Gene drive in species complexes: defining target organisms

Connolly, John B.; Romeis, Jörg; Devos, Yann; Glandorf, Boet; Turner, Geoff; Coulibaly, Mamadou B.

doi:10.1016/j.tibtech.2022.06.013

Cited by 14 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 80 publications

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“…The consequent imperative to develop effective new tools for vector control has placed a renewed focus on mosquito reproduction and mating behavior as a key pinch point in controlling mosquito populations 5 – 8 . Mating is fundamental to the efficacy of some of the most keenly anticipated and innovative new methods of vector control including gene drive 9 , 10 , sterile insect technique (SIT) 11 , 12 and the vertical transmission of endosymbiont bacteria such as Wolbachia 13 . However, the safe and effective deployment of these approaches may be hindered by the significant knowledge gaps in our understanding of mosquito mating behavior 5 , 7 , 14 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Characterization of lab-based swarms of Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes using 3D-video tracking

Cavagna,

Giardina,

Gucciardino

et al. 2023

Sci Rep

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Mosquito copulation is a crucial determinant of its capacity to transmit malaria-causing Plasmodium parasites as well as underpinning several highly-anticipated vector control methodologies such as gene drive and sterile insect technique. For the anopheline mosquitoes responsible for African malaria transmission, mating takes place within crepuscular male swarms which females enter solely to mate. However, the mechanisms that regulate swarm structure or that govern mate choice remain opaque. We used 3D-video tracking approaches and computer vision algorithms developed for the study of other complex biological systems to document swarming behavior of a lab-adapted Anopheles gambiae line in a lab-based setting. By reconstructing trajectories of individual mosquitoes lasting up to 15.88 s, in swarms containing upwards of 200 participants, we documented swarm-like behavior in both males and females. In single sex swarms, encounters between individuals were fleeting (< 0.75 s). By contrast, in mixed swarms, we were able to detect 79 ‘brief encounters’ (> 0.75 s; < 2.5 s) and 17 longer-lived encounters (> 2.5 s). We also documented several examples of apparent male-male mating competition. These findings represent the first steps towards a more detailed and quantitative description of swarming and courtship behavior in one of the most important vectors of malaria.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Characterization of lab-based swarms of Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes using 3D-video tracking

Cavagna,

Giardina,

Gucciardino

et al. 2023

Sci Rep

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…A particularly attractive feature of our design is the potential it offers for localisation of the spread and impact of the releases based on pre-existing sequence differences between target and non-target populations; these may be of the same species and occur in different locations, or they may be different sibling species in the same location (e.g., [ 38 ]). Such localisation can be achieved by choosing the insertion (and homing) site of the ASD or its target site on the X chromosome (or both) to have a suitably differentiated sequence.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Gene drive designs for efficient and localisable population suppression using Y-linked editors

2022

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The sterile insect technique (SIT) has been successful in controlling some pest species but is not practicable for many others due to the large number of individuals that need to be reared and released. Previous computer modelling has demonstrated that the release of males carrying a Y-linked editor that kills or sterilises female descendants could be orders of magnitude more efficient than SIT while still remaining spatially restricted, particularly if combined with an autosomal sex distorter. In principle, further gains in efficiency could be achieved by using a self-propagating double drive design, in which each of the two components (the Y-linked editor and the sex ratio distorter) boosted the transmission of the other. To better understand the expected dynamics and impact of releasing constructs of this new design we have analysed a deterministic population genetic and population dynamic model. Our modelling demonstrates that this design can suppress a population from very low release rates, with no invasion threshold. Importantly, the design can work even if homing rates are low and sex chromosomes are silenced at meiosis, potentially expanding the range of species amenable to such control. Moreover, the predicted dynamics and impacts can be exquisitely sensitive to relatively small (e.g., 25%) changes in allele frequencies in the target population, which could be exploited for sequence-based population targeting. Analysis of published Anopheles gambiae genome sequences indicates that even for weakly differentiated populations with an FST of 0.02 there may be thousands of suitably differentiated genomic sites that could be used to restrict the spread and impact of a release. Our proposed design, which extends an already promising development pathway based on Y-linked editors, is therefore a potentially useful addition to the menu of options for genetic biocontrol.

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“…Genetic systems that distort sex ratios with a bias for males via RNA-guided shredding of the X-chromosome during spermatogenesis are also quite promising [ 198 , 199 , 200 ]. More current cage studies have been described, and the results lend support to the efficacy of this emerging technology in controlling vector mosquito populations [ 201 , 202 , 203 , 204 , 205 ]. In addition, commentaries on the prospect of eradicating malaria using CRISPR/Cas9 gene drive [ 206 , 207 ] and regulatory and policy considerations [ 208 ] are the subjects of scrutiny and debate.…”

Section: Effective “Green” Technologiesmentioning

confidence: 97%

The Perpetual Vector Mosquito Threat and Its Eco-Friendly Nemeses

Miranda,

Rudd,

Mena

et al. 2024

Biology

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Mosquitoes are the most notorious arthropod vectors of viral and parasitic diseases for which approximately half the world’s population, ~4,000,000,000, is at risk. Integrated pest management programs (IPMPs) have achieved some success in mitigating the regional transmission and persistence of these diseases. However, as many vector-borne diseases remain pervasive, it is obvious that IPMP successes have not been absolute in eradicating the threat imposed by mosquitoes. Moreover, the expanding mosquito geographic ranges caused by factors related to climate change and globalization (travel, trade, and migration), and the evolution of resistance to synthetic pesticides, present ongoing challenges to reducing or eliminating the local and global burden of these diseases, especially in economically and medically disadvantaged societies. Abatement strategies include the control of vector populations with synthetic pesticides and eco-friendly technologies. These “green” technologies include SIT, IIT, RIDL, CRISPR/Cas9 gene drive, and biological control that specifically targets the aquatic larval stages of mosquitoes. Regarding the latter, the most effective continues to be the widespread use of Lysinibacillus sphaericus (Ls) and Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. israelensis (Bti). Here, we present a review of the health issues elicited by vector mosquitoes, control strategies, and lastly, focus on the biology of Ls and Bti, with an emphasis on the latter, to which no resistance has been observed in the field.

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Gene drive in species complexes: defining target organisms

Cited by 14 publications

References 80 publications

Characterization of lab-based swarms of Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes using 3D-video tracking

Characterization of lab-based swarms of Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes using 3D-video tracking

Gene drive designs for efficient and localisable population suppression using Y-linked editors

The Perpetual Vector Mosquito Threat and Its Eco-Friendly Nemeses

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