mice the “mammal of choice” for scientists for more than a century. Indeed, these wriggly fur balls that strike fear in the hearts ...
Gene drive tested in mice – Expert Reaction
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, RodentsScience Media Centre, Science Media Centre, 2019.
Using CRISPR genome editing, the researchers developed a process to make a gene more likely to be inherited than by chance alone. Their attempts with male mice were unsuccessful, but when it was used in females they increased the inheritance of the desired gene from 50 per cent ...
Gene editing research highlights challenges in using CRISPR for pest control
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, RodentsDreaver, C, Radio New Zealand, 2019.
US researchers have had some success in using the gene editing technique CRISPR to test out a gene drive in mice, to modify their genes - highlighting the challenges researchers face if it were to be used in pest eradication.
Gene drive, a powerful way to speed genetic inheritance, shown for first time in mammals, UCSD researchers say
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, RodentsFikes, BJ, San Diego Union Tribune, 2019.
Gene drive -- the ability to shortcut genetic inheritance by propelling a gene throughout a population -- has been demonstrated in principle for the first time in mammals.; ; UC San Diego scientists reported this feat in mice in a study released Wednesday in the journal Nature. ...
Gene Drives Work in Mice (if They’re Female)
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, RodentsRennie, JC, Jordana, Quanta Magazine, 2019.
Conservationists and bioethicists often regard the packages of engineered DNA called “gene drives” with a mixture of wonder, excitement and dread. Gene drives violate the normal rules of inheritance by making sure they get passed down to all of their host organism’s ...
La reacción genética en cadena llega a los mamíferos
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, RodentsMediavilla, D, El Pais, 2019.
Un experimento muestra que la edición de los genes puede introducir cambios en especies completas que permitan incluso su extinción en un área geográfica
Researchers first to use CRISPR/Cas9 to control genetic inheritance in mice
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, RodentsUniversity of California, Phys Org, 2019.
Biologists at the University of California San Diego have developed the world's first CRISPR/Cas9-based approach to control genetic inheritance in a mammal.
Scientists rewrite mice DNA so genes can be spread through species
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, RodentsSample, I, The Guardian, 2019.
Controversial procedure has huge potential to combat diseases such as malaria
US scientists overturn genetic inheritance rules in lab mice
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, RodentsCookson, C, Financial Times, 2019.
New gene drive technology that could revolutionise biology research has been demonstrated for the first time in mammals, after US scientists overturned the normal rules of genetic inheritance in laboratory mice.; ; Scientists at the University of California San Diego employed the ...
On the road to a gene drive in mammals
Tags: Gene drive mechanisms, Gene drive synthetic, RodentsConklin, BR, Nature, 566:43-45. 2019.
A method for making a version of a gene more likely to be inherited than normal, generating what is called a gene drive, might be used to control insect populations. It has now been reported to work in mammals, too.
A Y-chromosome shredding gene drive for controlling pest vertebrate populations
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Rodents, Vector control, X chromosomeProwse, TAAA, F.; Cassey, P.; Thomas, P.; Ross, J. V., eLife, 8:19. 2019.
Self-replicating gene drives that modify sex ratios or infer a fitness cost could be used to control populations of invasive alien species. The targeted deletion of Y sex chromosomes using CRISPR technology offers a new approach for sex bias that could be incorporated within ...
Super-Mendelian inheritance mediated by CRISPR-Cas9 in the female mouse germline
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, CRISPR, Gene drive synthetic, Other mammals, Replicator/site directed nuclease, RodentsGrunwald, HAG, V. M.; Poplawski, G.; Xu, X. R. S.; Bier, E.; Cooper, K. L., Nature, 566:105-109. 2019.
A gene drive biases the transmission of one of the two copies of a gene such that it is inherited more frequently than by random segregation. Highly efficient gene drive systems have recently been developed in insects, which leverage the sequence-targeted DNA cleavage activity of ...
A genetic system for biasing the sex ratio in mice
Tags: Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Other mammals, Rodents, X chromosome, Y-chromosomeYosef, IEB, Liat; Globus, Rea; Shlomovitz, Inbar; Munitz, Ariel; Gerlic, Motti; Qimron, Udi, EMBO reports, 20:e48269. 2019.
Biasing the sex ratio of populations of different organisms, including plants, insects, crustacean, and fish, has been demonstrated by genetic and non-genetic approaches. However, biasing the sex ratio of mammalian populations has not been demonstrated genetically. Here, we ...
Locally Fixed Alleles: A method to localize gene drive to island populations
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, RodentsSudweeks, JH, Brandon; Blondel, Dimitri V.; Campbell, Karl J.; Dhole, Sumit; Eisemann, John D.; Edwards, Owain; Godwin, John; Howald, Gregg R.; Oh, Kevin P.; Piaggio, Antoinette J.; Prowse, Thomas A. A.; Ross, Joshua V.; Saah, J. Royden; Shiels, Aaron B.; Thomas, Paul Q.; Threadgill, David W.; Vella, Michael R.; Gould, Fred; Lloyd, Alun L., Scientific Reports, 9:15821. 2019.
Invasive species pose a major threat to biodiversity on islands. While successes have been achieved using traditional removal methods, such as toxicants aimed at rodents, these approaches have limitations and various off-target effects on island ecosystems. Gene drive ...
Controlling invasive rodents via synthetic gene drive and the role of polyandry
Tags: Ecology, Evolution, Fruit fly, Gene drive, Gene drive mechanisms, Gene drive synthetic, Invasive species, Mosquito husbandry, Pest management, Population genetics/dynamics, RodentsManser, AC, S. J.; Sutter, A.; Blondel, D. V.; Serr, M.; Godwin, J.; Price, T. A. R., Proceedings of the Royal Society B-Biological Sciences, 286:9. 2019.
House mice are a major ecosystem pest, particularly threatening island ecosystems as a non-native invasive species. Rapid advances in synthetic biology offer new avenues to control pest species for biodiversity conservation. Recently, a synthetic sperm-killing gene drive ...
Genetic manipulation of sex ratio in mammals: the Reaper comes for Mickey
Tags: Gene drive synthetic, Other mammals, Rodents, X chromosome, Y-chromosomeSmanski, MJZ, David, EMBO reports, 20:e48577. 2019.
In most animals, sexual reproduction results in a 1:1 ratio of females to males. For several sectors of agriculture, for example, milk or egg production, only a single sex is needed. Biasing the sex ratio so that only offspring of the desired sex are produced has the potential to ...
Sustainability as a framework for considering gene drive mice for invasive rodent eradication
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Ethics, Fruit fly, Gene drive, Gene drive synthetic, Governance, Pest management, RodentsBarnhill-Dilling, SKS, M.; Blondel, D. V.; Godwin, J., Sustainability, 11:1334. 2019.
Gene drives represent a dynamic and controversial set of technologies with applications that range from mosquito control to the conservation of biological diversity on islands. Currently, gene drives are being developed in mice that may one day serve as an important tool for ...
CRISPR Gene Drive (Complete guide 2019)
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive mechanisms, Gene drive synthetic, Mosquitoes, Other mammals, RodentsEvery Cell A Universe, 2018.
Crispr gene drive - malaria cure and a new way to look at conservation.
Gene Drive
Tags: Gene drive, Genetics, RodentsCollins, CH, Scientific American, 2018.
Research into a genetic engineering technology that can permanently change the traits of a population or even an entire species is progressing rapidly. The approach uses gene drives—genetic elements that pass from parents to unusually high numbers of their offspring, thereby ...
Developing gene drive technologies to eradicate invasive rodents from islands
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive synthetic, Rodents, Transmission distortionC. M. Leitschuh, D. Kanavy, G. A. Backus, R. X. Valdez, M. Serr, E. A. Pitts, D. Threadgill and J. Godwin, Journal of Responsible Innovation, 5:S121-S138. 2018.
Gene drive methods of rodent eradication offer an alternative to killing that has the potential to be more species-specific, more humane, and more biologically safe for use around humans. Implementing this technology would involve releasing laboratory-developed engineered mice ...
Carrying a selfish genetic element predicts increased migration propensity in free-living wild house mice
Tags: Ecology, Evolution, Fruit fly, Gene drive mechanisms, RodentsRunge, J-NL, Anna K., Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 285:20181333. 2018.
Life is built on cooperation between genes, which makes it vulnerable to parasitism. Selfish genetic elements that exploit this cooperation can achieve large fitness gains by increasing their transmission relative to the rest of the genome. This leads to counter-adaptations that ...
Rats join mosquitoes as targets for ‘gene drive’ pest control.
Tags: Gene drive, RodentsHirschler, B, Reuters, 2017.
Rodents have joined mosquitoes in the cross-hairs of scientists working on a next-generation genetic technology known as “gene drive” to control pests.; Researchers in Scotland said on Tuesday they had developed two different ways to disrupt female fertility in rats and mice, ...
Open, Local, and Obligated
Tags: Gene drive, Policy, Risk and safety, RodentsYale University, 2017.
Kevin Esvelt, PhD, assistant professor at the MIT Media Lab and leader of the Sculpting Evolution Group talks about the need for new scientific structures based on transparency and open. This lecture was given at the 2017 Editing Nature Summit.
How selfish DNA hijacks its way into egg cells
Tags: Genetic engineering, Rodents, Selfish genetic elements, Transmission distortionScience, 2017.
This video was produced by Science magazine and explains and illustrates how gonotaxis or the asymmetrical allocation of chromosomes to developing female gametes occurs in mice. This video reflects an understanding of this process based on the publication by Akera et al (2017).
Spindle asymmetry drives non-Mendelian chromosome segregation
Tags: Gene drive mechanisms, Rodents, Selfish genetic elements, Transmission distortionT. Akera, L. Chmátal, E. Trimm, K. Yang, C. Aonbangkhen, D. M. Chenoweth, C. Janke, R. M. Schultz and M. A. Lampson, Science, 358:668. 2017.
Genetic elements compete for transmission through meiosis, when haploid gametes are created from a diploid parent. Selfish elements can enhance their transmission through a process known as meiotic drive. In female meiosis, selfish elements drive by preferentially attaching to ...
Could genetic engineering save the Galapagos?
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Gene drive synthetic, Invasive species, RodentsS. S. Hall, Scientific American, 2017.
Campbell has been working on eradications in the Galápagos since 1997, including a 2006 campaign to remove all the feral goats and donkeys from Floreana. A decade later he’s a project manager with Island Conservation, and the most ambitious project on its agenda is once again ...
How Genetically Modified Mice Could One Day Save Island Birds
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Birds, Gene drive, RodentsBorel, B, Audubon, 2017.
The silent black-and-white footage opens on a seemingly tranquil setting: a burrow where an Atlantic Petrel tends to its chick. Then mice begin scurrying in and out of frame. The dark blurs jostle the adult, darting up to the exposed chick and tearing off bloody bites. They’re ...
Sperm competition suppresses gene drive among experimentally evolving populations of house mice
Tags: Ecology, Evolution, Fruit fly, Gene drive, Population genetics/dynamics, Rodents, Transmission distortionManser, AL, A. K.; Simmons, L. W.; Firman, R. C., Molecular Ecology, 26:5784-5792. 2017.
Drive genes are genetic elements that manipulate the 50% ratio of Mendelian inheritance in their own favour, allowing them to rapidly propagate through populations. The action of drive genes is often hidden, making detection and identification inherently difficult. Yet drive ...
Re-Coding for Conservation
Tags: Biodiversity/Conservation, Birds, Gene drive, RodentsHawkes, A, Bay Nature Magazine, 2016.
very year, as summer turns to fall, the mouse population on the South Farallon Islands explodes to plague-like densities, numbering 490 mice per acre, among the highest found on any island in the world. The scientists who live and work there describe the assault of the invasive ...
No evidence for female discrimination against male house mice carrying a selfish genetic element
Tags: Evolution, Fruit fly, Gene drive mechanisms, Rodents, Transmission distortionSutter, AL, A. K., Current Zoology, 62:675-685. 2016.
Meiotic drivers distort transmission to the next generation in their favor, with detrimental effects on the fitness of their homologues and the rest of the genome. Male carriers of meiotic drivers commonly inflict costs on their mates through genetic incompatibility, reduced ...
Meiotic drive changes sperm precedence patterns in house mice: potential for male alternative mating tactics?
Tags: Evolution, Fruit fly, Gene drive mechanisms, Population genetics/dynamics, Rodents, Selfish genetic elements, Sex distorter, Transmission distortionSutter, AL, A. K., BMC Evolutionary Biology, 16:15. 2016.
Background: With female multiple mating (polyandry), male-male competition extends to after copulation (sperm competition). Males respond to this selective pressure through physiological, morphological and behavioural adaptations. Sperm competitiveness is commonly decreased in ...
R2d2 drives selfish sweeps in the house mouse
Tags: Ecology, Evolution, Gene drive, Gene drive mechanisms, Rodents, Transmission distortionDidion, JPM, A. P.; Yadgary, L.; Bell, T. A.; McMullan, R. C.; de Solorzano, L. O.; Britton-Davidian, J.; Bult, C. J.; Campbell, K. J.; Castiglia, R.; Ching, Y. H.; Chunco, A. J.; Crowley, J. J.; Chesler, E. J.; Forster, D. W.; French, J. E.; Gabriel, S. I.; Gatti, D. M.; Garland, T.; Giagia-Athanasopoulou, E. B.; Gimenez, M. D.; Grize, S. A.; Gunduz, I.; Holmes, A.; Hauffe, H. C.; Herman, J. S.; Holt, J. M.; Hua, K. J.; Jolley, W. J.; Lindholm, A. K.; Lopez-Fuster, M. J.; Mitsainas, G.; Mathias, M. D.; McMillan, L.; Ramalhinho, M. D. M.; Rehermann, B.; Rosshart, S. P.; Searle, J. B.; Shiao, M. S.; Solano, E.; Svenson, K. L.; Thomas-Laemont, P.; Threadgill, D. W.; Ventura, J.; Weinstock, G. M.; Pomp, D.; Churchill, G. A.; de Villena, F. P. M., Molecular Biology and Evolution, 33:1381-1395. 2016.
A selective sweep is the result of strong positive selection driving newly occurring or standing genetic variants to fixation, and can dramatically alter the pattern and distribution of allelic diversity in a population. Population-level sequencing data have enabled discoveries ...
The Trojan Female Technique for pest control: a candidate mitochondrial mutation confers low male fertility across diverse nuclear backgrounds in Drosophila melanogaster
Tags: Evolution, Genetic biocontrol, Genomics, Mosquito husbandry, Pest management, Rodents, Sex distorter, Sterile insect technique (SIT)D. K. Dowling, D. M. Tompkins and N. J. Gemmell, Evolutionary Applications, 8:8710880. 2015.
The Trojan Female Technique (TFT) was recently proposed as a prospective approach to biological pest control. However, applicability of the TFT relies on mitochondrial mutations whose male-sterilizing effects are general across nuclear genomic contexts. We test this assumption, ...
Detrimental effects of an autosomal selfish genetic element on sperm competitiveness in house mice
Tags: Ecology, Fruit fly, Gene drive mechanisms, Other mammals, Rodents, Transmission distortionSutter, AL, A. K., Proceedings of the Royal Society B-Biological Sciences, 282:1-8. 2015.
Female multiple mating (polyandry) is widespread across many animal taxa and indirect genetic benefits are a major evolutionary force favouring polyandry. An incentive for polyandry arises when multiple mating leads to sperm competition that disadvantages sperm from genetically ...
Centromere strength provides the cell biological basis for meiotic drive and karyotype evolution in mice
Tags: Evolution, Gene drive mechanisms, Genetics, Other mammals, Rodents, Transmission distortionChmatal, LG, S. I.; Mitsainas, G. P.; Martinez-Vargas, J.; Ventura, J.; Searle, J. B.; Schultz, R. M.; Lampson, M. A., Current Biology, 24:2295-2300. 2014.
Mammalian karyotypes (number and structure of chromosomes) can vary dramatically over short evolutionary time frames [1-3]. There are examples of massive karyotype conversion, from mostly telocentric (centromere terminal) to mostly metacentric (centromere internal), in 102-10 s ...
Meiotic drive in mice carrying t-complex in their genome
Tags: Evolution, Rodents, Transmission distortionSafronova, LDC, V. L., Russian Journal of Genetics, 49:885-897. 2013.
The deviation of alleles and chromosomes from Mendelian inheritance is characteristic of the meiotic drive. This review describes the mechanism in question using the best-studied example of transmitted ratio distortion in the heterozygous male mice carrying t-haplotypes. The ...
Maternal transmission ratio distortion at the mouse Om locus results from meiotic drive at the second meiotic division
Tags: Gene drive mechanisms, Rodents, Transmission distortionWu, GMH, L. P.; Han, Z. M.; Gao, S. R.; Latham, K. E.; de Villena, F. P. M.; Sapienza, C., Genetics, 170:327-334. 2005.
We have observed maternal transmission ratio distortion (TRD) in favor of DDK alleles at the Ovum mutant (Om) locus on mouse chromosome I I among the offspring of (C57BL/6 X DDK) F, females and C57BL/6 males. Although significant lethality occurs in this backcross (similar to ...
Physical mapping of male fertility and meiotic drive quantitative trait loci in the mouse t complex using chromosome deficiencies
Tags: Fruit fly, Gene drive mechanisms, Rodents, Transmission distortionPlanchart, AY, Y.; Schimenti, J. C., Genetics, 155:803-812. 2000.
The t complex spans 20 cM of the proximal region of mouse chromosome 17. A variant form, the t haplotype (t), exists at significant frequencies in wild mouse populations and is characterized by the presence of inversions that suppress recombination with Mild-type (+) chromosomes. ...
Segregation distortion in unstructured and structured populations: Competition between ‘sterile’ t haplotypes
Tags: Fruit fly, Rodents, Transmission distortionVanBoven, MW, F. J., Netherlands Journal of Zoology, 46:216-226. 1996.
By means of two simple models we investigate the competition between sex-specific segregation distorters in unstructured and structured populations. The models are motivated by the t complex of the house mouse. Some variants at this gene complex, the t haplotypes, distort ...
Competition between segregation distorters: Coexistence of ”superior” and ”inferior” haplotypes at the t complex
Tags: Evolution, Fruit fly, Gene drive mechanisms, Rodents, Transmission distortionvanBoven, MW, F. J.; Heg, D.; Huisman, J., Evolution, 50:2488-2498. 1996.
By means of population genetical models, we investigate the competition between sex-specific segregation distorters. Although the models are quite general, they are motivated by a specific example, the t complex of the house mouse. Some variants at this gene complex, the t ...
Meiotic drive in female mice: An essay
Tags: Evolution, Rodents, Transmission distortionRuvinsky, A, Mammalian Genome, 6:315-320. 1995.
Since the rediscovery of Mendel's laws, geneticists have accumulated various examples in which equal meiotic segregation in heterozygotes is violated. However, only a few natural meiotic drive systems have been characterized in detail and the majority of these are sex chromosome ...
Meiotic drive of t haplotypes: chromosome segregation in mice with tertiary trisomy
Tags: Fruit fly, Gene drive mechanisms, Rodents, Transmission distortionAgulnik, AIA, Sergei I.; Ruvinsky, Anatoly O., Genetics Research, 57:51. 1991.
The properties of the / haplotypes, specific mutant states of the proximal region of chromosomes17 in the house mouse, are of continuing interest. One such property is increased transmission ofthe / haplotype by heterozygous // + males to offspring. Using ...
Studies of the genetic variability in populations of wild house mice .2. Analysis of eight additional alleles at locus – T
Tags: Fruit fly, Gene drive mechanisms, History, Rodents, Toxin-antidoteL. C. Dunn, Genetics, 42:299-311. 1957.
1 Eight additional lethal alleles at locus T are described, each derived from a wild heterozygote in one of six different wild populations. 2. The frequency of heterozygotes appears to be high in most wild populations, possibly as high as 50 percent. 3. In two of the ...
Sur la reproduction des souris anoures
Tags: Fruit fly, Gene drive mechanisms, History, Rodents, Transmission distortionN. Dobrovolskaia-Zavadskaia and N. Kobozieff, Comptes rendus des séances de la Société de biologie et de ses filiales, 97:116-119. 1927.
Nous ne connaissons que deux lignees de Souris sans queue, celle de Lang (1913), et cell de Duboscq (1922). L’elevange de Lang (lignee des Souris brachyures et anoures du preparateur Alfred Nageli) a donne 199 Souris normales, pour 173 brachyures et 9 anoures. Croisses entre ...
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