Use of the piggyBac transposon for germ-line transformation of insects

High Absorption and Elasticity of a Novel Transgenic Silk with Egg Case Silk Protein from Nephila clavata

Spider silk is part of a special class of natural protein fibers that have high strength and toughness: these materials have excellent comprehensive properties that are not found in other natural fibers (including silk) or most synthetic fibers. Spider egg case filaments have good hardness, can resist water, can protect spider eggs from external threats, have a significantly high initial modulus and high moisture absorption rate, and are expected to be used as a new generation of environmentally friendly natural polymer fibers and biomaterials. However, spiders are predatory and difficult to rear in large numbers, and it is also difficult to obtain spider egg case filaments in large quantities. Silkworms and spiders have a similar spinning system, and the use of transgenic technology in silkworms can obtain stable and high-yield exogenous gene proteins for a long time, representing an ideal bioreactor for the production of spider silk. In this study, the eukaryotic bioreactor and piggyBac transposon system were employed to recombinantly introduce the egg case silk protein of Nephila clavata (Nc-CYSP1) into the silkworm in the silkworm heavy-chain expression system. The results revealed that the silk glands produced a new type of transgenic silk with a significantly high initial modulus and high moisture absorption. In summary, this study provides an experimental reference for future research on the large-scale production and application of spider egg case filamentous protein, with great application prospects in the development of new environmentally friendly materials.

A new suite of reporter vectors and a novel landing site survey system to study cis-regulatory elements in diverse insect species

Comparative analyses between traditional model organisms, such as the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, and more recent model organisms, such as the red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum, have provided a wealth of insight into conserved and diverged aspects of gene regulation. While the study of trans-regulatory components is relatively straightforward, the study of cis-regulatory elements (CREs, or enhancers) remains challenging outside of Drosophila. A central component of this challenge has been finding a core promoter suitable for enhancer-reporter assays in diverse insect species. Previously, we demonstrated that a Drosophila Synthetic Core Promoter (DSCP) functions in a cross-species manner in Drosophila and Tribolium. Given the over 300 million years of divergence between the Diptera and Coleoptera, we reasoned that DSCP-based reporter constructs will be useful when studying cis-regulation in a variety of insect models across the holometabola and possibly beyond. To this end, we sought to create a suite of new DSCP-based reporter vectors, leveraging dual compatibility with piggyBac and PhiC31-integration, the 3xP3 universal eye marker, GATEWAY cloning, different colors of reporters and markers, as well as Gal4-UAS binary expression. While all constructs functioned properly with a Tc-nub enhancer in Drosophila, complications arose with tissue-specific Gal4-UAS binary expression in Tribolium. Nevertheless, the functionality of these constructs across multiple holometabolous orders suggests a high potential compatibility with a variety of other insects. In addition, we present the piggyLANDR (piggyBac-LoxP AttP Neutralizable Destination Reporter) platform for the establishment of proper PhiC31 landing sites free from position effects. As a proof-of-principle, we demonstrated the workflow for piggyLANDR in Drosophila. The potential utility of these tools ranges from molecular biology research to pest and disease-vector management, and will help advance the study of gene regulation beyond traditional insect models.

Precise genetic engineering with piggyBac transposon in plants

Transposons are mobile genetic elements that can move to a different position within a genome or between genomes. They have long been used as a tool for genetic engineering, including transgenesis, insertional mutagenesis, and marker excision, in a variety of organisms. The piggyBac transposon derived from the cabbage looper moth is one of the most promising transposon tools ever identified because piggyBac has the advantage that it can transpose without leaving a footprint at the excised site. Applying the piggyBac transposon to precise genome editing in plants, we have demonstrated efficient and precise piggyBac transposon excision from a transgene locus integrated into the rice genome. Furthermore, introduction of only desired point mutations into the target gene can be achieved by a combination of precise gene modification via homologous recombination-mediated gene targeting with subsequent marker excision from target loci using piggyBac transposition in rice. In addition, we have designed a piggyBac-mediated transgenesis system for the temporary expression of sequence-specific nucleases to eliminate the transgene from the host genome without leaving unnecessary sequences after the successful induction of targeted mutagenesis via sequence-specific nucleases for use in vegetatively propagated plants. In this review, we summarize our previous works and the future prospects of genetic engineering with piggyBac transposon.

Advances in transposable elements: from mechanisms to applications in mammalian genomics

It has been 70 years since Barbara McClintock discovered transposable elements (TE), and the mechanistic studies and functional applications of transposable elements have been at the forefront of life science research. As an essential part of the genome, TEs have been discovered in most species of prokaryotes and eukaryotes, and the relative proportion of the total genetic sequence they comprise gradually increases with the expansion of the genome. In humans, TEs account for about 40% of the genome and are deeply involved in gene regulation, chromosome structure maintenance, inflammatory response, and the etiology of genetic and non-genetic diseases. In-depth functional studies of TEs in mammalian cells and the human body have led to a greater understanding of these fundamental biological processes. At the same time, as a potent mutagen and efficient genome editing tool, TEs have been transformed into biological tools critical for developing new techniques. By controlling the random insertion of TEs into the genome to change the phenotype in cells and model organisms, critical proteins of many diseases have been systematically identified. Exploiting the TE's highly efficient in vitro insertion activity has driven the development of cutting-edge sequencing technologies. Recently, a new technology combining CRISPR with TEs was reported, which provides a novel targeted insertion system to both academia and industry. We suggest that interrogating biological processes that generally depend on the actions of TEs with TEs-derived genetic tools is a very efficient strategy. For example, excessive activation of TEs is an essential factor in the occurrence of cancer in humans. As potent mutagens, TEs have also been used to unravel the key regulatory elements and mechanisms of carcinogenesis. Through this review, we aim to effectively combine the traditional views of TEs with recent research progress, systematically link the mechanistic discoveries of TEs with the technological developments of TE-based tools, and provide a comprehensive approach and understanding for researchers in different fields.

Next-generation genetic sexing strain establishment in the agricultural pest Ceratitis capitata

Tephritid fruit fly pests pose an increasing threat to the agricultural industry due to their global dispersion and a highly invasive nature. Here we showcase the feasibility of an early-detection SEPARATOR sex sorting approach through using the non-model Tephritid pest, Ceratitis capitata. This system relies on female-only fluorescent marker expression, accomplished through the use of a sex-specific intron of the highly-conserved transformer gene from C. capitata and Anastrepha ludens. The herein characterized strains have 100% desired phenotype outcomes, allowing accurate male-female separation during early development. Overall, we describe an antibiotic and temperature-independent sex-sorting system in C. capitata, which, moving forward, may be implemented in other non-model Tephritid pest species. This strategy can facilitate the establishment of genetic sexing systems with endogenous elements exclusively, which, on a wider scale, can improve pest population control strategies like sterile insect technique.

Improved piggyBac Transformation with Capped Transposase mRNA in Pest Insects

Creating transgenic insects is a key technology in insect genetics and molecular biology. A widely used instrument in insect transgenesis is the piggyBac transposase, resulting in essentially random genomic integrations. In contrast, site-specific recombinases allow the targeted integration of the transgene construct into a specific genomic target site. Both strategies, however, often face limitations due to low transgenesis efficiencies. We aimed to enhance transgenesis efficiencies by utilizing capped mRNA as a source of transposase or recombinase instead of a helper plasmid. A systematic comparison of transgenesis efficiencies in Aedes mosquitoes, as models for hard-to-transform insects, showed that suppling piggyBac transposase as mRNA increased the average transformation efficiency in Aedes aegypti from less than 5% with the plasmid source to about 50% with mRNA. Similar high activity was observed in Ae. albopictus with pBac mRNA. No efficiency differences between plasmid and mRNA were observed in recombination experiments. Furthermore, a hyperactive version of piggyBac transposase delivered as a plasmid did not improve the transformation efficiency in Ae. aegypti or the agricultural pest Drosophila suzukii. We believe that the use of mRNA has strong potential for enhancing piggyBac transformation efficiencies in other mosquitoes and important agricultural pests, such as tephritids.

Establishment of highly efficient transgenic system for black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens)

The black soldier fly (BSF), Hermetia illucens, is a promising insect for mitigating solid waste problems as its larvae are able to bioconvert organic waste into valuable biomass. We recently reported a high-quality genome assembly of the BSF; analysis of this genome sequence will further the understanding of insect biology and identify genes that can be manipulated to improve efficiency of bioconversion. To enable genetic manipulation of the BSF, we have established the first transgenic methods for this economically important insect. We cloned and identified the ubiquitous actin5C promoter (Hiactin5C-p3k) and 3 endogenous U6 promoters (HiU6:1, HiU6:2, and HiU6:3). The Hiactin5C promoter was used to drive expression of a hyperactive variant of the piggyBac transposase, which exhibited up to 6-fold improvement in transformation rate when compared to the wild-type transposase. Furthermore, we evaluated the 3 HiU6 promoters using this transgenic system. HiU6:1 and HiU6:2 promoters provided the highest knockdown efficiency with RNAi and are thus promising candidates for future Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) development. Overall, our findings provide valuable genetic engineering toolkits for basic research and genetic manipulation of the BSF.

Transposable elements and xenobiotic resistance

Transposable elements or TEs are well known drivers of adaptive change in plants and animals but their role in insecticide resistance remains poorly documented. This review examines the potential role of transposons in resistance and identifies key areas where our understanding remains unclear. Despite well-known model systems such as upregulation of Drosophila Cyp6g1, many putative examples lack functional validation. The potential types of transposon-associated changes that could lead to resistance are reviewed, including changes in up-regulation, message stability, loss of function and alternative splicing. Where potential mechanisms appear absent from the resistance literature examples are drawn from other areas of biology. Finally, ways are suggested in which transgenic expression could be used to validate the biological significance of TE insertion. In the absence of such functional expression studies many examples of the association of TEs and resistance genes therefore remain as correlations.

Efficient hyperactive piggyBac transgenesis in Plodia pantry moths

While piggyBac transposon-based transgenesis is widely used in various emerging model organisms, its relatively low transposition rate in butterflies and moths has hindered its use for routine genetic transformation in Lepidoptera. Here, we tested the suitability of a codon-optimized hyperactive piggyBac transposase (hyPBase) in mRNA form to deliver and integrate transgenic cassettes into the genome of the pantry moth Plodia interpunctella. Co-injection of hyPBase mRNA with donor plasmids successfully integrated 1.5-4.4 kb expression cassettes driving the fluorescent markers EGFP, DsRed, or EYFP in eyes and glia with the 3xP3 promoter. Somatic integration and expression of the transgene in the G0 injected generation was detectable from 72-h embryos and onward in larvae, pupae and adults carrying a recessive white-eyed mutation. Overall, 2.5% of injected eggs survived into transgene-bearing adults with mosaic fluorescence. Subsequent outcrossing of fluorescent G0 founders transmitted single-insertion copies of 3xP3::EGFP and 3xP3::EYFP and generated stable isogenic lines. Random in-crossing of a small cohort of G0 founders expressing 3xP3::DsRed yielded a stable transgenic line segregating for more than one transgene insertion site. We discuss how hyPBase can be used to generate stable transgenic resources in Plodia and other moths.

Comprehensive characterization of a transgene insertion in a highly repetitive, centromeric region of Anopheles mosquitoes

The availability of the genomic sequence of the malaria mosquito Anopheles gambiae has in recent years sparked the development of transgenic technologies with the potential to be used as novel vector control tools. These technologies rely on genome editing that confer traits able to affect vectorial capacity. This can be achieved by either reducing the mosquito population or by making mosquitoes refractory to the parasite infection. For any genetically modified organism that is regarded for release, molecular characterization of the transgene and flanking sites are essential for their safety assessment and post-release monitoring. Despite great advancements, Whole-Genome Sequencing data are still subject to limitations due to the presence of repetitive and unannotated DNA sequences. Faced with this challenge, we describe a number of techniques that were used to identify the genomic location of a transgene in the male bias mosquito strain Ag(PMB)1 considered for potential field application. While the initial inverse PCR identified the most likely insertion site on Chromosome 3 R 36D, reassessment of the data showed a high repetitiveness in those sequences and multiple genomic locations as potential insertion sites of the transgene. Here we used a combination of DNA sequencing analysis and in-situ hybridization to clearly identify the integration of the transgene in a poorly annotated centromeric region of Chromosome 2 R 19D. This study emphasizes the need for accuracy in sequencing data for the genome of organisms of medical importance such as Anopheles mosquitoes and other tools available that can support genomic locations of transgenes.

Development of Transformation for Genome Editing of an Emerging Model Organism

With the advances in genomic sequencing, many organisms with novel biological properties are ripe for use as emerging model organisms. However, to make full use of them, transformation methods need to be developed to permit genome editing. Here, we present the development of transformation for the fungus fly Bradysia (Sciara) coprophila; this may serve as a paradigm for the development of transformation for other emerging systems, especially insects. Bradysia (Sciara) has a variety of unique biological features, including locus-specific developmentally regulated DNA amplification, chromosome imprinting, a monopolar spindle in male meiosis I, non-disjunction of the X chromosome in male meiosis II, X chromosome elimination in early embryogenesis, germ-line-limited (L) chromosomes and high resistance to radiation. Mining the unique biology of Bradysia (Sciara) requires a transformation system to test mutations of DNA sequences that may play roles for these features. We describe a Bradysia (Sciara) transformation system using a modified piggyBac transformation vector and detailed protocols we have developed to accommodate Bradysia (Sciara) specific requirements. This advance will provide a platform for us and others in the growing Bradysia (Sciara) community to take advantage of this unique biological system. In addition, the versatile piggyBac vectors described here and transformation methods will be useful for other emerging model systems.

Genetic and viral approaches to record or manipulate neurons in insects

The development of genetically encoded tools to record and manipulate neurons in vivo has greatly increased our understanding of how neuronal activity affects behavior. Recent advances enable the use of these tools in species not typically considered genetically tractable. This progress is revolutionizing neuroscience in general, and insect neuroethology in particular. Here we cover the latest innovations and some of their applications in phylogenetically diverse insect species. We discuss the importance and implications of these approaches for both basic and translational research. We focus on genetically encoded and virally encoded tools used for calcium imaging, optogenetics, and synaptic silencing. Finally, we discuss potential future developments of universally applicable, modular, and user-friendly genetic toolkits for neuroethological studies of insect behavior.

Overexpression of Activated AMPK in the Anopheles stephensi Midgut Impacts Mosquito Metabolism, Reproduction and Plasmodium Resistance

Mitochondrial integrity and homeostasis in the midgut are key factors controlling mosquito fitness and anti-pathogen resistance. Targeting genes that regulate mitochondrial dynamics represents a potential strategy for limiting mosquito-borne diseases. AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a key cellular energy sensor found in nearly all eukaryotic cells. When activated, AMPK inhibits anabolic pathways that consume ATP and activates catabolic processes that synthesize ATP. In this study, we overexpressed a truncated and constitutively active α-subunit of AMPK under the control of the midgut-specific carboxypeptidase promotor in the midgut of female Anopheles stephensi. As expected, AMPK overexpression in homozygous transgenic mosquitoes was associated with changes in nutrient storage and metabolism, decreasing glycogen levels at 24 h post-blood feeding when transgene expression was maximal, and concurrently increasing circulating trehalose at the same time point. When transgenic lines were challenged with Plasmodium falciparum, we observed a significant decrease in the prevalence and intensity of infection relative to wild type controls. Surprisingly, we did not observe a significant difference in the survival of adult mosquitoes fed either sugar only or both sugar and bloodmeals throughout adult life. This may be due to the limited period that the transgene was activated before homeostasis was restored. However, we did observe a significant decrease in egg production, suggesting that manipulation of AMPK activity in the mosquito midgut resulted in the re-allocation of resources away from egg production. In summary, this work identifies midgut AMPK activity as an important regulator of metabolism, reproduction, and innate immunity in An. stephensi, a highly invasive and important malaria vector species.

Next-generation tools to control biting midge populations and reduce pathogen transmission

Biting midges of the genus Culicoides transmit disease-causing agents resulting in a significant economic impact on livestock industries in many parts of the world. Localized control efforts, such as removal of larval habitat or pesticide application, can be logistically difficult, expensive and ineffective if not instituted and maintained properly. With these limitations, a population-level approach to the management of Culicoides midges should be investigated as a means to replace or supplement existing control strategies. Next-generation control methods such as Wolbachia- and genetic-based population suppression and replacement are being investigated in several vector species. Here we assess the feasibility and applicability of these approaches for use against biting midges. We also discuss the technical and logistical hurdles needing to be addressed for each method to be successful, as well as emphasize the importance of addressing community engagement and involving stakeholders in the investigation and development of these approaches.

Improvement on the genetic engineering of an invasive agricultural pest insect, the cherry vinegar fly, Drosophila suzukii

Background

The invasive fly Drosophila suzukii has become an established fruit pest in Europe, the USA, and South America with no effective and safe pest management. Genetic engineering enables the development of transgene-based novel genetic control strategies against insect pests and disease vectors. This, however, requires the establishment of reliable germline transformation techniques. Previous studies have shown that D. suzukii is amenable to transgenesis using the transposon-based vectors piggyBac and Minos, site-specific recombination (lox/Cre), and CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing.

Results

We experienced differences in the usability of piggyBac-based germline transformation in different strains of D. suzukii: we obtained no transgenic lines in a US strain, a single rare transgenic line in an Italian strain, but observed a reliable transformation rate of 2.5 to 11% in a strain from the French Alps. This difference in efficiency was confirmed by comparative examination of these three strains. In addition, we used an attP landing site line to successfully established φC31-integrase-mediated plasmid integration at a rate of 10% and generated landing site lines with two attP sequences to effectively perform φC31-Recombinase Mediated Cassette Exchange (φC31-RMCE) with 11% efficiency. Moreover, we isolated and used the endogenous regulatory regions of Ds nanos to express φC31 integrase maternally to generate self-docking lines for φC31-RMCE. Besides, we isolated the promoter/enhancer of Ds serendipity α to drive the heterologous tetracycline-controlled transactivator (tTA) during early embryonic development and generated a testes-specific tTA driver line using the endogenous beta-2-tubulin (β2t) promoter/enhancer.

Conclusion

Our results provide evidence that the D. suzukii strain AM derived from the French Alps is more suitable for piggyBac germline transformation than other strains. We demonstrated the feasibility of using φC31-RMCE in the cherry vinegar fly and generated a set of lines that can be used for highly efficient integration of larger constructs. The φC31-based integration will facilitate modification and stabilization of previously generated transgenic lines that carry at least one attP site in the transgene construction. An early embryo-specific and a spermatogenesis-specific driver line were generated for future use of the binary expression system tet-off to engineer tissue- and stage-specific effector gene expression for genetic pest control strategies.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12863-020-00940-5.

An early female lethal system of the New World screwworm, Cochliomyia hominivorax, for biotechnology-enhanced SIT

BACKGROUND

The New World Screwworm fly (NWS), Cochliomyia hominivorax, is an ectoparasite of warm-blooded animals and a major pest of livestock in parts of South America and the Caribbean where it remains endemic. In North and Central America it was eradicated using the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT). A control program is managed cooperatively between the governments of the United States and Panama to prevent the northward spread of NWS from infested countries in South America. This is accomplished by maintaining a permanent barrier through the release of millions of sterile male and female flies in the border between Panama and Colombia. Our research team demonstrated the utility of biotechnology-enhanced approaches for SIT by developing a male-only strain of the NWS. The strain carried a single component tetracycline repressible female lethal system where females died at late larval/pupal stages. The control program can be further improved by removing females during embryonic development as larval diet costs are significant.

RESULTS

The strains developed carry a two-component system consisting of the Lucilia sericata bottleneck gene promoter driving expression of the tTA gene and a tTA-regulated Lshid proapoptotic effector gene. Insertion of the sex-specifically spliced intron from the C. hominivorax transformer gene within the Lshid gene ensures that only females die when insects are reared in the absence of tetracycline. In several double homozygous two-component strains and in one "All-in-one" strain that had both components in a single construct, female lethality occurred at the embryonic and/or first instar larval stages when raised on diet without tetracycline. Laboratory evaluation for phenotypes that are relevant for mass rearing in a production facility revealed that most strains had fitness characteristics similar to the wild type J06 strain that is currently reared for release in the permanent barrier. Testing of an "All in one" strain under mass rearing conditions showed that the strain maintained the fitness characteristics observed in small-scale rearing.

CONCLUSIONS

The early female lethal strains described here could be selected by the NWS Control Program for testing at large scale in the production facility to enhance the efficiency of the NWS eradication program.

Unpredictable recombination of PB transposon in Silkworm: a potential risk

The piggyBac (PB) transposon is the most widely used vector for generating transgenic silkworms. The stability of the PB transposon in the receptor is a serious concern that requires attention because of biosafety concerns. In this study, we found that the transgene silkworm developed loss of reporter gene traits. To further investigate the regularity, we traced the genes and traits of this silkworm. After successful alteration of the silkworm genome with the MASP1 gene (named red-eyed silkworm; RES), silkworm individuals with lost reporter genes were found after long-term transgenerational breeding and were designated as the white-eyed silkworm (WES). PCR amplification indicated that exogenous genes had been lost in the WES. Testing was conducted on the PB transposons, and the left arm (L arm) did not exist; however, the right arm (R arm) was preserved. Amino acid analysis showed that the amino acid content of the WES changed versus the common silkworm and RES. These results indicate that the migration of PB transposons in Bombyx mori does occur and is unpredictable. This is because the silkworm genome contains multiple PB-like sequences that might influence the genetic stability of transgenic lines. When using PB transposons as a transgene vector, it is necessary to fully evaluate and take necessary measures to prevent its re-migration in the recipient organism. Further experiments are needed if we want to clarify the regularity of the retransposition phenomenon and the direct and clear association with similar sequences of transposons.

Progress in the use of genetic methods to study insect behavior outside Drosophila

In the span of a decade we have seen a rapid progress in the application of genetic tools and genome editing approaches in 'non-model' insects. It is now possible to target sensory receptor genes and neurons, explore their functional roles and manipulate behavioral responses in these insects. In this review, we focus on the latest examples from Diptera, Lepidoptera and Hymenoptera of how applications of genetic tools advanced our understanding of diverse behavioral phenomena. We further discuss genetic methods that could be applied to study insect behavior in the future.

Discovering genes responsible for silk synthesis in Bombyx mori by piggyBac-based random insertional mutagenesis

Silkworm mutants are valuable resources for both transgenic breeding and gene discovery. PiggyBac-based random insertional mutagenesis has been widely used in gene functional studies. In order to discover genes involved in silk synthesis, a piggyBac-based random insertional library was constructed using Bombyx mori, and the mutants with abnormal cocoon were particularly screened. By this means, a "thin cocoon" mutant was identified. This mutant revealed thinner cocoon shell and shorter posterior silk gland (PSG) compared with the wild type. The messenger RNA (mRNA) levels of all the three fibroin genes, including Fib-H, Fib-L and P25, were significantly down-regulated in the PSG of mutants. Four piggyBac insertion sites were identified in Aquaporin (AQP), Longitudinals lacking protein-like (Lola), Glutamyl aminopeptidase-like (GluAP) and Loc101744460. The mRNA levels of all the four genes were significantly altered in the silk gland of mutants. In particular, the mRNA amount of AQP, a gene responsible for the regulation of osmotic pressure, decreased dramatically immediately prior to the spinning stage in the anterior silk gland of mutants. The identification of the genes disrupted in the "thin cocoon" mutant in this study provided useful information for understanding silk production and transgenic breeding of silkworms in the future.

Potential for Isolation of Immortalized Hepatocyte Cell Lines by Liver-Directed In Vivo Gene Delivery of Transposons in Mice

Isolation of hepatocytes and their culture in vitro represent important avenues to explore the function of such cells. However, these studies are often difficult to perform because of the inability of hepatocytes to proliferate in vitro. Immortalization of isolated hepatocytes is thus an important step toward continuous in vitro culture. For cellular immortalization, integration of relevant genes into the host chromosomes is a prerequisite. Transposons, which are mobile genetic elements, are known to facilitate integration of genes of interest (GOI) into chromosomes in vitro and in vivo. Here, we proposed that a combination of transposon- and liver-directed introduction of nucleic acids may confer acquisition of unlimited cellular proliferative potential on hepatocytes, enabling the possible isolation of immortalized hepatocyte cell lines, which has often failed using more traditional immortalization methods.

Making ends meet: targeted integration of DNA fragments by genome editing

Targeted insertion of large pieces of DNA is an important goal of genetic engineering. However, this goal has been elusive since classical methods for homology-directed repair are inefficient and often not feasible in many systems. Recent advances are described here that enable site-specific genomic insertion of relatively large DNA with much improved efficiency. Using the preferred repair pathway in the cell of nonhomologous end-joining, DNA of up to several kb could be introduced with remarkably good precision by the methods of HITI and ObLiGaRe with an efficiency up to 30-40%. Recent advances utilizing homology-directed repair (methods of PITCh; short homology arms including ssODN; 2H2OP) have significantly increased the efficiency for DNA insertion, often to 40-50% or even more depending on the method and length of DNA. The remaining challenges of integration precision and off-target site insertions are summarized. Overall, current advances provide major steps forward for site-specific insertion of large DNA into genomes from a broad range of cells and organisms.

Immediate-Early Promoter-Driven Transgenic Reporter System for Neuroethological Research in a Hemimetabolous Insect

Genes expressed in response to increased neuronal activity are widely used as activity markers in recent behavioral neuroscience. In the present study, we established transgenic reporter system for whole-brain activity mapping in the two-spotted cricket Gryllus bimaculatus, a hemimetabolous insect used in neuroethology and behavioral ecology. In the cricket brain, a homolog of early growth response-1 (Gryllus egr-B) was rapidly induced as an immediate-early gene (IEG) in response to neuronal hyperexcitability. The upstream genomic fragment of Gryllus egr-B contains potential binding sites for transcription factors regulated by various intracellular signaling pathways, as well as core promoter elements conserved across insect/crustacean egr-B homologs. Using the upstream genomic fragment of Gryllus egr-B, we established an IEG promoter-driven transgenic reporter system in the cricket. In the brain of transgenic crickets, the reporter gene (a nuclear-targeted destabilized EYFP) was induced in response to neuronal hyperexcitability. Inducible expression of reporter protein was detected in almost all neurons after neuronal hyperexcitability. Using our novel reporter system, we successfully detected neuronal activation evoked by feeding in the cricket brain. Our IEG promoter-driven activity reporting system allows us to visualize behaviorally relevant neural circuits at cellular resolution in the cricket brain.

Development of a toolkit for piggyBac-mediated integrative transfection of the human filarial parasite Brugia malayi

BACKGROUND

The human filarial parasites cause diseases that are among the most important causes of morbidity in the developing world. The elimination programs targeting these infections rely on a limited number of drugs, making the identification of new chemotherapeutic agents a high priority. The study of these parasites has lagged due to the lack of reverse genetic methods.

METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

We report a novel co-culture method that results in developmentally competent infective larvae of one of the human filarial parasites (Brugia malayi) and describe a method to efficiently transfect the larval stages of this parasite. We describe the production of constructs that result in integrative transfection using the piggyBac transposon system, and a selectable marker that can be used to identify transgenic parasites. We describe the production and use of dual reporter plasmids containing both a secreted luciferase selectable marker and fluorescent protein reporters that will be useful to study temporal and spatial patterns of gene expression.

CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE

The methods and constructs reported here will permit the efficient production of integrated transgenic filarial parasite lines, allowing reverse genetic technologies to be applied to all life cycle stages of the parasite.

Multi-tissue GAL4-mediated gene expression in all Anopheles gambiae life stages using an endogenous polyubiquitin promoter

The ability to manipulate the Anopheles gambiae genome and alter gene expression effectively and reproducibly is a prerequisite for functional genetic analysis and for the development of novel control strategies in this important disease vector. However, in vivo transgenic analysis in mosquitoes is limited by the lack of promoters active ubiquitously. To address this, we used the GAL4/UAS system to investigate the promoter of the An. gambiae Polyubiquitin-c (PUBc) gene and demonstrated its ability to drive expression in mosquito cell culture before incorporation into An. gambiae transgenic driver lines. To generate such lines, piggyBac-mediated insertion was used to identify genomic regions able to sustain widespread expression and to create φC31 docking lines at these permissive sites. Patterns of expression induced by PUBc-GAL4 drivers carrying single intergenic insertions were assessed by crossing with a novel responder UAS-mCD8:mCherry line that was created by φC31-mediated integration. Amongst the drivers created at single, unique chromosomal integration loci, two were isolated that induced differential expression levels in a similar multiple-tissue spatial pattern throughout the mosquito life cycle. This work expands the tools available for An. gambiae functional analysis by providing a novel promoter for investigating phenotypes resulting from widespread multi-tissue expression, as well as identifying and tagging genomic sites that sustain broad transcriptional activity.

A universal vector concept for a direct genotyping of transgenic organisms and a systematic creation of homozygous lines

Diploid transgenic organisms are either hemi- or homozygous. Genetic assays are, therefore, required to identify the genotype. Our AGameOfClones vector concept uses two clearly distinguishable transformation markers embedded in interweaved, but incompatible Lox site pairs. Cre-mediated recombination leads to hemizygous individuals that carry only one marker. In the following generation, heterozygous descendants are identified by the presence of both markers and produce homozygous progeny that are selected by the lack of one marker. We prove our concept in Tribolium castaneum by systematically creating multiple functional homozygous transgenic lines suitable for long-term fluorescence live imaging. Our approach saves resources and simplifies transgenic organism handling. Since the concept relies on the universal Cre-Lox system, it is expected to work in all diploid model organisms, for example, insects, zebrafish, rodents and plants. With appropriate adaptions, it can be used in knock-out assays to preselect homozygous individuals and thus minimize the number of wasted animals.

Light Sheet-based Fluorescence Microscopy of Living or Fixed and Stained Tribolium castaneum Embryos

The red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum has become an important insect model organism in developmental genetics and evolutionary developmental biology. The observation of Tribolium embryos with light sheet-based fluorescence microscopy has multiple advantages over conventional widefield and confocal fluorescence microscopy. Due to the unique properties of a light sheet-based microscope, three dimensional images of living specimens can be recorded with high signal-to-noise ratios and significantly reduced photo-bleaching as well as photo-toxicity along multiple directions over periods that last several days. With more than four years of methodological development and a continuous increase of data, the time seems appropriate to establish standard operating procedures for the usage of light sheet technology in the Tribolium community as well as in the insect community at large. This protocol describes three mounting techniques suitable for different purposes, presents two novel custom-made transgenic Tribolium lines appropriate for long-term live imaging, suggests five fluorescent dyes to label intracellular structures of fixed embryos and provides information on data post-processing for the timely evaluation of the recorded data. Representative results concentrate on long-term live imaging, optical sectioning and the observation of the same embryo along multiple directions. The respective datasets are provided as a downloadable resource. Finally, the protocol discusses quality controls for live imaging assays, current limitations and the applicability of the outlined procedures to other insect species. This protocol is primarily intended for developmental biologists who seek imaging solutions that outperform standard laboratory equipment. It promotes the continuous attempt to close the gap between the technically orientated laboratories/communities, which develop and refine microscopy methodologically, and the life science laboratories/communities, which require 'plug-and-play' solutions to technical challenges. Furthermore, it supports an axiomatic approach that moves the biological questions into the center of attention.

Delivery of Nucleic Acids through Embryo Microinjection in the Worldwide Agricultural Pest Insect, Ceratitis capitata

The Mediterranean fruit fly (medfly) Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) (Diptera: Tephritidae) is a pest species with extremely high agricultural relevance. This is due to its reproductive behavior: females damage the external surface of fruits and vegetables when they lay eggs and the hatched larvae feed on their pulp. Wild C. capitata populations are traditionally controlled through insecticide spraying and/or eco-friendly approaches, the most successful being the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT). The SIT relies on mass-rearing, radiation-based sterilization and field release of males that retain their capacity to mate but are not able to generate fertile progeny. The advent and the subsequent rapid development of biotechnological tools, together with the availability of the medfly genome sequence, has greatly boosted our understanding of the biology of this species. This favored the proliferation of new strategies for genome manipulation, which can be applied to population control. In this context, embryo microinjection plays a dual role in expanding the toolbox for medfly control. The ability to interfere with the function of genes that regulate key biological processes, indeed, expands our understanding of the molecular machinery underlying medfly invasiveness. Furthermore, the ability to achieve germ-line transformation facilitates the production of multiple transgenic strains that can be tested for future field applications in novel SIT settings. Indeed, genetic manipulation can be used to confer desirable traits that can, for example, be used to monitor sterile male performance in the field, or that can result in early life-stage lethality. Here we describe a method to microinject nucleic acids into medfly embryos to achieve these two main goals.

Analysis of PBase Binding Profile Indicates an Insertion Target Selection Mechanism Dependent on TTAA, But Not Transcriptional Activity

Transposons and retroviruses are important pathogenic agents and tools for mutagenesis and transgenesis. Insertion target selection is a key feature for a given transposon or retrovirus. The piggyBac (PB) transposon is highly active in mice and human cells, which has a much better genome-wide distribution compared to the retrovirus and P-element. However, the underlying reason is not clear. Utilizing a tagged functional PB transposase (PBase), we were able to conduct genome-wide profiling for PBase binding sites in the mouse genome. We have shown that PBase binding mainly depends on the distribution of the tetranucleotide TTAA, which is not affected by the presence of PB DNA. Furthermore, PBase binding is negatively influenced by the methylation of CG sites in the genome. Analysis of a large collection of PB insertions in mice has revealed an insertion profile similar to the PBase binding profile. Interestingly, this profile is not correlated with transcriptional active genes in the genome or transcriptionally active regions within a transcriptional unit. This differs from what has been previously shown for P-element and retroviruses insertions. Our study provides an explanation for PB's genome-wide insertion distribution and also suggests that PB target selection relies on a new mechanism independent of active transcription and open chromatin structure.

Introduction of the RTA-Bddsx gene induces female-specific lethal effects in transformed Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel)

BACKGROUND

The oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel), can reduce fruit production and quality and is considered to be a major insect pest in many Asian countries. A system combining the toxicity of ricin and the alternative RNA splicing properties of doublesex (RTA-Bddsx) has been proposed that results in differential sexual processing in vitro. A transgenic approach was used in this study to confirm the existence of female-specific lethal effects in vivo.

RESULTS

The piggyBac-based vector PB-Acp-CF21-26, which carries the actin 5C promoter and RTA-Bddsx, was used to establish transgenic lines. Five surviving male flies (F1) demonstrated the presence of selection marker Ds-Red((+)) throughout their entire bodies following single-pair mating with wild-type females, indicating germline transmission. A high percentage of males (59.6-100%) were observed in transformed F3 offspring, and this skewed sex ratio indicated that the female-lethal effects of the RTA-Bddsx system were heritable and functioned well in B. dorsalis. Some transformed female flies were observed, and these unexpected results were attributed to the loss of the intact transgene after genomic PCR analyses.

CONCLUSION

This transgenic study provides direct evidence for the female-specific lethal effects of RTA-Bddsx in B. dorsalis and offers a novel and promising approach for the control of B. dorsalis in the future. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry.

Genome Editing: From Drosophila to Non-Model Insects and Beyond

Insect is the largest group of animals on land. Many insect species inflict economical and health losses to humans. Yet many more benefit us by helping to maintain balances in our ecosystem. The benefits that insects offer remain largely untapped, justifying our continuing efforts to develop tools to better understand their biology and to better manage their activities. Here we focus on reviewing the progresses made in the development of genome engineering tools for model insects. Instead of detailed descriptions of the molecular mechanisms underlying each technical advance, we focus our discussion on the logistics for implementing similar tools in non-model insects. Since none of the tools were developed specific for insects, similar approaches can be applied to other non-model organisms.

piggyBac Transposon

The piggyBac transposon was originally isolated from the cabbage looper moth, Trichoplusia ni, in the 1980s. Despite its early discovery and dissimilarity to the other DNA transposon families, the piggyBac transposon was not recognized as a member of a large transposon superfamily for a long time. Initially, the piggyBac transposon was thought to be a rare transposon. This view, however, has now been completely revised as a number of fully sequenced genomes have revealed the presence of piggyBac-like repetitive elements. The isolation of active copies of the piggyBac-like elements from several distinct species further supported this revision. This includes the first isolation of an active mammalian DNA transposon identified in the bat genome. To date, the piggyBac transposon has been deeply characterized and it represents a number of unique characteristics. In general, all members of the piggyBac superfamily use TTAA as their integration target sites. In addition, the piggyBac transposon shows precise excision, i.e., restoring the sequence to its preintegration state, and can transpose in a variety of organisms such as yeasts, malaria parasites, insects, mammals, and even in plants. Biochemical analysis of the chemical steps of transposition revealed that piggyBac does not require DNA synthesis during the actual transposition event. The broad host range has attracted researchers from many different fields, and the piggyBac transposon is currently the most widely used transposon system for genetic manipulations.

An efficient strategy for producing a stable, replaceable, highly efficient transgene expression system in silkworm, Bombyx mori

We developed an efficient strategy that combines a method for the post-integration elimination of all transposon sequences, a site-specific recombination system, and an optimized fibroin H-chain expression system to produce a stable, replaceable, highly efficient transgene expression system in the silkworm (Bombyx mori) that overcomes the disadvantages of random insertion and post-integration instability of transposons. Here, we generated four different transgenic silkworm strains, and of one the transgenic strains, designated TS1-RgG2, with up to 16% (w/w) of the target protein in the cocoons, was selected. The subsequent elimination of all the transposon sequences from TS1-RgG2 was completed by the heat-shock-induced expression of the transposase in vivo. The resulting transgenic silkworm strain was designated TS3-g2 and contained only the attP-flanked optimized fibroin H-chain expression cassette in its genome. A phiC31/att-system-based recombinase-mediated cassette exchange (RMCE) method could be used to integrate other genes of interest into the same genome locus between the attP sites in TS3-g2. Controlling for position effects with phiC31-mediated RMCE will also allow the optimization of exogenous protein expression and fine gene function analyses in the silkworm. The strategy developed here is also applicable to other lepidopteran insects, to improve the ecological safety of transgenic strains in biocontrol programs.

Male-specific Y-linked transgene markers to enhance biologically-based control of the Mexican fruit fly, Anastrepha ludens (Diptera: Tephritidae)

BACKGROUND

Reliable marking systems are critical to the prospective field release of transgenic insect strains. This is to unambiguously distinguish released insects from wild insects in the field that are collected in field traps, and tissue-specific markers, such as those that are sperm-specific, have particular uses such as identifying wild females that have mated with released males. For tephritid fruit flies such as the Mexican fruit fly, Anastrepha ludens, polyubiquitin-regulated fluorescent protein body markers allow transgenic fly identification, and fluorescent protein genes regulated by the spermatocyte-specific β2-tubulin promoter effectively mark sperm. For sterile male release programs, both marking systems can be made male-specific by linkage to the Y chromosome.

RESULTS

An A. ludens wild type strain was genetically transformed with a piggyBac vector, pBXL{PUbnlsEGFP, Asβ2tub-DsRed.T3}, having the polyubiquitin-regulated EGFP body marker, and the β2-tubulin-regulated DsRed.T3 sperm-specific marker. Autosomal insertion lines effectively expressed both markers, but a single Y-linked insertion (YEGFP strain) expressed only PUbnlsEGFP. This insertion was remobilized by transposase helper injection, which resulted in three new autosomal insertion lines that expressed both markers. This indicated that the original Y-linked Asβ2tub-DsRed.T3 marker was functional, but specifically suppressed on the Y chromosome. The PUbnlsEGFP marker remained effective however, and the YEGFP strain was used to create a sexing strain by translocating the wild type allele of the black pupae (bp+) gene onto the Y, which was then introduced into the bp- mutant strain. This allows the mechanical separation of mutant female black pupae from male brown pupae, that can be identified as adults by EGFP fluorescence.

CONCLUSIONS

A Y-linked insertion of the pBXL{PUbnlsEGFP, Asβ2tub-DsRed.T3} transformation vector in A. ludens resulted in male-specific expression of the EGFP fluorescent protein marker, and was integrated into a black pupae translocation sexing strain (T(YEGFP/bp+), allowing the identification of male adults when used in sterile male release programs for population control. A unique observation was that expression of the Asβ2tub-DsRed.T3 sperm-specific marker, which was functional in autosomal insertions, was specifically suppressed in the Y-linked insertion. This may relate to the Y chromosomal regulation of male-specific germ-line genes in Drosophila.

Postintegration stability of the silkworm piggyBac transposon

The piggyBac transposon is the most widely used vector for generating transgenic silkworms. The silkworm genome contains multiple piggyBac-like sequences that might influence the genetic stability of transgenic lines. To investigate the postintegration stability of piggyBac in silkworms, we used random insertion of the piggyBac [3 × p3 EGFP afm] vector to generate a W chromosome-linked transgenic silkworm, named W-T. Results of Southern blot and inverse PCR revealed the insertion of a single copy in the W chromosome of W-T at a standard TTAA insertion site. Investigation of 11 successive generations showed that all W-T females were EGFP positive and all males were EGFP negative; PCR revealed that the insertion site was unchanged in W-T offspring. These results suggested that endogenous piggyBac-like elements did not affect the stability of piggyBac inserted into the silkworm genome.

Vectorology and factor delivery in induced pluripotent stem cell reprogramming

Induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) reprogramming requires sustained expression of multiple reprogramming factors for a limited period of time (10-30 days). Conventional iPSC reprogramming was achieved using lentiviral or simple retroviral vectors. Retroviral reprogramming has flaws of insertional mutagenesis, uncontrolled silencing, residual expression and re-activation of transgenes, and immunogenicity. To overcome these issues, various technologies were explored, including adenoviral vectors, protein transduction, RNA transfection, minicircle DNA, excisable PiggyBac (PB) transposon, Cre-lox excision system, negative-sense RNA replicon, positive-sense RNA replicon, Epstein-Barr virus-based episomal plasmids, and repeated transfections of plasmids. This review provides summaries of the main vectorologies and factor delivery systems used in current reprogramming protocols.

Highly efficient integration and expression of piggyBac-derived cassettes in the honeybee (Apis mellifera)

Honeybees (Apis mellifera), which are important pollinators of plants, display remarkable individual behaviors that collectively contribute to the organization of a complex society. Advances in dissecting the complex processes of honeybee behavior have been limited in the recent past due to a lack of genetic manipulation tools. These tools are difficult to apply in honeybees because the unit of reproduction is the colony, and many interesting phenotypes are developmentally specified at later stages. Here, we report highly efficient integration and expression of piggyBac-derived cassettes in the honeybee. We demonstrate that 27 and 20% of queens stably transmitted two different expression cassettes to their offspring, which is a 6- to 30-fold increase in efficiency compared with those generally reported in other insect species. This high efficiency implies that an average beekeeping facility with a limited number of colonies can apply this tool. We demonstrated that the cassette stably and efficiently expressed marker genes in progeny under either an artificial or an endogenous promoter. This evidence of efficient expression encourages the use of this system to inhibit gene functions through RNAi in specific tissues and developmental stages by using various promoters. We also showed that the transgenic marker could be used to select transgenic offspring to be employed to facilitate the building of transgenic colonies via the haploid males. We present here the first to our knowledge genetic engineering tool that will efficiently allow for the systematic detection and better understanding of processes underlying the biology of honeybees.

Genomic landscape of human, bat, and ex vivo DNA transposon integrations

The integration and fixation preferences of DNA transposons, one of the major classes of eukaryotic transposable elements, have never been evaluated comprehensively on a genome-wide scale. Here, we present a detailed study of the distribution of DNA transposons in the human and bat genomes. We studied three groups of DNA transposons that integrated at different evolutionary times: 1) ancient (>40 My) and currently inactive human elements, 2) younger (<40 My) bat elements, and 3) ex vivo integrations of piggyBat and Sleeping Beauty elements in HeLa cells. Although the distribution of ex vivo elements reflected integration preferences, the distribution of human and (to a lesser extent) bat elements was also affected by selection. We used regression techniques (linear, negative binomial, and logistic regression models with multiple predictors) applied to 20-kb and 1-Mb windows to investigate how the genomic landscape in the vicinity of DNA transposons contributes to their integration and fixation. Our models indicate that genomic landscape explains 16-79% of variability in DNA transposon genome-wide distribution. Importantly, we not only confirmed previously identified predictors (e.g., DNA conformation and recombination hotspots) but also identified several novel predictors (e.g., signatures of double-strand breaks and telomere hexamer). Ex vivo integrations showed a bias toward actively transcribed regions. Older DNA transposons were located in genomic regions scarce in most conserved elements-likely reflecting purifying selection. Our study highlights how DNA transposons are integral to the evolution of bat and human genomes, and has implications for the development of DNA transposon assays for gene therapy and mutagenesis applications.

Transposon insertional mutagenesis models of cancer

Transposon-based insertional mutagenesis in the mouse provides a powerful approach for identifying new cancer genes. Transposon insertions in cancer genes are selected during tumor development because of their positive effect on tumor growth, and the transposon insertion sites in tumors thus serve as tags for identifying new cancer genes. Direct comparisons of transposon-mutated genes in mouse tumors with mutated genes in human tumors can lend insight into the genes and signaling pathways that drive tumorigenesis. This is critical for prioritizing genes for further study, either for their efficacy as biomarkers or drug targets. In this article, we will introduce DNA transposon-based systems used for gene discovery in mice and discuss their application to identify candidate cancer genes in light of recently published tumor studies.

A method for inducible gene over-expression and down-regulation in emerging model species using Pogostick

Nontraditional model species need new tools for the functional testing of genes, both conserved and lineage-specific genes. These tools should enable the exploration of gene function, either via knock-downs of endogenous genes or via over-expression and ectopic expression of transgenes. We constructed a new vector called Pogostick that can be used to over-express or down-regulate genes in organisms amenable to germ-line transformation by the piggyBac transposable element. The vector currently uses the heat-shock promoter Hsp70 from Drosophila melanogaster to drive transgene expression and, as such, will have immediate applicability to organisms that can correctly interpret this promotor sequence. Here we introduce the main features of Pogostick and how candidate genes can be inserted into the vector for use in either over-expression or down-regulation experiments. In addition, we also test Pogostick in two insect species, D. melanogaster and the emerging model butterfly Bicyclus anynana. We over-express the fluorescent protein DsRed during the larval and pupal stages of D. melanogaster development, and down-regulate DsRed in a line constitutively expressing this gene in the eyes. We then test the over-expression of Ultrabithorax (Ubx) in B. anynana, and obtain sequences flanking the Pogostick genomic insertions. This new vector will allow emerging model species to enter the field of functional genetics with few hurdles.

Honey bee promoter sequences for targeted gene expression

The honey bee, Apis mellifera, displays a rich behavioural repertoire, social organization and caste differentiation, and has an interesting mode of sex determination, but we still know little about its underlying genetic programs. We lack stable transgenic tools in honey bees that would allow genetic control of gene activity in stable transgenic lines. As an initial step towards a transgenic method, we identified promoter sequences in the honey bee that can drive constitutive, tissue-specific and cold shock-induced gene expression. We identified the promoter sequences of Am-actin5c, elp2l, Am-hsp83 and Am-hsp70 and showed that, except for the elp2l sequence, the identified sequences were able to drive reporter gene expression in Sf21 cells. We further demonstrated through electroporation experiments that the putative neuron-specific elp2l promoter sequence can direct gene expression in the honey bee brain. The identification of these promoter sequences is an important initial step in studying the function of genes with transgenic experiments in the honey bee, an organism with a rich set of interesting phenotypes.

A versatile, highly efficient, and potentially safer piggyBac transposon system for mammalian genome manipulations

The piggyBac transposon is one of the most attractive nonviral tools for mammalian genome manipulations. Given that piggybac mobilizes in a "cut-and-paste" fashion, integrant remobilization could potentially damage the host genome. Here, we report a novel piggyBac transposon system with a series of recombinant transposases. We found that the transposition activity of wild-type (PBase) and hyperactive (hyPBase) piggyBac transposases can be significantly increased by peptide fusions in a cell-type dependent fashion, with the greatest change typically seen in mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells. The two most potent recombinant transposases, TPLGMH and ThyPLGMH, give a 9- and 7-fold increase, respectively, in the number of integrants in HEK293 compared with Myc-tagged PBase (MycPBase), and both display 4-fold increase in generating induced pluripotential stem cells. Interestingly, ThyPLGMH but not TPLGMH shows improved chromosomal excision activity (2.5-fold). This unique feature of TPLGMH provides the first evidence that integration activity of a transposase can be drastically improved without increasing its remobilization activity. Transposition catalyzed by ThyPLGMH is more random and occurs further from CpG islands than that catalyzed by MycPBase or TPLGMH. Our transposon system diversifies the mammalian genetic toolbox and provides a spectrum of piggyBac transposases that is better suited to different experimental purposes.

Conservation and variation in Hox genes: how insect models pioneered the evo-devo field

Evolutionary developmental biology, or evo-devo, broadly investigates how body plan diversity and morphological novelties have arisen and persisted in nature. The discovery of Hox genes in Drosophila, and their subsequent identification in most other metazoans, led biologists to try to understand how embryonic genes crucial for proper development have changed to promote the vast morphological variation seen in nature. Insects are ideal model systems for studying this diversity and the mechanisms underlying it because phylogenetic relationships are well established, powerful genetic tools have been developed, and there are many examples of evolutionary specializations that have arisen in nature in different insect lineages, such as the jumping leg of orthopterans and the helmet structures of treehoppers. Here, we briefly introduce the field of evo-devo and Hox genes, discuss functional tools available to study early developmental genes in insects, and provide examples in which changes in Hox genes have contributed to changes in body plan or morphology.

Using mutants, knockdowns, and transgenesis to investigate gene function in Drosophila

The sophisticated genetic techniques available in Drosophila are largely responsible for its success as a model organism. One of the most important of these is the ability to disrupt gene function in vivo and observe the resulting phenotypes. This review considers the ever-increasing repertoire of approaches for perturbing the functions of specific genes in flies, ranging from classical and transposon-mediated mutageneses to newer techniques, such as homologous recombination and RNA interference. Since most genes are used over and over again in different contexts during development, many important advances have depended on being able to interfere with gene function at specific times or places in the developing animal, and a variety of approaches are now available to do this. Most of these techniques rely on being able to create genetically modified strains of Drosophila and the different methods for generating lines carrying single copy transgenic constructs will be described, along with the advantages and disadvantages of each approach.

Recent developments in transposon-mediated gene therapy

INTRODUCTION

The continuous improvement of gene transfer technologies has broad implications for stem cell biology, gene discovery, and gene therapy. Although viral vectors are efficient gene delivery vehicles, their safety, immunogenicity and manufacturing challenges hamper clinical progress. In contrast, non-viral gene delivery systems are less immunogenic and easier to manufacture.

AREAS COVERED

In this review, we explore the emerging potential of transposons in gene and cell therapy. The safety, efficiency, and biology of novel hyperactive Sleeping Beauty (SB) and piggyBac (PB) transposon systems will be highlighted for ex vivo gene therapy in clinically relevant adult stem/progenitor cells, particularly hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), myoblasts, and induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells. Moreover, efforts toward in vivo transposon-based gene therapy will be discussed.

EXPERT OPINION

The latest generation SB and PB transposons currently represent some of the most attractive systems for stable non-viral genetic modification of primary cells, particularly adult stem cells. This paves the way toward the use of transposons as a non-viral gene therapy approach to correct hereditary disorders including those that affect the hematopoietic system. The development of targeted integration into "safe harbor" genetic loci may further improve their safety profile.

The impact of cHS4 insulators on DNA transposon vector mobilization and silencing in retinal pigment epithelium cells

DNA transposons have become important vectors for efficient non-viral integration of transgenes into genomic DNA. The Sleeping Beauty (SB), piggyBac (PB), and Tol2 transposable elements have distinct biological properties and currently represent the most promising transposon systems for animal transgenesis and gene therapy. A potential obstacle, however, for persistent function of integrating vectors is transcriptional repression of the element and its genetic cargo. In this study we analyze the insulating effect of the 1.2-kb 5'-HS4 chicken β-globin (cHS4) insulator element in the context of SB, PB, and Tol2 transposon vectors. By examining transgene expression from genomically inserted transposon vectors encoding a marker gene driven by a silencing-prone promoter, we detect variable levels of transcriptional silencing for the three transposon systems in retinal pigment epithelium cells. Notably, the PB system seems less vulnerable to silencing. Incorporation of cHS4 insulator sequences into the transposon vectors results in 2.2-fold and 1.5-fold increased transgene expression levels for insulated SB and PB vectors, respectively, but an improved persistency of expression was not obtained for insulated transgenes. Colony formation assays and quantitative excision assays unveil enhanced SB transposition efficiencies by the inclusion of the cHS4 element, resulting in a significant increase in the stable transfection rate for insulated SB transposon vectors in human cell lines. Our findings reveal a positive impact of cHS4 insulator inclusion for SB and PB vectors in terms of increased transgene expression levels and improved SB stable transfection rates, but also the lack of a long-term protective effect of the cHS4 insulator against progressive transgene silencing in retinal pigment epithelium cells.

Genetic transformation mediated by piggyBac in the Asian corn borer, Ostrinia furnacalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae)

The Asian corn borer, Ostrinia furnacalis, is a serious pest of corn, sorghum, and cotton in China and other Asian countries. The present study is the first attempt to establish the transgenic line in O. furnacalis using a piggyBac transposon, which will shed light on the future genetic control of O. furnacalis. A piggyBac vector pBac[A3EGFP] was constructed to express enhanced green fluorescence protein (EGFP)under the control of Bombyx mori actin3 promoter. Transient EGFP expression was detected 48 h after preblastodermic microinjection of pBac[A3EGFP] and the excision assay showed the transgenic vector was precisely excised. In G1 animals, PCR (polymerase chain reaction)-based investigations revealed that the exogenous gene had been introduced into O. furnacalis genome and expressed at the transcriptional level. Western blot analysis showed EGFP expression at the protein level, indicating the heritability of the transgene.