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Asad M, Liao J, Chen J, Munir F, Pang S, Abbas AN, Yang G. Exploring the role of the ovary-serine protease gene in the female fertility of the diamondback moth using CRISPR/Cas9. PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE 2024; 80:3194-3206. [PMID: 38348909 DOI: 10.1002/ps.8022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Revised: 12/24/2023] [Accepted: 02/11/2024] [Indexed: 03/01/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Oogenesis is a complex pathway necessary for proper female reproduction in insects. Ovary-serine protease (Osp) is a homologous gene of serine protease Nudel (SpNudel) and plays an essential role in the oogenesis and ovary development of Drosophila melanogaster. However, the function of Osp is not determined in Plutella xylostella, a highly destructive pest of cruciferous crops. RESULTS The PxOsp gene comprises a 5883-bp open-reading frame that encodes a protein consisting of 1994 amino acids, which contain four conserved domains. PxOsp exhibited a high relative expression in adult females with a specific expression in the ovary. Through the utilization of CRISPR/Cas9 technology, homozygous mutants of PxOsp were generated. These homozygous mutant females produced fewer eggs (average of 56 eggs/female) than wild-type (WT) females (average of 97 eggs/female) when crossed with WT males, and these eggs failed to hatch. Conversely, mutant males produced normal progeny when crossed with WT females. The ovarioles in homozygous mutant females were significantly shorter (5.02 mm in length) and contained fewer eggs (average of 3 eggs/ovariole) than WT ovarioles (8.09 mm in length with an average of 8 eggs/ovariole). Moreover, eggs laid by homozygous mutant females were fragile, with irregular shapes, and were unable to maintain structural integrity due to eggshell ruptures. However, no significant differences were observed between WT and mutant individuals regarding developmental duration, pupal weight, and mating behavior. CONCLUSION Our study suggesteds that PxOsp plays a vital role in female reproduction, particularly in ovary and egg development. Disrupting PxOsp results in recessive female sterility while leaving the male reproductive capability unaffected. This report represents the first study of a haplosufficient gene responsible for female fertility in lepidopteran insects. Additionally, these findings emphasize PxOsp as a potential target for genetically-based pest management of P. xylostella. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Asad
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian/Taiwan Crops and College of Life Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control, Ministry of Education, Fuzhou, China
- Ministerial and Provincial Joint Innovation Centre for Safety Production of Cross-Strait Crops, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management for Fujian-Taiwan Crops, Ministry of Agriculture, Fuzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Green Pest Control, Fujian Province University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Jianying Liao
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian/Taiwan Crops and College of Life Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control, Ministry of Education, Fuzhou, China
- Ministerial and Provincial Joint Innovation Centre for Safety Production of Cross-Strait Crops, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management for Fujian-Taiwan Crops, Ministry of Agriculture, Fuzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Green Pest Control, Fujian Province University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Jing Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian/Taiwan Crops and College of Life Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control, Ministry of Education, Fuzhou, China
- Ministerial and Provincial Joint Innovation Centre for Safety Production of Cross-Strait Crops, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management for Fujian-Taiwan Crops, Ministry of Agriculture, Fuzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Green Pest Control, Fujian Province University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Faisal Munir
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian/Taiwan Crops and College of Life Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control, Ministry of Education, Fuzhou, China
- Ministerial and Provincial Joint Innovation Centre for Safety Production of Cross-Strait Crops, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management for Fujian-Taiwan Crops, Ministry of Agriculture, Fuzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Green Pest Control, Fujian Province University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Senbo Pang
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian/Taiwan Crops and College of Life Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control, Ministry of Education, Fuzhou, China
- Ministerial and Provincial Joint Innovation Centre for Safety Production of Cross-Strait Crops, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management for Fujian-Taiwan Crops, Ministry of Agriculture, Fuzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Green Pest Control, Fujian Province University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Anam Noreen Abbas
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian/Taiwan Crops and College of Life Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control, Ministry of Education, Fuzhou, China
- Ministerial and Provincial Joint Innovation Centre for Safety Production of Cross-Strait Crops, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management for Fujian-Taiwan Crops, Ministry of Agriculture, Fuzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Green Pest Control, Fujian Province University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Guang Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian/Taiwan Crops and College of Life Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control, Ministry of Education, Fuzhou, China
- Ministerial and Provincial Joint Innovation Centre for Safety Production of Cross-Strait Crops, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management for Fujian-Taiwan Crops, Ministry of Agriculture, Fuzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Green Pest Control, Fujian Province University, Fuzhou, China
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Snuzik A. Assessing CRISPR/Cas9 potential in SDG3 attainment: malaria elimination-regulatory and community engagement landscape. Malar J 2024; 23:192. [PMID: 38898518 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-024-04996-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 11/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Elimination of malaria has become a United Nations member states target: Target 3.3 of the sustainable development goal no. 3 (SDG3). Despite the measures taken, the attainment of this goal is jeopardized by an alarming trend of increasing malaria case incidence. Globally, there were an estimated 241 million malaria cases in 2020 in 85 malaria-endemic countries, increasing from 227 million in 2019. Malaria case incidence was 59, which means effectively no changes in the numbers occurred, compared with the baseline 2015. Jennifer Doudna-co-inventor of CRISPR/Cas9 technology-claims that CRISPR holds the potential to lessen or even eradicate problems lying in the centre of SDGs. On the same note, CRISPR/Cas9-mediated mosquito-targeting gene drives (MGD) are perceived as a potential means to turn this trend back and put momentum into the malaria elimination effort. This paper assessed two of the critical elements of the World Health Organization Genetically modified mosquitoes (WHO GMM) Critical Pathway framework: the community and stakeholders' engagement (inability to employ widely used frameworks, segmentation of the public, 'bystander' status, and guidelines operationalization) and the regulatory landscape (lex generali, 'goldilocks dilemma', and mode of regulation) concerning mosquito-oriented gene drives (MGD) advances. Based on the assessment findings, the author believes that CRISPR/Cas-9-mediated MGD will not contribute to the attainment of SDG3 (Target 3.3), despite the undisputable technology's potential. This research pertains to the state of knowledge, legal frameworks, and legislature, as of November 2022.
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Kefi M, Cardoso-Jaime V, Saab SA, Dimopoulos G. Curing mosquitoes with genetic approaches for malaria control. Trends Parasitol 2024; 40:487-499. [PMID: 38760256 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2024.04.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2024] [Revised: 04/15/2024] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/19/2024]
Abstract
Malaria remains a persistent global public health challenge because of the limitations of current prevention tools. The use of transgenic mosquitoes incapable of transmitting malaria, in conjunction with existing methods, holds promise for achieving elimination of malaria and preventing its reintroduction. In this context, population modification involves the spread of engineered genetic elements through mosquito populations that render them incapable of malaria transmission. Significant progress has been made in this field over the past decade in revealing promising targets, optimizing genetic tools, and facilitating the transition from the laboratory to successful field deployments, which are subject to regulatory scrutiny. This review summarizes recent advances and ongoing challenges in 'curing' Anopheles vectors of the malaria parasite.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary Kefi
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Victor Cardoso-Jaime
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Sally A Saab
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - George Dimopoulos
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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4
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De Meester L, Vázquez-Domínguez E, Kassen R, Forest F, Bellon MR, Koskella B, Scherson RA, Colli L, Hendry AP, Crandall KA, Faith DP, Starger CJ, Geeta R, Araki H, Dulloo EM, Souffreau C, Schroer S, Johnson MTJ. A link between evolution and society fostering the UN sustainable development goals. Evol Appl 2024; 17:e13728. [PMID: 38884021 PMCID: PMC11178947 DOI: 10.1111/eva.13728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Revised: 05/16/2024] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Given the multitude of challenges Earth is facing, sustainability science is of key importance to our continued existence. Evolution is the fundamental biological process underlying the origin of all biodiversity. This phylogenetic diversity fosters the resilience of ecosystems to environmental change, and provides numerous resources to society, and options for the future. Genetic diversity within species is also key to the ability of populations to evolve and adapt to environmental change. Yet, the value of evolutionary processes and the consequences of their impairment have not generally been considered in sustainability research. We argue that biological evolution is important for sustainability and that the concepts, theory, data, and methodological approaches used in evolutionary biology can, in crucial ways, contribute to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We discuss how evolutionary principles are relevant to understanding, maintaining, and improving Nature Contributions to People (NCP) and how they contribute to the SDGs. We highlight specific applications of evolution, evolutionary theory, and evolutionary biology's diverse toolbox, grouped into four major routes through which evolution and evolutionary insights can impact sustainability. We argue that information on both within-species evolutionary potential and among-species phylogenetic diversity is necessary to predict population, community, and ecosystem responses to global change and to make informed decisions on sustainable production, health, and well-being. We provide examples of how evolutionary insights and the tools developed by evolutionary biology can not only inspire and enhance progress on the trajectory to sustainability, but also highlight some obstacles that hitherto seem to have impeded an efficient uptake of evolutionary insights in sustainability research and actions to sustain SDGs. We call for enhanced collaboration between sustainability science and evolutionary biology to understand how integrating these disciplines can help achieve the sustainable future envisioned by the UN SDGs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luc De Meester
- Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB) Berlin Germany
- Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and Conservation KU Leuven Leuven Belgium
- Institute of Biology Freie University Berlin Berlin Germany
- Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB) Berlin Germany
| | - Ella Vázquez-Domínguez
- Departamento de Ecología de la Biodiversidad, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México Ciudad Universitaria Ciudad de México Mexico
- Conservation and Evolutionary Genetics Group Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC) Sevilla Spain
| | - Rees Kassen
- Department of Biology McGill University Montreal Quebec Canada
| | | | - Mauricio R Bellon
- Comisión Nacional Para el Conocimiento y Uso de la Biodiversidad (CONABIO) México City Mexico
- Swette Center for Sustainable Food Systems Arizona State University Tempe Arizona USA
| | - Britt Koskella
- Department of Integrative Biology University of California Berkeley California USA
| | - Rosa A Scherson
- Laboratorio Evolución y Sistemática, Departamento de Silvicultura y Conservación de la Naturaleza Universidad de Chile Santiago Chile
| | - Licia Colli
- Dipartimento di Scienze Animali, Della Nutrizione e Degli Alimenti, BioDNA Centro di Ricerca Sulla Biodiversità e Sul DNA Antico, Facoltà di Scienze Agrarie, Alimentari e Ambientali Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore Piacenza Italy
| | - Andrew P Hendry
- Redpath Museum & Department of Biology McGill University Montreal Quebec Canada
| | - Keith A Crandall
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics George Washington University Washington DC USA
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology, US National Museum of Natural History Smithsonian Institution Washington DC USA
| | | | - Craig J Starger
- School of Global Environmental Sustainability Colorado State University Fort Collins Colorado USA
| | - R Geeta
- Department of Botany University of Delhi New Delhi India
| | - Hitoshi Araki
- Research Faculty of Agriculture Hokkaido University Sapporo Japan
| | - Ehsan M Dulloo
- Effective Genetic Resources Conservation and Use Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT Rome Italy
| | - Caroline Souffreau
- Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and Conservation KU Leuven Leuven Belgium
| | - Sibylle Schroer
- Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB) Berlin Germany
| | - Marc T J Johnson
- Department of Biology & Centre for Urban Environments University of Toronto Mississauga Mississauga Ontario Canada
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Vitale M, Kranjc N, Leigh J, Kyrou K, Courty T, Marston L, Grilli S, Crisanti A, Bernardini F. Y chromosome shredding in Anopheles gambiae: Insight into the cellular dynamics of a novel synthetic sex ratio distorter. PLoS Genet 2024; 20:e1011303. [PMID: 38848445 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1011303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2024] [Revised: 06/20/2024] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Despite efforts to explore the genome of the malaria vector Anopheles gambiae, the Y chromosome of this species remains enigmatic. The large number of repetitive and heterochromatic DNA sequences makes the Y chromosome exceptionally difficult to fully assemble, hampering the progress of gene editing techniques and functional studies for this chromosome. In this study, we made use of a bioinformatic platform to identify Y-specific repetitive DNA sequences that served as a target site for a CRISPR/Cas9 system. The activity of Cas9 in the reproductive organs of males caused damage to Y-bearing sperm without affecting their fertility, leading to a strong female bias in the progeny. Cytological investigation allowed us to identify meiotic defects and investigate sperm selection in this new synthetic sex ratio distorter system. In addition, alternative promoters enable us to target the Y chromosome in specific tissues and developmental stages of male mosquitoes, enabling studies that shed light on the role of this chromosome in male gametogenesis. This work paves the way for further insight into the poorly characterised Y chromosome of Anopheles gambiae. Moreover, the sex distorter strain we have generated promises to be a valuable tool for the advancement of studies in the field of developmental biology, with the potential to support the progress of genetic strategies aimed at controlling malaria mosquitoes and other pest species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Vitale
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Nace Kranjc
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Jessica Leigh
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Kyrous Kyrou
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas Courty
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Louise Marston
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Silvia Grilli
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Andrea Crisanti
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Federica Bernardini
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
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6
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Lawal L, Buhari AO, Jaji TA, Alatare AS, Adeyemo AO, Olumoh AO, Yusuff YA, Osborn G, Mogaji AB, Adoto BH, Ibrahim NG, Saliu WO, Abdul‐Rahman T. Lingering challenges in malaria elimination efforts in sub-Saharan Africa: Insights and potential solutions. Health Sci Rep 2024; 7:e2122. [PMID: 38831778 PMCID: PMC11144596 DOI: 10.1002/hsr2.2122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2023] [Revised: 04/14/2024] [Accepted: 04/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Between 2000 and 2015, significant gains were recorded in reducing the global burden of malaria due to enhanced global collaboration and increased funding. However, progress has stagnated post-2015, and the COVID-19 pandemic seems to have reversed some of these gains, necessitating a critical reevaluation of interventions. This paper aims to analyze the setbacks and offer recommendations for advancement in malaria control and prevention in sub-Saharan Africa. Methods We conducted searches on Google Scholar, PubMed, and relevant organization websites to identify relevant studies on malaria control and prevention and associated challenges in sub-Saharan Africa from 2015 to the present. Additionally, studies on individual sub-Saharan African countries were reviewed to ensure comprehensiveness. Data from selected studies were extracted and analyzed using a narrative synthesis approach to offer a concise overview of the evidence. Findings We observe that the halt in progress of malaria control in sub-Saharan Africa has deep roots in socioeconomic, political, and environmental factors. These challenges are exacerbated by the population explosion in the region, low coverage of interventions due to funding deficits and incessant crises, and the degradation of the efficacy of existing malaria commodities. Conclusion Sub-Saharan Africa is at a crossroads in its fight against malaria. Promising new frontiers such as malaria vaccines, preventive monoclonal antibodies, new-generation insecticide-treated nets, and potentially artificial intelligence-driven technologies offer hope in advancing malaria control and prevention in the region. Through commitment and collaboration, leveraging these opportunities can help surmount challenges and ultimately eliminate malaria in sub-Saharan Africa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukman Lawal
- Centre for Malaria and Other Tropical DiseasesIlorinNigeria
- Faculty of Clinical SciencesUniversity of IlorinIlorinNigeria
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Gabriel Osborn
- Faculty of Clinical SciencesUniversity of IlorinIlorinNigeria
| | | | | | | | | | - Toufik Abdul‐Rahman
- Medical InstituteSumy State UniversitySumyUkraine
- Toufik's World Medical AssociationSumyUkraine
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7
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Liu X, Goldsmith CL, Kang KE, Vedlitz A, Adelman ZN, Buchman LW, Heitman E, Medina RF. General science-technology orientation, specific benefit-risk assessment frame, and public acceptance of gene drive biotechnology. RISK ANALYSIS : AN OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE SOCIETY FOR RISK ANALYSIS 2024; 44:1381-1395. [PMID: 37882685 DOI: 10.1111/risa.14242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2022] [Revised: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 09/17/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023]
Abstract
With limited understanding of most new biotechnologies, how do citizens form their opinion and what factors influence their attitudes about these innovations? In this study, we use gene drive biotechnology in agricultural pest management as an example and theoretically propose that given low levels of knowledge and awareness, citizens' acceptance of, or opposition to, gene drive is significantly shaped by two predisposition factors: individuals' general orientation toward science and technology, and their specific benefit-risk assessment frame. Empirically, we employ data collected from a recent US nationally representative public opinion survey (N = 1220) and conduct statistical analyses to test the hypotheses derived from our theoretical expectations. Our statistical analyses, based on various model specifications and controlling for individual-level covariates and state-fixed effects, show that citizens with a more favorable general orientation toward science and technology are more likely to accept gene drive. Our data analyses also demonstrate that citizens' specific gene drive assessment frame-consisting of a potential benefit dimension and a potential risk dimension, significantly shapes their attitudes as well-specifically, people emphasizing more on the benefit dimension are more likely to accept gene drive, whereas those who place more importance on the risk dimension tend to oppose it. We discuss contributions of our study and make suggestions for future research in the conclusion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinsheng Liu
- Department of Government and Public Administration, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau, China
| | - Carol L Goldsmith
- Institute for Science, Technology and Public Policy, Bush School of Government and Public Service, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Ki Eun Kang
- Department of Public Administration, California State University, San Bernardino, California, USA
| | - Arnold Vedlitz
- Institute for Science, Technology and Public Policy, Bush School of Government and Public Service, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Zach N Adelman
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Leah W Buchman
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Elizabeth Heitman
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Raul F Medina
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
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8
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Zhang S, Champer J. Performance characteristics allow for confinement of a CRISPR toxin-antidote gene drive for population suppression in a reaction-diffusion model. Proc Biol Sci 2024; 291:20240500. [PMID: 38889790 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2024.0500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Gene drive alleles that can bias their own inheritance could engineer populations for control of disease vectors, invasive species and agricultural pests. There are successful examples of suppression drives and confined modification drives, but developing confined suppression drives has proven more difficult. However, CRISPR-based toxin-antidote dominant embryo (TADE) suppression drive may fill this niche. It works by targeting and disrupting a haplolethal target gene in the germline with its gRNAs while rescuing this target. It also disrupts a female fertility gene by driving insertion or additional gRNAs. Here, we used a reaction-diffusion model to assess drive performance in continuous space, where outcomes can be substantially different from those in panmictic populations. We measured drive wave speed and found that moderate fitness costs or target gene disruption in the early embryo from maternally deposited nuclease can eliminate the drive's ability to form a wave of advance. We assessed the required release size, and finally we investigated migration corridor scenarios. It is often possible for the drive to suppress one population and then persist in the corridor without invading the second population, a potentially desirable outcome. Thus, even imperfect variants of TADE suppression drive may be excellent candidates for confined population suppression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shijie Zhang
- Center for Bioinformatics, School of Life Sciences, Center for Life Sciences, Peking University , Beijing 100871, People's Republic of China
| | - Jackson Champer
- Center for Bioinformatics, School of Life Sciences, Center for Life Sciences, Peking University , Beijing 100871, People's Republic of China
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9
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Du J, Chen W, Jia X, Xu X, Yang E, Zhou R, Zhang Y, Metzloff M, Messer PW, Champer J. Germline Cas9 promoters with improved performance for homing gene drive. Nat Commun 2024; 15:4560. [PMID: 38811556 PMCID: PMC11137117 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48874-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024] Open
Abstract
Gene drive systems could be a viable strategy to prevent pathogen transmission or suppress vector populations by propagating drive alleles with super-Mendelian inheritance. CRISPR-based homing gene drives convert wild type alleles into drive alleles in heterozygotes with Cas9 and gRNA. It is thus desirable to identify Cas9 promoters that yield high drive conversion rates, minimize the formation rate of resistance alleles in both the germline and the early embryo, and limit somatic Cas9 expression. In Drosophila, the nanos promoter avoids leaky somatic expression, but at the cost of high embryo resistance from maternally deposited Cas9. To improve drive efficiency, we test eleven Drosophila melanogaster germline promoters. Some achieve higher drive conversion efficiency with minimal embryo resistance, but none completely avoid somatic expression. However, such somatic expression often does not carry detectable fitness costs for a rescue homing drive targeting a haplolethal gene, suggesting somatic drive conversion. Supporting a 4-gRNA suppression drive, one promoter leads to a low drive equilibrium frequency due to fitness costs from somatic expression, but the other outperforms nanos, resulting in successful suppression of the cage population. Overall, these Cas9 promoters hold advantages for homing drives in Drosophila species and may possess valuable homologs in other organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Du
- Center for Bioinformatics, School of Life Sciences, Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, 100871, Beijing, China.
| | - Weizhe Chen
- Center for Bioinformatics, School of Life Sciences, Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, 100871, Beijing, China
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, 100084, Beijing, China
| | - Xihua Jia
- Center for Bioinformatics, School of Life Sciences, Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, 100871, Beijing, China
| | - Xuejiao Xu
- Center for Bioinformatics, School of Life Sciences, Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, 100871, Beijing, China
| | - Emily Yang
- Department of Computational Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Ruizhi Zhou
- Center for Bioinformatics, School of Life Sciences, Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, 100871, Beijing, China
| | - Yuqi Zhang
- Center for Bioinformatics, School of Life Sciences, Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, 100871, Beijing, China
| | - Matt Metzloff
- Department of Computational Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Philipp W Messer
- Department of Computational Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Jackson Champer
- Center for Bioinformatics, School of Life Sciences, Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, 100871, Beijing, China.
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10
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Ambrose L, Allen SL, Iro'ofa C, Butafa C, Beebe NW. Genetic and geographic population structure in the malaria vector, Anopheles farauti, provides a candidate system for pioneering confinable gene-drive releases. Heredity (Edinb) 2024; 132:232-246. [PMID: 38494530 DOI: 10.1038/s41437-024-00677-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2023] [Revised: 02/27/2024] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Indoor insecticide applications are the primary tool for reducing malaria transmission in the Solomon Archipelago, a region where Anopheles farauti is the only common malaria vector. Due to the evolution of behavioural resistance in some An. farauti populations, these applications have become less effective. New malaria control interventions are therefore needed in this region, and gene-drives provide a promising new technology. In considering developing a population-specific (local) gene-drive in An. farauti, we detail the species' population genetic structure using microsatellites and whole mitogenomes, finding many spatially confined populations both within and between landmasses. This strong population structure suggests that An. farauti would be a useful system for developing a population-specific, confinable gene-drive for field release, where private alleles can be used as Cas9 targets. Previous work on Anopheles gambiae has used the Cardinal gene for the development of a global population replacement gene-drive. We therefore also analyse the Cardinal gene to assess whether it may be a suitable target to engineer a gene-drive for the modification of local An. farauti populations. Despite the extensive population structure observed in An. farauti for microsatellites, only one remote island population from Vanuatu contained fixed and private alleles at the Cardinal locus. Nonetheless, this study provides an initial framework for further population genomic investigations to discover high-frequency private allele targets in localized An. farauti populations. This would enable the development of gene-drive strains for modifying localised populations with minimal chance of escape and may provide a low-risk route to field trial evaluations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke Ambrose
- School of the Environment, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
| | - Scott L Allen
- School of the Environment, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Charlie Iro'ofa
- Solomon Islands Ministry of Health, Honiara, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands
| | - Charles Butafa
- Solomon Islands Ministry of Health, Honiara, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands
| | - Nigel W Beebe
- School of the Environment, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
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11
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Sánchez C. HM, Smith DL, Marshall JM. MGSurvE: A framework to optimize trap placement for genetic surveillance of mosquito populations. PLoS Comput Biol 2024; 20:e1012046. [PMID: 38709820 PMCID: PMC11098508 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1012046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Revised: 05/16/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Genetic surveillance of mosquito populations is becoming increasingly relevant as genetics-based mosquito control strategies advance from laboratory to field testing. Especially applicable are mosquito gene drive projects, the potential scale of which leads monitoring to be a significant cost driver. For these projects, monitoring will be required to detect unintended spread of gene drive mosquitoes beyond field sites, and the emergence of alternative alleles, such as drive-resistant alleles or non-functional effector genes, within intervention sites. This entails the need to distribute mosquito traps efficiently such that an allele of interest is detected as quickly as possible-ideally when remediation is still viable. Additionally, insecticide-based tools such as bednets are compromised by insecticide-resistance alleles for which there is also a need to detect as quickly as possible. To this end, we present MGSurvE (Mosquito Gene SurveillancE): a computational framework that optimizes trap placement for genetic surveillance of mosquito populations such that the time to detection of an allele of interest is minimized. A key strength of MGSurvE is that it allows important biological features of mosquitoes and the landscapes they inhabit to be accounted for, namely: i) resources required by mosquitoes (e.g., food sources and aquatic breeding sites) can be explicitly distributed through a landscape, ii) movement of mosquitoes may depend on their sex, the current state of their gonotrophic cycle (if female) and resource attractiveness, and iii) traps may differ in their attractiveness profile. Example MGSurvE analyses are presented to demonstrate optimal trap placement for: i) an Aedes aegypti population in a suburban landscape in Queensland, Australia, and ii) an Anopheles gambiae population on the island of São Tomé, São Tomé and Príncipe. Further documentation and use examples are provided in project's documentation. MGSurvE is intended as a resource for both field and computational researchers interested in mosquito gene surveillance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Héctor M. Sánchez C.
- Divisions of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - David L. Smith
- Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
- Department of Health Metrics Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - John M. Marshall
- Divisions of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California, United States of America
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12
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Agboka KM, Wamalwa M, Mutunga JM, Tonnang HEZ. A mathematical model for mapping the insecticide resistance trend in the Anopheles gambiae mosquito population under climate variability in Africa. Sci Rep 2024; 14:9850. [PMID: 38684842 PMCID: PMC11059405 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-60555-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2023] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024] Open
Abstract
The control of arthropod disease vectors using chemical insecticides is vital in combating malaria, however the increasing insecticide resistance (IR) poses a challenge. Furthermore, climate variability affects mosquito population dynamics and subsequently IR propagation. We present a mathematical model to decipher the relationship between IR in Anopheles gambiae populations and climate variability. By adapting the susceptible-infected-resistant (SIR) framework and integrating temperature and rainfall data, our model examines the connection between mosquito dynamics, IR, and climate. Model validation using field data achieved 92% accuracy, and the sensitivity of model parameters on the transmission potential of IR was elucidated (e.g. μPRCC = 0.85958, p-value < 0.001). In this study, the integration of high-resolution covariates with the SIR model had a significant impact on the spatial and temporal variation of IR among mosquito populations across Africa. Importantly, we demonstrated a clear association between climatic variability and increased IR (width = [0-3.78], α = 0.05). Regions with high IR variability, such as western Africa, also had high malaria incidences thereby corroborating the World Health Organization Malaria Report 2021. More importantly, this study seeks to bolster global malaria combat strategies by highlighting potential IR 'hotspots' for targeted intervention by National malria control programmes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Komi Mensah Agboka
- International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (Icipe), P.O. Box 30772 00100, Nairobi, Kenya.
| | - Mark Wamalwa
- International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (Icipe), P.O. Box 30772 00100, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - James Mutuku Mutunga
- School of Engineering Design and Innovation Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Henri E Z Tonnang
- International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (Icipe), P.O. Box 30772 00100, Nairobi, Kenya.
- School of Agricultural, Earth, and Environmental Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 3209, South Africa.
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13
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Ma S, Ni X, Chen S, Qiao X, Xu X, Chen W, Champer J, Huang J. A small-molecule approach to restore female sterility phenotype targeted by a homing suppression gene drive in the fruit pest Drosophila suzukii. PLoS Genet 2024; 20:e1011226. [PMID: 38578788 PMCID: PMC11023630 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1011226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2023] [Revised: 04/17/2024] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/07/2024] Open
Abstract
CRISPR-based gene drives offer promising prospects for controlling disease-transmitting vectors and agricultural pests. A significant challenge for successful suppression-type drive is the rapid evolution of resistance alleles. One approach to mitigate the development of resistance involves targeting functionally constrained regions using multiple gRNAs. In this study, we constructed a 3-gRNA homing gene drive system targeting the recessive female fertility gene Tyrosine decarboxylase 2 (Tdc2) in Drosophila suzukii, a notorious fruit pest. Our investigation revealed only a low level of homing in the germline, but feeding octopamine restored the egg-laying defects in Tdc2 mutant females, allowing easier line maintenance than for other suppression drive targets. We tested the effectiveness of a similar system in Drosophila melanogaster and constructed additional split drive systems by introducing promoter-Cas9 transgenes to improve homing efficiency. Our findings show that genetic polymorphisms in wild populations may limit the spread of gene drive alleles, and the position effect profoundly influences Cas9 activity. Furthermore, this study highlights the potential of conditionally rescuing the female infertility caused by the gene drive, offering a valuable tool for the industrial-scale production of gene drive transgenic insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suhan Ma
- Ministry of Agriculture Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Institute of Insect Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xuyang Ni
- Ministry of Agriculture Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Institute of Insect Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Shimin Chen
- Ministry of Agriculture Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Institute of Insect Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | | | - Xuejiao Xu
- Center for Bioinformatics, School of Life Sciences, Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Weizhe Chen
- Center for Bioinformatics, School of Life Sciences, Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
- PTN program, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Jackson Champer
- Center for Bioinformatics, School of Life Sciences, Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Jia Huang
- Ministry of Agriculture Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Institute of Insect Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
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14
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Li Z, You L, Hermann A, Bier E. Developmental progression of DNA double-strand break repair deciphered by a single-allele resolution mutation classifier. Nat Commun 2024; 15:2629. [PMID: 38521791 PMCID: PMC10960810 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46479-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 03/25/2024] Open
Abstract
DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) are repaired by a hierarchically regulated network of pathways. Factors influencing the choice of particular repair pathways, however remain poorly characterized. Here we develop an Integrated Classification Pipeline (ICP) to decompose and categorize CRISPR/Cas9 generated mutations on genomic target sites in complex multicellular insects. The ICP outputs graphic rank ordered classifications of mutant alleles to visualize discriminating DSB repair fingerprints generated from different target sites and alternative inheritance patterns of CRISPR components. We uncover highly reproducible lineage-specific mutation fingerprints in individual organisms and a developmental progression wherein Microhomology-Mediated End-Joining (MMEJ) or Insertion events predominate during early rapid mitotic cell cycles, switching to distinct subsets of Non-Homologous End-Joining (NHEJ) alleles, and then to Homology-Directed Repair (HDR)-based gene conversion. These repair signatures enable marker-free tracking of specific mutations in dynamic populations, including NHEJ and HDR events within the same samples, for in-depth analysis of diverse gene editing events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiqian Li
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
- Tata Institute for Genetics and Society, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Lang You
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
- Tata Institute for Genetics and Society, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Anita Hermann
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
- Tata Institute for Genetics and Society, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Ethan Bier
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA.
- Tata Institute for Genetics and Society, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA.
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15
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Caputo B, De Marco CM, Pichler V, Bottà G, Bennett KL, Clarkson CS, Tennessen JA, Weetman D, Miles A, Torre AD. Speciation within the Anopheles gambiae complex: high-throughput whole genome sequencing reveals evidence of a putative new cryptic taxon in 'far-west' Africa. RESEARCH SQUARE 2024:rs.3.rs-3914444. [PMID: 38562903 PMCID: PMC10984024 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3914444/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
The two main Afrotropical malaria vectors - Anopheles coluzzii and An. gambiae - are genetically distinct and reproductively isolated across West Africa. However, populations at the western extreme of their range are assigned as "intermediate" between the two species by whole genome sequence (WGS) data, and as hybrid forms by conventional molecular diagnostics. By exploiting WGS data from 1,190 specimens collected across west Africa via the Anopheles gambiae 1000 Genomes network, we identify a novel putative taxon in the far-west (provisionally named Bissau molecular form), which did not arise by admixture but rather originated at the same time as the split between An. coluzzii and An. gambiae. Intriguingly, these populations lack insecticide resistance mechanisms commonly observed in the two main species. These findings lead to a change of perspective on malaria vector species in the far-west region with potential for epidemiological implications, and a new challenge for genetic-based mosquito control approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Caputo
- Dipartimento di Sanità Pubblica e Malattie Infettive, Istituto Pasteur Italia-Fondazione Cenci-Bolognetti, Università di Roma "Sapienza", Rome Italy
| | - C M De Marco
- Dipartimento di Sanità Pubblica e Malattie Infettive, Istituto Pasteur Italia-Fondazione Cenci-Bolognetti, Università di Roma "Sapienza", Rome Italy
| | - V Pichler
- Dipartimento di Sanità Pubblica e Malattie Infettive, Istituto Pasteur Italia-Fondazione Cenci-Bolognetti, Università di Roma "Sapienza", Rome Italy
| | - G Bottà
- Dipartimento di Sanità Pubblica e Malattie Infettive, Istituto Pasteur Italia-Fondazione Cenci-Bolognetti, Università di Roma "Sapienza", Rome Italy
| | - K L Bennett
- Wellcome Sanger Genomic Surveillance Unit, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge, UK
| | - C S Clarkson
- Wellcome Sanger Genomic Surveillance Unit, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge, UK
| | - J A Tennessen
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
- Broad Institute, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - D Weetman
- Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK
| | - A Miles
- Wellcome Sanger Genomic Surveillance Unit, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge, UK
| | - A Della Torre
- Dipartimento di Sanità Pubblica e Malattie Infettive, Istituto Pasteur Italia-Fondazione Cenci-Bolognetti, Università di Roma "Sapienza", Rome Italy
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16
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Miranda LS, Rudd SR, Mena O, Hudspeth PE, Barboza-Corona JE, Park HW, Bideshi DK. The Perpetual Vector Mosquito Threat and Its Eco-Friendly Nemeses. BIOLOGY 2024; 13:182. [PMID: 38534451 DOI: 10.3390/biology13030182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2024] [Revised: 03/06/2024] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024]
Abstract
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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Affiliation(s)
- Leticia Silva Miranda
- Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences, Department of Biological Sciences, California Baptist University, Riverside, CA 92504, USA
| | - Sarah Renee Rudd
- Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences, Department of Biological Sciences, California Baptist University, Riverside, CA 92504, USA
- Integrated Biomedical Graduate Studies, and School of Medicine, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA 92350, USA
| | - Oscar Mena
- Undergraduate Program in Biomedical Sciences, Department of Biological Sciences, California Baptist University, Riverside, CA 92504, USA
| | - Piper Eden Hudspeth
- Undergraduate Program in Biomedical Sciences, Department of Biological Sciences, California Baptist University, Riverside, CA 92504, USA
| | - José E Barboza-Corona
- Departmento de Alimentos, Posgrado en Biociencias, Universidad de Guanajuato Campus Irapuato-Salamanca, Irapuato 36500, Guanajuato, Mexico
| | - Hyun-Woo Park
- Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences, Department of Biological Sciences, California Baptist University, Riverside, CA 92504, USA
- Undergraduate Program in Biomedical Sciences, Department of Biological Sciences, California Baptist University, Riverside, CA 92504, USA
| | - Dennis Ken Bideshi
- Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences, Department of Biological Sciences, California Baptist University, Riverside, CA 92504, USA
- Undergraduate Program in Biomedical Sciences, Department of Biological Sciences, California Baptist University, Riverside, CA 92504, USA
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17
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Evans JH, Schairer CE. Scientism, trust, value alignment, views of nature, and U.S. public opinion about gene drive mosquitos. PUBLIC UNDERSTANDING OF SCIENCE (BRISTOL, ENGLAND) 2024:9636625241229196. [PMID: 38469856 DOI: 10.1177/09636625241229196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
Gene drive could be a powerful tool for addressing problems of conservation, agriculture, and human health caused by insect and animal pests but is likely to be controversial as it involves the release of genetically modified organisms. This study examined the social determinants of opinion of gene drive. We asked a representative sample of the U.S. public to respond to a description of a hypothetical application of a gene-drive mosquito to the problem of malaria and examined the relationship of these responses with demographic and ideological beliefs. We found strong general approval for the use of gene-drive mosquitos to address malaria, coinciding with the concern about a possible environmental impact of modified mosquitos and that gene drives represent "too much power over nature." Among the determinants we measured, respondent acceptance of scientism and trust that scientists are advancing the public's interest were the greatest predictors of views of gene drive.
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18
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Zeledon EV, Baxt LA, Khan TA, Michino M, Miller M, Huggins DJ, Jiang CS, Vosshall LB, Duvall LB. Next Generation Neuropeptide Y Receptor Small Molecule Agonists Inhibit Mosquito Biting Behavior. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.02.28.582529. [PMID: 38464241 PMCID: PMC10925335 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.28.582529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
Female Aedes aegypti mosquitoes can spread disease-causing pathogens when they bite humans to obtain blood nutrients required for egg production. Following a complete blood meal, host-seeking is suppressed until eggs are laid. Neuropeptide Y-like Receptor 7 (NPYLR7) plays a role in endogenous host-seeking suppression and previous work identified small molecule NPYLR7 agonists that suppress host-seeking and blood feeding when fed to mosquitoes at high micromolar doses. Using structure activity relationship analysis and structure-guided design we synthesized 128 compounds with similarity to known NPYLR7 agonists. Although in vitro potency (EC50) was not strictly predictive of in vivo effect, we identified 3 compounds that suppressed blood feeding from a live host when fed to mosquitoes at a 1 μM dose, a 100-fold improvement over the original reference compound. Exogenous activation of NPYLR7 represents an innovative vector control strategy to block mosquito biting behavior and prevent mosquito/human host interactions that lead to pathogen transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emely V. Zeledon
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York NY 10065, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, New York NY 10065, USA
| | - Leigh A. Baxt
- Sanders Tri-Institutional Therapeutics Discovery Institute, New York, New York 10065, USA
| | - Tanweer A. Khan
- Sanders Tri-Institutional Therapeutics Discovery Institute, New York, New York 10065, USA
| | - Mayako Michino
- Sanders Tri-Institutional Therapeutics Discovery Institute, New York, New York 10065, USA
| | - Michael Miller
- Sanders Tri-Institutional Therapeutics Discovery Institute, New York, New York 10065, USA
| | - David J. Huggins
- Sanders Tri-Institutional Therapeutics Discovery Institute, New York, New York 10065, USA
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York NY 10065, USA
| | - Caroline S. Jiang
- Center for Clinical and Translational Science, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Leslie B. Vosshall
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York NY 10065, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, New York NY 10065, USA
- Kavli Neural Systems Institute, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Laura B. Duvall
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York NY 10027, USA
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19
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Giraldo D, Hammond AM, Wu J, Feole B, Al-Saloum N, McMeniman CJ. An expanded neurogenetic toolkit to decode olfaction in the African malaria mosquito Anopheles gambiae. CELL REPORTS METHODS 2024; 4:100714. [PMID: 38412833 PMCID: PMC10921037 DOI: 10.1016/j.crmeth.2024.100714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Revised: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024]
Abstract
Anopheles gambiae uses its sense of smell to hunt humans. We report a two-step method yielding cell-type-specific driver lines for enhanced neuroanatomical and functional studies of its olfactory system. We first integrated a driver-responder-marker (DRM) system cassette consisting of a linked T2A-QF2 driver, QUAS-GFP responder, and a gut-specific transgenesis marker into four chemoreceptor genes (Ir25a, Ir76b, Gr22, and orco) using CRISPR-Cas9-mediated homology-directed repair. The DRM system facilitated rapid selection of in-frame integrations via screening for GFP+ olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) in G1 larval progeny, even at genomic loci such as orco where we found the transgenesis marker was not visible. Next, we converted these DRM integrations into T2A-QF2 driver-marker lines by Cre-loxP excision of the GFP responder, making them suitable for binary use in transcuticular calcium imaging. These cell-type-specific driver lines tiling key OSN subsets will support systematic efforts to decode olfaction in this prolific malaria vector.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego Giraldo
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Andrew M Hammond
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Jinling Wu
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Brandon Feole
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Noor Al-Saloum
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Conor J McMeniman
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
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20
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Smidler AL, Marrogi E, Kauffman J, Paton DG, Westervelt KA, Church GM, Esvelt KM, Shaw WR, Catteruccia F. CRISPR-mediated germline mutagenesis for genetic sterilization of Anopheles gambiae males. Sci Rep 2024; 14:4057. [PMID: 38374393 PMCID: PMC10876656 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-54498-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 02/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Rapid spread of insecticide resistance among anopheline mosquitoes threatens malaria elimination efforts, necessitating development of alternative vector control technologies. Sterile insect technique (SIT) has been successfully implemented in multiple insect pests to suppress field populations by the release of large numbers of sterile males, yet it has proven difficult to adapt to Anopheles vectors. Here we outline adaptation of a CRISPR-based genetic sterilization system to selectively ablate male sperm cells in the malaria mosquito Anopheles gambiae. We achieve robust mosaic biallelic mutagenesis of zero population growth (zpg, a gene essential for differentiation of germ cells) in F1 individuals after intercrossing a germline-expressing Cas9 transgenic line to a line expressing zpg-targeting gRNAs. Approximately 95% of mutagenized males display complete genetic sterilization, and cause similarly high levels of infertility in their female mates. Using a fluorescence reporter that allows detection of the germline leads to a 100% accurate selection of spermless males, improving the system. These males cause a striking reduction in mosquito population size when released at field-like frequencies in competition cages against wild type males. These findings demonstrate that such a genetic system could be adopted for SIT against important malaria vectors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea L Smidler
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of Biology, University of California - San Diego, San Diego, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Eryney Marrogi
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Jamie Kauffman
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Douglas G Paton
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Kathleen A Westervelt
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - George M Church
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Kevin M Esvelt
- Media Lab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - W Robert Shaw
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, 20815, USA.
| | - Flaminia Catteruccia
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, 20815, USA.
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21
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De Rouck S, Mocchetti A, Dermauw W, Van Leeuwen T. SYNCAS: Efficient CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing in difficult to transform arthropods. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2024; 165:104068. [PMID: 38171463 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2023.104068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2023] [Revised: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
The genome editing technique CRISPR/Cas9 has led to major advancements in many research fields and this state-of-the-art tool has proven its use in genetic studies for various arthropods. However, most transformation protocols rely on microinjection of CRISPR/Cas9 components into embryos, a method which is challenging for many species. Alternatively, injections can be performed on adult females, but transformation efficiencies can be very low as was shown for the two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae, a minute but important chelicerate pest on many crops. In this study, we explored different CRISPR/Cas9 formulations to optimize a maternal injection protocol for T. urticae. We observed a strong synergy between branched amphipathic peptide capsules and saponins, resulting in a significant increase of CRISPR/Cas9 knock-out efficiency, exceeding 20%. This CRISPR/Cas9 formulation, termed SYNCAS, was used to knock-out different T. urticae genes - phytoene desaturase, CYP384A1 and Antennapedia - but also allowed to develop a co-CRISPR strategy and facilitated the generation of T. urticae knock-in mutants. In addition, SYNCAS was successfully applied to knock-out white and white-like genes in the western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis. The SYNCAS method allows routine genome editing in these species and can be a game changer for genetic research in other hard to transform arthropods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sander De Rouck
- Laboratory of Agrozoology, Department of Plants and Crops, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Belgium
| | - Antonio Mocchetti
- Laboratory of Agrozoology, Department of Plants and Crops, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Belgium
| | - Wannes Dermauw
- Laboratory of Agrozoology, Department of Plants and Crops, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Belgium.
| | - Thomas Van Leeuwen
- Laboratory of Agrozoology, Department of Plants and Crops, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Belgium.
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D'Amato R, Taxiarchi C, Galardini M, Trusso A, Minuz RL, Grilli S, Somerville AGT, Shittu D, Khalil AS, Galizi R, Crisanti A, Simoni A, Müller R. Anti-CRISPR Anopheles mosquitoes inhibit gene drive spread under challenging behavioural conditions in large cages. Nat Commun 2024; 15:952. [PMID: 38296981 PMCID: PMC10830555 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-44907-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 02/02/2024] Open
Abstract
CRISPR-based gene drives have the potential to spread within populations and are considered as promising vector control tools. A doublesex-targeting gene drive was able to suppress laboratory Anopheles mosquito populations in small and large cages, and it is considered for field application. Challenges related to the field-use of gene drives and the evolving regulatory framework suggest that systems able to modulate or revert the action of gene drives, could be part of post-release risk-mitigation plans. In this study, we challenge an AcrIIA4-based anti-drive to inhibit gene drive spread in age-structured Anopheles gambiae population under complex feeding and behavioural conditions. A stochastic model predicts the experimentally-observed genotype dynamics in age-structured populations in medium-sized cages and highlights the necessity of large-sized cage trials. These experiments and experimental-modelling framework demonstrate the effectiveness of the anti-drive in different scenarios, providing further corroboration for its use in controlling the spread of gene drive in Anopheles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rocco D'Amato
- Genetics and Ecology Research Centre, Polo of Genomics, Genetics and Biology (Polo GGB), Terni, Italy
| | | | - Marco Galardini
- Biological Design Center, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
- Institute for Molecular Bacteriology, TWINCORE Centre for Experimental and Clinical Infection Research, a joint venture between the Hannover Medical School (MHH) and the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Hannover, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence RESIST (EXC 2155), Hannover Medical School (MHH), Hannover, Germany
| | - Alessandro Trusso
- Genetics and Ecology Research Centre, Polo of Genomics, Genetics and Biology (Polo GGB), Terni, Italy
| | - Roxana L Minuz
- Genetics and Ecology Research Centre, Polo of Genomics, Genetics and Biology (Polo GGB), Terni, Italy
| | - Silvia Grilli
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | | | - Dammy Shittu
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Ahmad S Khalil
- Biological Design Center, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Roberto Galizi
- Centre for Applied Entomology and Parasitology, School of Life Sciences, Keele University, Keele, UK
| | - Andrea Crisanti
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Padova, Padua, Italy
| | - Alekos Simoni
- Genetics and Ecology Research Centre, Polo of Genomics, Genetics and Biology (Polo GGB), Terni, Italy.
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK.
| | - Ruth Müller
- Genetics and Ecology Research Centre, Polo of Genomics, Genetics and Biology (Polo GGB), Terni, Italy.
- Unit of Entomology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium.
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23
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Anderson MAE, Gonzalez E, Edgington MP, Ang JXD, Purusothaman DK, Shackleford L, Nevard K, Verkuijl SAN, Harvey-Samuel T, Leftwich PT, Esvelt K, Alphey L. A multiplexed, confinable CRISPR/Cas9 gene drive can propagate in caged Aedes aegypti populations. Nat Commun 2024; 15:729. [PMID: 38272895 PMCID: PMC10810878 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-44956-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 01/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Aedes aegypti is the main vector of several major pathogens including dengue, Zika and chikungunya viruses. Classical mosquito control strategies utilizing insecticides are threatened by rising resistance. This has stimulated interest in new genetic systems such as gene drivesHere, we test the regulatory sequences from the Ae. aegypti benign gonial cell neoplasm (bgcn) homolog to express Cas9 and a separate multiplexing sgRNA-expressing cassette inserted into the Ae. aegypti kynurenine 3-monooxygenase (kmo) gene. When combined, these two elements provide highly effective germline cutting at the kmo locus and act as a gene drive. Our target genetic element drives through a cage trial population such that carrier frequency of the element increases from 50% to up to 89% of the population despite significant fitness costs to kmo insertions. Deep sequencing suggests that the multiplexing design could mitigate resistance allele formation in our gene drive system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle A E Anderson
- Arthropod Genetics, The Pirbright Institute, Ash Road, Pirbright, GU24 0HN, UK
- The Department of Biology, University of York, Wentworth Way, York, YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Estela Gonzalez
- Arthropod Genetics, The Pirbright Institute, Ash Road, Pirbright, GU24 0HN, UK
- Animal and Plant Health Agency, Woodham Lane, Addlestone, Surrey, KT15 3NB, UK
| | - Matthew P Edgington
- Arthropod Genetics, The Pirbright Institute, Ash Road, Pirbright, GU24 0HN, UK
- The Department of Biology, University of York, Wentworth Way, York, YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Joshua X D Ang
- Arthropod Genetics, The Pirbright Institute, Ash Road, Pirbright, GU24 0HN, UK
- The Department of Biology, University of York, Wentworth Way, York, YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Deepak-Kumar Purusothaman
- Arthropod Genetics, The Pirbright Institute, Ash Road, Pirbright, GU24 0HN, UK
- MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, Henry Wellcome Building, 464 Bearsden Road, Glasgow, G61 1QH, UK
| | - Lewis Shackleford
- Arthropod Genetics, The Pirbright Institute, Ash Road, Pirbright, GU24 0HN, UK
- The Department of Biology, University of York, Wentworth Way, York, YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Katherine Nevard
- Arthropod Genetics, The Pirbright Institute, Ash Road, Pirbright, GU24 0HN, UK
| | - Sebald A N Verkuijl
- Arthropod Genetics, The Pirbright Institute, Ash Road, Pirbright, GU24 0HN, UK
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, 11a Mansfield Road, Oxford, OX1 3SZ, UK
| | | | - Philip T Leftwich
- Arthropod Genetics, The Pirbright Institute, Ash Road, Pirbright, GU24 0HN, UK
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, Norfolk, NR4 7TJ, UK
| | - Kevin Esvelt
- Media Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Luke Alphey
- Arthropod Genetics, The Pirbright Institute, Ash Road, Pirbright, GU24 0HN, UK.
- The Department of Biology, University of York, Wentworth Way, York, YO10 5DD, UK.
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24
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Olejarz JW, Nowak MA. Gene drives for the extinction of wild metapopulations. J Theor Biol 2024; 577:111654. [PMID: 37984587 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtbi.2023.111654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2023] [Revised: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023]
Abstract
Population-suppressing gene drives may be capable of extinguishing wild populations, with proposed applications in conservation, agriculture, and public health. However, unintended and potentially disastrous consequences of release of drive-engineered individuals are extremely difficult to predict. We propose a model for the dynamics of a sex ratio-biasing drive, and using simulations, we show that failure of the suppression drive is often a natural outcome due to stochastic and spatial effects. We further demonstrate rock-paper-scissors dynamics among wild-type, drive-infected, and extinct populations that can persist for arbitrarily long times. Gene drive-mediated extinction of wild populations entails critical complications that lurk far beyond the reach of laboratory-based studies. Our findings help in addressing these challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason W Olejarz
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, 02115, USA; Department of Mathematics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA.
| | - Martin A Nowak
- Department of Mathematics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA; Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
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25
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Habib MR, Bu L, Posavi M, Zhong D, Yan G, Zhang SM. Yolk proteins of the schistosomiasis vector snail Biomphalaria glabrata revealed by multi-omics analysis. Sci Rep 2024; 14:1820. [PMID: 38245605 PMCID: PMC10799875 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-52392-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 01/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Vitellogenesis is the most important process in animal reproduction, in which yolk proteins play a vital role. Among multiple yolk protein precursors, vitellogenin (Vtg) is a well-known major yolk protein (MYP) in most oviparous animals. However, the nature of MYP in the freshwater gastropod snail Biomphalaria glabrata remains elusive. In the current study, we applied bioinformatics, tissue-specific transcriptomics, ovotestis-targeted proteomics, and phylogenetics to investigate the large lipid transfer protein (LLTP) superfamily and ferritin-like family in B. glabrata. Four members of LLTP superfamily (BgVtg1, BgVtg2, BgApo1, and BgApo2), one yolk ferritin (Bg yolk ferritin), and four soma ferritins (Bg ferritin 1, 2, 3, and 4) were identified in B. glabrata genome. The proteomic analysis demonstrated that, among the putative yolk proteins, BgVtg1 was the yolk protein appearing in the highest amount in the ovotestis, followed by Bg yolk ferritin. RNAseq profile showed that the leading synthesis sites of BgVtg1 and Bg yolk ferritin are in the ovotestis (presumably follicle cells) and digestive gland, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that BgVtg1 is well clustered with Vtgs of other vertebrates and invertebrates. We conclude that, vitellogenin (BgVtg1), not yolk ferritin (Bg yolk ferritin), is the major yolk protein precursor in the schistosomiasis vector snail B. glabrata.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed R Habib
- Department of Biology, Center for Evolutionary and Theoretical Immunology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA
| | - Lijing Bu
- Department of Biology, Center for Evolutionary and Theoretical Immunology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA
| | - Marijan Posavi
- Department of Biology, Center for Evolutionary and Theoretical Immunology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA
| | - Daibin Zhong
- Program in Public Health, College of Health Science, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Guiyun Yan
- Program in Public Health, College of Health Science, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Si-Ming Zhang
- Department of Biology, Center for Evolutionary and Theoretical Immunology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA.
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26
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Tajudeen YA, Oladipo HJ, Oladunjoye IO, Oladipo MK, Shittu HD, Abdulmumeen IF, Afolabi AO, El-Sherbini MS. Transforming malaria prevention and control: the prospects and challenges of gene drive technology for mosquito management. Ann Med 2024; 55:2302504. [PMID: 38232762 PMCID: PMC10795774 DOI: 10.1080/07853890.2024.2302504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 01/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Background: In the era of insecticides and anti-malarial drug resistance, gene drive technology holds considerable promise for malaria control. Gene drive technology deploys genetic modifications into mosquito populations to impede their ability to transmit the malaria parasite. This can be either through the disruption of an essential mosquito gene or the association of gene drive with a desirable effector gene. CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) is a gene editing tool that precisely modifies mosquito vector DNA sequences and curtails the rate of pathogen transmission.Methods: A comprehensive search was conducted in the SCOPUS and MEDLINE databases (via PubMed) until October 2023. The keywords used were related to the principles and mechanisms of gene drive technology, its advantages, and disadvantages, and its ethical and regulatory considerations in sustainable malaria eradication.Results: The development of gene drive enables the preferential inheritance of specific genes in targeted mosquitoes, potentially obstructing the transmission of the Plasmodium parasite. This technology was also studied for the control of other vector-borne diseases such as dengue and chikungunya viruses. Despite its experimental superiority over other traditional methods such as insecticide-treated nets and insecticide sprays, the long-term dynamic interplay of mutation and resistance poses challenges for gene drive efficiency in sustainable malaria control.Conclusions: This commentary elucidates the underlying mechanisms and principles of gene drive technology, underscoring its promise and challenges as a novel strategy to curtail malaria prevalence. Although the release of such genetically modified mosquitoes into the natural environment would result in the eradication of the locally targeted species of mosquitoes, the complete eradication of the entire species remains questionable. Thus, the practical application raises significant ethical and regulatory concerns for further research and risk assessment, including the risk of gene drive spreading to nontarget species in the wider theatre of biodiverse species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yusuf Amuda Tajudeen
- Department of Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, Faculty of Public Health, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria
| | - Habeebullah Jayeola Oladipo
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria
| | | | | | | | - Imam-Fulani Abdulmumeen
- Faculty of health science, Department of Public health, Alhikmah University Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria
| | - Abdullateef Opeyemi Afolabi
- Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Kampala International University, Bushenyi, Uganda
| | - Mona Said El-Sherbini
- Department of Medical Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
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27
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Arora G, Tang X, Cui Y, Yang J, Chuang YM, Joshi J, Sajid A, Dong Y, Cresswell P, Dimopoulos G, Fikrig E. mosGILT controls innate immunity and germ cell development in Anopheles gambiae. BMC Genomics 2024; 25:42. [PMID: 38191283 PMCID: PMC10775533 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-023-09887-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Gene-edited mosquitoes lacking a gamma-interferon-inducible lysosomal thiol reductase-like protein, namely (mosGILTnull) have lower Plasmodium infection, which is linked to impaired ovarian development and immune activation. The transcriptome of mosGILTnull Anopheles gambiae was therefore compared to wild type (WT) mosquitoes by RNA-sequencing to delineate mosGILT-dependent pathways. Compared to WT mosquitoes, mosGILTnull A. gambiae demonstrated altered expression of genes related to oogenesis, 20-hydroxyecdysone synthesis, as well as immune-related genes. Serendipitously, the zero population growth gene, zpg, an essential regulator of germ cell development was found to be one of the most downregulated genes in mosGILTnull mosquitoes. These results provide a crucial missing link between two previous studies on the role of zpg and mosGILT in ovarian development. This study further demonstrates that mosGILT has the potential to serve as a target for the biological control of mosquito vectors and to influence the Plasmodium life cycle within the vector.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gunjan Arora
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, 06520, USA.
| | - Xiaotian Tang
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, 06520, USA
| | - Yingjun Cui
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, 06520, USA
| | - Jing Yang
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, 06520, USA
- Current Affiliation: Cuiying Biomedical Research Center, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730030, China
| | - Yu-Min Chuang
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, 06520, USA
| | - Jayadev Joshi
- Genomic Medicine Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, 44195, USA
| | - Andaleeb Sajid
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, 06520, USA
| | - Yuemei Dong
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, 21205, USA
| | - Peter Cresswell
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, 06510, USA
| | - George Dimopoulos
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, 21205, USA
| | - Erol Fikrig
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, 06520, USA.
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28
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Meccariello A, Hou S, Davydova S, Fawcett JD, Siddall A, Leftwich PT, Krsticevic F, Papathanos PA, Windbichler N. Gene drive and genetic sex conversion in the global agricultural pest Ceratitis capitata. Nat Commun 2024; 15:372. [PMID: 38191463 PMCID: PMC10774415 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-44399-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Homing-based gene drives are recently proposed interventions promising the area-wide, species-specific genetic control of harmful insect populations. Here we characterise a first set of gene drives in a tephritid agricultural pest species, the Mediterranean fruit fly Ceratitis capitata (medfly). Our results show that the medfly is highly amenable to homing-based gene drive strategies. By targeting the medfly transformer gene, we also demonstrate how CRISPR-Cas9 gene drive can be coupled to sex conversion, whereby genetic females are transformed into fertile and harmless XX males. Given this unique malleability of sex determination, we modelled gene drive interventions that couple sex conversion and female sterility and found that such approaches could be effective and tolerant of resistant allele selection in the target population. Our results open the door for developing gene drive strains for the population suppression of the medfly and related tephritid pests by co-targeting female reproduction and shifting the reproductive sex ratio towards males. They demonstrate the untapped potential for gene drives to tackle agricultural pests in an environmentally friendly and economical way.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela Meccariello
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK.
| | - Shibo Hou
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Serafima Davydova
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | | | - Alexandra Siddall
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, UK
| | - Philip T Leftwich
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, UK
| | - Flavia Krsticevic
- Department of Entomology, Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Philippos Aris Papathanos
- Department of Entomology, Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
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29
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McGaughran A, Dhami MK, Parvizi E, Vaughan AL, Gleeson DM, Hodgins KA, Rollins LA, Tepolt CK, Turner KG, Atsawawaranunt K, Battlay P, Congrains C, Crottini A, Dennis TPW, Lange C, Liu XP, Matheson P, North HL, Popovic I, Rius M, Santure AW, Stuart KC, Tan HZ, Wang C, Wilson J. Genomic Tools in Biological Invasions: Current State and Future Frontiers. Genome Biol Evol 2024; 16:evad230. [PMID: 38109935 PMCID: PMC10776249 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evad230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2023] [Revised: 11/16/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 12/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Human activities are accelerating rates of biological invasions and climate-driven range expansions globally, yet we understand little of how genomic processes facilitate the invasion process. Although most of the literature has focused on underlying phenotypic correlates of invasiveness, advances in genomic technologies are showing a strong link between genomic variation and invasion success. Here, we consider the ability of genomic tools and technologies to (i) inform mechanistic understanding of biological invasions and (ii) solve real-world issues in predicting and managing biological invasions. For both, we examine the current state of the field and discuss how genomics can be leveraged in the future. In addition, we make recommendations pertinent to broader research issues, such as data sovereignty, metadata standards, collaboration, and science communication best practices that will require concerted efforts from the global invasion genomics community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela McGaughran
- Te Aka Mātuatua/School of Science, University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand
| | - Manpreet K Dhami
- Biocontrol and Molecular Ecology, Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research, Lincoln, New Zealand
- School of Biological Sciences, Waipapa Taumata Rau/University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Elahe Parvizi
- Te Aka Mātuatua/School of Science, University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand
| | - Amy L Vaughan
- Biocontrol and Molecular Ecology, Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research, Lincoln, New Zealand
| | - Dianne M Gleeson
- Centre for Conservation Ecology and Genomics, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Canberra, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Kathryn A Hodgins
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Lee A Rollins
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Carolyn K Tepolt
- Department of Biology, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA, USA
| | - Kathryn G Turner
- Department of Biological Sciences, Idaho State University, Pocatello, ID, USA
| | - Kamolphat Atsawawaranunt
- School of Biological Sciences, Waipapa Taumata Rau/University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Paul Battlay
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Carlos Congrains
- Entomology Section, Department of Plant and Environmental Protection Sciences, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
- US Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service, Daniel K. Inouye US Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center, Hilo, HI 96720, USA
| | - Angelica Crottini
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, Vairão 4485-661, Portugal
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Porto 4169–007, Portugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Vairão 4485-661, Portugal
| | - Tristan P W Dennis
- Department of Vector Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK
| | - Claudia Lange
- Biocontrol and Molecular Ecology, Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research, Lincoln, New Zealand
| | - Xiaoyue P Liu
- Department of Marine Science, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Paige Matheson
- Te Aka Mātuatua/School of Science, University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand
| | - Henry L North
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Iva Popovic
- School of the Environment, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Marc Rius
- Centre for Advanced Studies of Blanes (CEAB, CSIC), Accés a la Cala Sant Francesc, Blanes, Spain
- Department of Zoology, Centre for Ecological Genomics and Wildlife Conservation, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg 2006, South Africa
| | - Anna W Santure
- School of Biological Sciences, Waipapa Taumata Rau/University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Katarina C Stuart
- School of Biological Sciences, Waipapa Taumata Rau/University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Hui Zhen Tan
- School of Biological Sciences, Waipapa Taumata Rau/University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Cui Wang
- The Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jonathan Wilson
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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Kola NS, Patel D, Thakur A. RNA-Based Vaccines and Therapeutics Against Intracellular Pathogens. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2813:321-370. [PMID: 38888787 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3890-3_21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/20/2024]
Abstract
RNA-based vaccines have sparked a paradigm shift in the treatment and prevention of diseases by nucleic acid medicines. There has been a notable surge in the development of nucleic acid therapeutics and vaccines following the global approval of the two messenger RNA-based COVID-19 vaccines. This growth is fueled by the exploration of numerous RNA products in preclinical stages, offering several advantages over conventional methods, i.e., safety, efficacy, scalability, and cost-effectiveness. In this chapter, we provide an overview of various types of RNA and their mechanisms of action for stimulating immune responses and inducing therapeutic effects. Furthermore, this chapter delves into the varying delivery systems, particularly emphasizing the use of nanoparticles to deliver RNA. The choice of delivery system is an intricate process involved in developing nucleic acid medicines that significantly enhances their stability, biocompatibility, and site-specificity. Additionally, this chapter sheds light on the current landscape of clinical trials of RNA therapeutics and vaccines against intracellular pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naga Suresh Kola
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | - Dhruv Patel
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | - Aneesh Thakur
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada.
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31
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Harris KD, Greenbaum G. Rescue by gene swamping as a gene drive deployment strategy. Cell Rep 2023; 42:113499. [PMID: 38039130 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2022] [Revised: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Gene drives are genetic constructs that can spread deleterious alleles with potential application to population suppression of harmful species. As gene drives can potentially spill over to other populations or species, control measures and fail-safe strategies must be considered. Gene drives can generate a rapid change in the population's genetic composition, leading to substantial demographic decline, processes that are expected to occur at a similar timescale during gene drive spread. We developed a gene drive model that combines evolutionary and demographic dynamics in a two-population setting. The model demonstrates how feedback between these dynamics generates additional outcomes to those generated by the evolutionary dynamics alone. We identify an outcome of particular interest where short-term suppression of the target population is followed by gene swamping and loss of the gene drive. This outcome can prevent spillover and is robust to the evolution of resistance, suggesting it may be suitable as a fail-safe strategy for gene drive deployment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keith D Harris
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91904, Israel.
| | - Gili Greenbaum
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91904, Israel.
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32
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Wahl M, Levy T, Ventura T, Sagi A. Monosex Populations of the Giant Freshwater Prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii-From a Pre-Molecular Start to the Next Generation Era. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:17433. [PMID: 38139271 PMCID: PMC10743721 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242417433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2023] [Revised: 10/27/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Sexual manipulation in the giant freshwater prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii has proven successful in generating monosex (both all-male and all-female) populations for aquaculture using a crustacean-specific endocrine gland, the androgenic gland (AG), which serves as a key masculinizing factor by producing and secreting an insulin-like AG hormone (IAG). Here, we provide a summary of the advancements from the discovery of the AG and IAG in decapods through to the development of monosex populations in M. rosenbergii. We discuss the broader sexual development pathway, which is highly divergent across decapods, and provide our future perspective on the utility of novel genetic and genomic tools in promoting refined approaches towards monosex biotechnology. Finally, the future potential benefits of deploying monosex prawn populations for environmental management are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melody Wahl
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, P.O. Box 653, Beer-Sheva 8410501, Israel;
| | - Tom Levy
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA;
- Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA 93950, USA
| | - Tomer Ventura
- Centre for Bioinnovation, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs, QLD 4556, Australia;
- School of Science and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs, QLD 4556, Australia
| | - Amir Sagi
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, P.O. Box 653, Beer-Sheva 8410501, Israel;
- National Institute for Biotechnology in the Negev, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, P.O. Box 653, Beer-Sheva 8410501, Israel
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33
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Green EI, Jaouen E, Klug D, Proveti Olmo R, Gautier A, Blandin S, Marois E. A population modification gene drive targeting both Saglin and Lipophorin impairs Plasmodium transmission in Anopheles mosquitoes. eLife 2023; 12:e93142. [PMID: 38051195 PMCID: PMC10786457 DOI: 10.7554/elife.93142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Lipophorin is an essential, highly expressed lipid transport protein that is secreted and circulates in insect hemolymph. We hijacked the Anopheles coluzzii Lipophorin gene to make it co-express a single-chain version of antibody 2A10, which binds sporozoites of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. The resulting transgenic mosquitoes show a markedly decreased ability to transmit Plasmodium berghei expressing the P. falciparum circumsporozoite protein to mice. To force the spread of this antimalarial transgene in a mosquito population, we designed and tested several CRISPR/Cas9-based gene drives. One of these is installed in, and disrupts, the pro-parasitic gene Saglin and also cleaves wild-type Lipophorin, causing the anti-malarial modified Lipophorin version to replace the wild type and hitch-hike together with the Saglin drive. Although generating drive-resistant alleles and showing instability in its gRNA-encoding multiplex array, the Saglin-based gene drive reached high levels in caged mosquito populations and efficiently promoted the simultaneous spread of the antimalarial Lipophorin::Sc2A10 allele. This combination is expected to decrease parasite transmission via two different mechanisms. This work contributes to the design of novel strategies to spread antimalarial transgenes in mosquitoes, and illustrates some expected and unexpected outcomes encountered when establishing a population modification gene drive.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily I Green
- Inserm U1257, CNRS UPR9022, University of StrasbourgStrasbourgFrance
| | - Etienne Jaouen
- Inserm U1257, CNRS UPR9022, University of StrasbourgStrasbourgFrance
| | - Dennis Klug
- Inserm U1257, CNRS UPR9022, University of StrasbourgStrasbourgFrance
| | | | - Amandine Gautier
- Inserm U1257, CNRS UPR9022, University of StrasbourgStrasbourgFrance
| | - Stéphanie Blandin
- Inserm U1257, CNRS UPR9022, University of StrasbourgStrasbourgFrance
| | - Eric Marois
- Inserm U1257, CNRS UPR9022, University of StrasbourgStrasbourgFrance
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34
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Kumam Y, Trick HN, Vara Prasad P, Jugulam M. Transformative Approaches for Sustainable Weed Management: The Power of Gene Drive and CRISPR-Cas9. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:2176. [PMID: 38136999 PMCID: PMC10742955 DOI: 10.3390/genes14122176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2023] [Revised: 11/25/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Weeds can negatively impact crop yields and the ecosystem's health. While many weed management strategies have been developed and deployed, there is a greater need for the development of sustainable methods for employing integrated weed management. Gene drive systems can be used as one of the approaches to suppress the aggressive growth and reproductive behavior of weeds, although their efficacy is yet to be tested. Their popularity in insect pest management has increased, however, with the advent of CRISPR-Cas9 technology, which provides specificity and precision in editing the target gene. This review focuses on the different types of gene drive systems, including the use of CRISPR-Cas9-based systems and their success stories in pest management, while also exploring their possible applications in weed species. Factors that govern the success of a gene drive system in weeds, including the mode of reproduction, the availability of weed genome databases, and well-established transformation protocols are also discussed. Importantly, the risks associated with the release of weed populations with gene drive-bearing alleles into wild populations are also examined, along with the importance of addressing ecological consequences and ethical concerns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaiphabi Kumam
- Department of Agronomy, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA; (Y.K.); (P.V.V.P.)
| | - Harold N Trick
- Department of Plant Pathology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA;
| | - P.V. Vara Prasad
- Department of Agronomy, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA; (Y.K.); (P.V.V.P.)
| | - Mithila Jugulam
- Department of Agronomy, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA; (Y.K.); (P.V.V.P.)
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35
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Dalla Benetta E, López-Denman AJ, Li HH, Masri RA, Brogan DJ, Bui M, Yang T, Li M, Dunn M, Klein MJ, Jackson S, Catalan K, Blasdell KR, Tng P, Antoshechkin I, Alphey LS, Paradkar PN, Akbari OS. Engineered Antiviral Sensor Targets Infected Mosquitoes. CRISPR J 2023; 6:543-556. [PMID: 38108518 PMCID: PMC11085028 DOI: 10.1089/crispr.2023.0056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Escalating vector disease burdens pose significant global health risks, as such innovative tools for targeting mosquitoes are critical. CRISPR-Cas technologies have played a crucial role in developing powerful tools for genome manipulation in various eukaryotic organisms. Although considerable efforts have focused on utilizing class II type II CRISPR-Cas9 systems for DNA targeting, these modalities are unable to target RNA molecules, limiting their utility against RNA viruses. Recently, the Cas13 family has emerged as an efficient tool for RNA targeting; however, the application of this technique in mosquitoes, particularly Aedes aegypti, has yet to be fully realized. In this study, we engineered an antiviral strategy termed REAPER (vRNA Expression Activates Poisonous Effector Ribonuclease) that leverages the programmable RNA-targeting capabilities of CRISPR-Cas13 and its potent collateral activity. REAPER remains concealed within the mosquito until an infectious blood meal is uptaken. Upon target viral RNA infection, REAPER activates, triggering programmed destruction of its target arbovirus such as chikungunya. Consequently, Cas13-mediated RNA targeting significantly reduces viral replication and viral prevalence of infection, and its promiscuous collateral activity can even kill infected mosquitoes within a few days. This innovative REAPER technology adds to an arsenal of effective molecular genetic tools to combat mosquito virus transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Dalla Benetta
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Adam J. López-Denman
- CSIRO Health and Biosecurity, Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness, Geelong, Australia
| | - Hsing-Han Li
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Reem A. Masri
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Daniel J. Brogan
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Michelle Bui
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Ting Yang
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Ming Li
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Michael Dunn
- CSIRO Health and Biosecurity, Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness, Geelong, Australia
| | - Melissa J. Klein
- CSIRO Health and Biosecurity, Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness, Geelong, Australia
| | - Sarah Jackson
- CSIRO Health and Biosecurity, Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness, Geelong, Australia
| | - Kyle Catalan
- CSIRO Health and Biosecurity, Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness, Geelong, Australia
| | - Kim R. Blasdell
- CSIRO Health and Biosecurity, Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness, Geelong, Australia
| | - Priscilla Tng
- Arthropod Genetics, The Pirbright Institute, Pirbright, United Kingdom
| | - Igor Antoshechkin
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering (BBE), California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
| | - Luke S. Alphey
- Arthropod Genetics, The Pirbright Institute, Pirbright, United Kingdom
- Department of Biology, University of York, York, United Kingdom
| | - Prasad N. Paradkar
- CSIRO Health and Biosecurity, Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness, Geelong, Australia
| | - Omar S. Akbari
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
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36
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Raban R, Marshall JM, Hay BA, Akbari OS. Manipulating the Destiny of Wild Populations Using CRISPR. Annu Rev Genet 2023; 57:361-390. [PMID: 37722684 PMCID: PMC11064769 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-genet-031623-105059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/20/2023]
Abstract
Genetic biocontrol aims to suppress or modify populations of species to protect public health, agriculture, and biodiversity. Advancements in genome engineering technologies have fueled a surge in research in this field, with one gene editing technology, CRISPR, leading the charge. This review focuses on the current state of CRISPR technologies for genetic biocontrol of pests and highlights the progress and ongoing challenges of using these approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robyn Raban
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA;
| | - John M Marshall
- Divisions of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Bruce A Hay
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering (BBE), California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
| | - Omar S Akbari
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA;
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37
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Aslan C, Zolbanin NM, Faraji F, Jafari R. Exosomes for CRISPR-Cas9 Delivery: The Cutting Edge in Genome Editing. Mol Biotechnol 2023:10.1007/s12033-023-00932-7. [PMID: 38012525 DOI: 10.1007/s12033-023-00932-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
Gene mutation correction was challenging until the discovery of clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) and CRISPR-associated protein (Cas). CRISPR is a new era for genome modification, and this technology has bypassed the limitations of previous methods such as zinc-finger nuclease and transcription activator-like effector nuclease. Currently, this method is becoming the method of choice for gene-editing purposes, especially therapeutic gene editing in diseases such as cardiovascular, neurological, renal, genetic, optical, and stem cell, as well as blood disorders and muscular degeneration. However, finding the optimum delivery system capable of carrying this large complex persists as the main challenge of this technology. Therefore, it would be ideal if the delivery vehicle could direct the introduction of editing functions to specific cells in a multicellular organism. Exosomes are membrane-bound vesicles with high biocompatibility and low immunogenicity; they offer the best and most reliable way to fill the CRISPR/Cas9 system delivery gap. This review presents the current evidence on the molecular mechanisms and challenges of CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome modification. Also, the role of CRISPR/Cas9 in the development of treatment and diagnosis of numerous disorders, from malignancies to viral infections, has been discussed. Lastly, the focus is on new advances in exosome-delivery technologies that may play a role in CRISPR/Cas9 delivery for future clinical settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cynthia Aslan
- Research Center for Integrative Medicine in Aging, Aging Research Institute, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Naime Majidi Zolbanin
- Experimental and Applied Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Pharmacy, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Faraji
- Hazrat-e Rasool General Hospital, Antimicrobial Resistance Research Center, Institute of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Floor 3, Building No. 3, Niyayesh St, Sattar Khan St, Tehran, 1445613131, Iran.
| | - Reza Jafari
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Cellular and Molecular Medicine Research Institute, Clinical Research Institute, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Shafa St., Ershad Blvd., P.O. Box: 1138, Urmia, 57147, Iran.
- Department of Immunology and Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran.
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38
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Chennuri PR, Zapletal J, Monfardini RD, Ndeffo-Mbah ML, Adelman ZN, Myles KM. Repeat mediated excision of gene drive elements for restoring wild-type populations. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.11.23.568397. [PMID: 38045402 PMCID: PMC10690251 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.23.568397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/05/2023]
Abstract
We demonstrate here that single strand annealing (SSA) repair can be co-opted for the precise autocatalytic excision of a drive element. Although SSA is not the predominant form of DNA repair in eukaryotic organisms, we increased the likelihood of its use by engineering direct repeats at sites flanking the drive allele, and then introducing a double-strand DNA break (DSB) at a second endonuclease target site encoded within the drive allele. We have termed this technology Re peat M ediated E xcision of a D rive E lement (ReMEDE). Incorporation of ReMEDE into the previously described mutagenic chain reaction (MCR) gene drive, targeting the yellow gene of Drosophila melanogaster , replaced drive alleles with wild-type alleles demonstrating proof-of-principle. Although the ReMEDE system requires further research and development, the technology has a number of attractive features as a gene drive mitigation strategy, chief among these the potential to restore a wild-type population without releasing additional transgenic organisms or large-scale environmental engineering efforts.
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Harvey-Samuel T, Feng X, Okamoto EM, Purusothaman DK, Leftwich PT, Alphey L, Gantz VM. CRISPR-based gene drives generate super-Mendelian inheritance in the disease vector Culex quinquefasciatus. Nat Commun 2023; 14:7561. [PMID: 37985762 PMCID: PMC10662442 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41834-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Culex mosquitoes pose a significant public health threat as vectors for a variety of diseases including West Nile virus and lymphatic filariasis, and transmit pathogens threatening livestock, companion animals, and endangered birds. Rampant insecticide resistance makes controlling these mosquitoes challenging and necessitates the development of new control strategies. Gene drive technologies have made significant progress in other mosquito species, although similar advances have been lagging in Culex. Here we test a CRISPR-based homing gene drive for Culex quinquefasciatus, and show that the inheritance of two split-gene-drive transgenes, targeting different loci, are biased in the presence of a Cas9-expressing transgene although with modest efficiencies. Our findings extend the list of disease vectors where engineered homing gene drives have been demonstrated to include Culex alongside Anopheles and Aedes, and pave the way for future development of these technologies to control Culex mosquitoes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim Harvey-Samuel
- Arthropod Genetics Group, The Pirbright Institute, Woking, GU24 0NF, UK
| | - Xuechun Feng
- Section of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA.
- Institute of Infectious Diseases, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Guangdong, 518106, Shenzhen, China.
| | - Emily M Okamoto
- Section of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Deepak-Kumar Purusothaman
- Arthropod Genetics Group, The Pirbright Institute, Woking, GU24 0NF, UK
- MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Philip T Leftwich
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, UK
| | - Luke Alphey
- Arthropod Genetics Group, The Pirbright Institute, Woking, GU24 0NF, UK.
- Biology Department, University of York, York, YO10 5DD, UK.
| | - Valentino M Gantz
- Section of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA.
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40
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Zhang P, Jialaliding Z, Gu J, Merchant A, Zhang Q, Zhou X. Knockout of ovary serine protease Leads to Ovary Deformation and Female Sterility in the Asian Corn Borer, Ostrinia furnacalis. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:16311. [PMID: 38003502 PMCID: PMC10671606 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242216311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2023] [Revised: 11/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Oogenesis in insects is a carefully orchestrated process, facilitating the formation of female gametes, which is regulated by multiple extrinsic and intrinsic factors, including ovary serine protease (Osp). As a member of the serine protease family, Osp is a homolog of Nudel, a maternally required protease defining embryonic dorsoventral polarity in Drosophila. In this study, we used CRISPR/Cas9-mediated mutagenesis to functionally characterize Osp in the Asian corn borer, Ostrinia furnacalis, a devastating maize pest throughout Asia and Australia. Building on previous knowledge, we hypothesized that knockout of Osp would disrupt embryonic development in O. furnacalis females. To examine this overarching hypothesis, we (1) cloned and characterized Osp from O. furnacalis, (2) designed target sites on exons 1 and 4 to construct a CRISPR/Cas9 mutagenesis system, and (3) documented phenotypic impacts among O. furnacalis Osp mutants. As a result, we (1) examined the temporal-spatial expression profiles of OfOsp, which has an open reading frame of 5648 bp in length and encodes a protein of 1873 amino acids; (2) established O. furnacalis Osp mutants; and (3) documented recessive, female-specific sterility among OfOspF mutants, including absent or deformed oviducts and reduced fertility in female but not male mutants. Overall, the combined results support our initial hypothesis that Osp is required for embryonic development, specifically ovarian maturation, in O. furnacalis females. Given its substantial impacts on female sterility, Osp provides a potential target for the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) to manage Lepidoptera pests in general and the species complex Ostrinia in particular.
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Affiliation(s)
- Porui Zhang
- College of Plant Protection, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang 110866, China; (P.Z.); (Z.J.); (J.G.)
| | - Zuerdong Jialaliding
- College of Plant Protection, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang 110866, China; (P.Z.); (Z.J.); (J.G.)
| | - Junwen Gu
- College of Plant Protection, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang 110866, China; (P.Z.); (Z.J.); (J.G.)
| | - Austin Merchant
- Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40546, USA;
| | - Qi Zhang
- College of Plant Protection, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang 110866, China; (P.Z.); (Z.J.); (J.G.)
| | - Xuguo Zhou
- Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40546, USA;
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41
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Krzywinska E, Ribeca P, Ferretti L, Hammond A, Krzywinski J. A novel factor modulating X chromosome dosage compensation in Anopheles. Curr Biol 2023; 33:4697-4703.e4. [PMID: 37774706 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2023] [Revised: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 10/01/2023]
Abstract
Dosage compensation (DC), a process countering chromosomal imbalance in individuals with heteromorphic sex chromosomes, has been molecularly characterized only in mammals, Caenorhabditis elegans, and fruit flies.1 In Drosophila melanogaster males, it is achieved by an approximately 2-fold hypertranscription of the monosomic X chromosome mediated by the MSL complex.2,3 The complex is not assembled on female X chromosomes because production of its key protein MSL-2 is prevented due to intron retention and inhibition of translation by Sex-lethal, a female-specific protein operating at the top of the sex determination pathway.4 It remains unclear how DC is mechanistically regulated in other insects. In the malaria mosquito Anopheles gambiae, an approximately 2-fold hypertranscription of the male X also occurs5 by a yet-unknown molecular mechanism distinct from that in D. melanogaster.6 Here we show that a male-specifically spliced gene we call 007, which arose by a tandem duplication in the Anopheles ancestral lineage, is involved in the control of DC in males. Homozygous 007 knockouts lead to a global downregulation of the male X, phenotypically manifested by a slower development compared to wild-type mosquitoes or mutant females-however, without loss of viability or fertility. In females, a 007 intron retention promoted by the sex determination protein Femaleless, known to prevent hypertranscription from both X chromosomes,7 introduces a premature termination codon apparently rendering the female transcripts non-productive. In addition to providing a unique perspective on DC evolution, the 007, with its conserved properties, may represent an important addition to a genetic toolbox for malaria vector control.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Paolo Ribeca
- The Pirbright Institute, Ash Road, Pirbright, Surrey GU24 0NF, UK; National Infection Service, UK Health Security Agency, Colindale Avenue, London NW9 5EQ, UK
| | - Luca Ferretti
- Big Data Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Old Road Campus, Oxford OX3 7LF, UK
| | - Andrew Hammond
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College, Exhibition Road, London SW7 2AZ, UK; Biocentis, S.r.l., Via Mazzieri, 05100 Terni, Italy
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de Graeff N, Jongsma KR, Bredenoord AL. Alleviating the burden of malaria with gene drive technologies? A biocentric analysis of the moral permissibility of modifying malaria mosquitoes. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ETHICS 2023; 49:765-771. [PMID: 36854625 DOI: 10.1136/jme-2022-108359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2022] [Accepted: 02/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Gene drive technologies (GDTs) have been proposed as a potential new way to alleviate the burden of malaria, yet have also raised ethical questions. A central ethical question regarding GDTs relates to whether it is morally permissible to intentionally modify or eradicate mosquitoes in this way and how the inherent worth of humans and non-human organisms should be factored into determining this. Existing analyses of this matter have thus far generally relied on anthropocentric and zoocentric perspectives and rejected an individualist biocentric outlook in which all living organisms are taken to matter morally for their own sake. In this paper, we reconsider the implications of taking a biocentric approach and highlight nuances that may not be evident at first glance. First, we shortly discuss biocentric perspectives in general, and then outline Paul Taylor's biocentric theory of respect for nature. Second, we explore how conflicting claims towards different organisms should be prioritised from this perspective and subsequently apply this to the context of malaria control using GDTs. Our ethical analysis shows that this context invokes the principle of self-defence, which could override the pro tanto concerns that a biocentrist would have against modifying malaria mosquitoes in this way if certain conditions are met. At the same time, the case study of GDTs underlines the relevance of previously posed questions and criticism regarding the internal consistency of Taylor's egalitarian biocentrism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nienke de Graeff
- Department of Bioethics & Health Humanities, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Department of Ethics & Law, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Karin Rolanda Jongsma
- Department of Bioethics & Health Humanities, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Annelien L Bredenoord
- Department of Bioethics & Health Humanities, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Erasmus School of Philosophy, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
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Hernández Elizárraga VH, Ballantyne S, O'Brien LG, Americo JA, Suhr ST, Senut MC, Minerich B, Merkes CM, Edwards TM, Klymus K, Richter CA, Waller DL, Passamaneck YJ, Rebelo MF, Gohl DM. Toward invasive mussel genetic biocontrol: Approaches, challenges, and perspectives. iScience 2023; 26:108027. [PMID: 37860763 PMCID: PMC10583111 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.108027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Invasive freshwater mussels, such as the zebra (Dreissena polymorpha), quagga (Dreissena rostriformis bugensis), and golden (Limnoperna fortunei) mussel have spread outside their native ranges throughout many regions of the North American, South American, and European continents in recent decades, damaging infrastructure and the environment. This review describes ongoing efforts by multiple groups to develop genetic biocontrol methods for invasive mussels. First, we provide an overview of genetic biocontrol strategies that have been applied in other invasive or pest species. Next, we summarize physical and chemical methods that are currently in use for invasive mussel control. We then describe the multidisciplinary approaches our groups are employing to develop genetic biocontrol tools for invasive mussels. Finally, we discuss the challenges and limitations of applying genetic biocontrol tools to invasive mussels. Collectively, we aim to openly share information and combine expertise to develop practical tools to enable the management of invasive freshwater mussels.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Scott Ballantyne
- Department of Biology, University of Wisconsin River Falls, River Falls, WI, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Christopher M. Merkes
- U.S. Geological Survey, Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, La Crosse, WI, USA
| | - Thea M. Edwards
- U.S. Geological Survey, Columbia Environmental Research Center, Columbia, MO, USA
| | - Katy Klymus
- U.S. Geological Survey, Columbia Environmental Research Center, Columbia, MO, USA
| | - Catherine A. Richter
- U.S. Geological Survey, Columbia Environmental Research Center, Columbia, MO, USA
| | - Diane L. Waller
- U.S. Geological Survey, Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, La Crosse, WI, USA
| | - Yale J. Passamaneck
- Bureau of Reclamation, Technical Service Center, Hydraulic Investigations and Laboratory Services, Ecological Research Laboratory, Denver, CO, USA
| | - Mauro F. Rebelo
- Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Daryl M. Gohl
- University of Minnesota Genomics Center, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
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Kulkarni A, Delgadillo FM, Gayathrinathan S, Grajeda BI, Roy S. Current Status of Omics Studies Elucidating the Features of Reproductive Biology in Blood-Feeding Insects. INSECTS 2023; 14:802. [PMID: 37887814 PMCID: PMC10607566 DOI: 10.3390/insects14100802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Revised: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
Female insects belonging to the genera Anopheles, Aedes, Glossina, and Rhodnius account for the majority of global vector-borne disease mortality. In response to mating, these female insects undergo several molecular, physiological, and behavioral changes. Studying the dynamic post-mating molecular responses in these insects that transmit human diseases can lead to the identification of potential targets for the development of novel vector control methods. With the continued advancements in bioinformatics tools, we now have the capability to delve into various physiological processes in these insects. Here, we discuss the availability of multiple datasets describing the reproductive physiology of the common blood-feeding insects at the molecular level. Additionally, we compare the male-derived triggers transferred during mating to females, examining both shared and species-specific factors. These triggers initiate post-mating genetic responses in female vectors, affecting not only their reproductive success but also disease transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aditi Kulkarni
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, USA; (A.K.); (F.M.D.); (S.G.); (B.I.G.)
- Border Biomedical Research Center, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, USA
| | - Frida M. Delgadillo
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, USA; (A.K.); (F.M.D.); (S.G.); (B.I.G.)
- Environmental Science and Engineering Ph.D. Program, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, USA
| | - Sharan Gayathrinathan
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, USA; (A.K.); (F.M.D.); (S.G.); (B.I.G.)
- Border Biomedical Research Center, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, USA
| | - Brian I. Grajeda
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, USA; (A.K.); (F.M.D.); (S.G.); (B.I.G.)
- Biosciences Ph.D. Program, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, USA
| | - Sourav Roy
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, USA; (A.K.); (F.M.D.); (S.G.); (B.I.G.)
- Border Biomedical Research Center, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, USA
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Pescod P, Bevivino G, Anthousi A, Shelton R, Shepherd J, Lombardo F, Nolan T. Measuring the Impact of Genetic Heterogeneity and Chromosomal Inversions on the Efficacy of CRISPR-Cas9 Gene Drives in Different Strains of Anopheles gambiae. CRISPR J 2023; 6:419-429. [PMID: 37702604 DOI: 10.1089/crispr.2023.0029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/14/2023] Open
Abstract
The human malaria vector Anopheles gambiae is becoming increasingly resistant to insecticides, spurring the development of genetic control strategies. CRISPR-Cas9 gene drives can modify a population by creating double-stranded breaks at highly specific targets, triggering copying of the gene drive into the cut site ("homing"), ensuring its inheritance. The DNA repair mechanism responsible requires homology between the donor and recipient chromosomes, presenting challenges for the invasion of laboratory-developed gene drives into wild populations of target species An. gambiae species complex, which show high levels of genome variation. Two gene drives (vas2-5958 and zpg-7280) were introduced into three An. gambiae strains collected across Africa with 5.3-6.6% variation around the target sites, and the effect of this variation on homing was measured. Gene drive homing across different karyotypes of the 2La chromosomal inversion was also assessed. No decrease in gene drive homing was seen despite target site heterology, demonstrating the applicability of gene drives to wild populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Poppy Pescod
- Department of Vector Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom; Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, Heraklion, Greece
| | - Giulia Bevivino
- Division of Parasitology, Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, University of Rome "la Sapienza," Rome, Italy; Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, Heraklion, Greece
| | - Amalia Anthousi
- Department of Vector Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom; Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, Heraklion, Greece
- Department of Biology, University of Crete, Heraklion, Crete, Greece; and Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, Heraklion, Greece
- Department of Insects and Vector Borne Diseases, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, Heraklion, Greece
| | - Ruth Shelton
- Department of Vector Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom; Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, Heraklion, Greece
| | - Josephine Shepherd
- Department of Vector Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom; Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, Heraklion, Greece
| | - Fabrizio Lombardo
- Division of Parasitology, Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, University of Rome "la Sapienza," Rome, Italy; Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, Heraklion, Greece
| | - Tony Nolan
- Department of Vector Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom; Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, Heraklion, Greece
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Pan M, Champer J. Making waves: Comparative analysis of gene drive spread characteristics in a continuous space model. Mol Ecol 2023; 32:5673-5694. [PMID: 37694511 DOI: 10.1111/mec.17131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2022] [Revised: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023]
Abstract
With their ability to rapidly increase in frequency, gene drives can be used to modify or suppress target populations after an initial release of drive individuals. Recent advances have revealed many possibilities for different types of drives, and several of these have been realized in experiments. These drives have advantages and disadvantages related to their ease of construction, confinement and capacity to be used for modification or suppression. Though characteristics of these drives have been explored in modelling studies, assessment in continuous space environments has been limited, often focusing on outcomes rather than fundamental properties. Here, we conduct a comparative analysis of many different gene drive types that have the capacity to form a wave of advance in continuous space using individual-based simulations in continuous space. We evaluate the drive wave speed as a function of drive performance and ecological parameters, which reveals substantial differences between drive performance in panmictic versus spatial environments. In particular, we find that suppression drive waves are uniquely vulnerable to fitness costs and undesired CRISPR cleavage activity in embryos by maternal deposition. Some drives, however, retain robust performance even with widely varying efficiency parameters. To gain a better understanding of drive waves, we compare their panmictic performance and find that the rate of wild-type allele removal is correlated with drive wave speed, though this is also affected by other factors. Overall, our results provide a useful resource for understanding the performance of drives in spatially continuous environments, which may be most representative of potential drive deployment in many relevant scenarios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingzuyu Pan
- Center for Bioinformatics, School of Life Sciences, Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Jackson Champer
- Center for Bioinformatics, School of Life Sciences, Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
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Wang C, Wang J, Lu J, Xiong Y, Zhao Z, Yu X, Zheng X, Li J, Lin Q, Ren Y, Hu Y, He X, Li C, Zeng Y, Miao R, Guo M, Zhang B, Zhu Y, Zhang Y, Tang W, Wang Y, Hao B, Wang Q, Cheng S, He X, Yao B, Gao J, Zhu X, Yu H, Wang Y, Sun Y, Zhou C, Dong H, Ma X, Guo X, Liu X, Tian Y, Liu S, Wang C, Cheng Z, Jiang L, Zhou J, Guo H, Jiang L, Tao D, Chai J, Zhang W, Wang H, Wu C, Wan J. A natural gene drive system confers reproductive isolation in rice. Cell 2023; 186:3577-3592.e18. [PMID: 37499659 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.06.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2022] [Revised: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
Hybrid sterility restricts the utilization of superior heterosis of indica-japonica inter-subspecific hybrids. In this study, we report the identification of RHS12, a major locus controlling male gamete sterility in indica-japonica hybrid rice. We show that RHS12 consists of two genes (iORF3/DUYAO and iORF4/JIEYAO) that confer preferential transmission of the RHS12-i type male gamete into the progeny, thereby forming a natural gene drive. DUYAO encodes a mitochondrion-targeted protein that interacts with OsCOX11 to trigger cytotoxicity and cell death, whereas JIEYAO encodes a protein that reroutes DUYAO to the autophagosome for degradation via direct physical interaction, thereby detoxifying DUYAO. Evolutionary trajectory analysis reveals that this system likely formed de novo in the AA genome Oryza clade and contributed to reproductive isolation (RI) between different lineages of rice. Our combined results provide mechanistic insights into the genetic basis of RI as well as insights for strategic designs of hybrid rice breeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chaolong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China; State Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Resources and Breeding, Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Jian Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Resources and Breeding, Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Jiayu Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Yehui Xiong
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Resources and Breeding, Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China; Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Zhigang Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Xiaowen Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Xiaoming Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Resources and Breeding, Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Jing Li
- Food Crops Research Institute, Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Kunming 650200, China
| | - Qibing Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Resources and Breeding, Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Yulong Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Resources and Breeding, Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Yang Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Xiaodong He
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Chao Li
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Yonglun Zeng
- Centre for Cell & Developmental Biology and State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong, China
| | - Rong Miao
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Mali Guo
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Bosen Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Ying Zhu
- Centre for Cell & Developmental Biology and State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong, China
| | - Yunhui Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Weijie Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Yunlong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Benyuan Hao
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Qiming Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Siqi Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Xiaojuan He
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Bowen Yao
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Junwen Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Xufei Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Hao Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Yong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Yan Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Chunlei Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Hui Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Xiaoding Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Resources and Breeding, Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Xiuping Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Resources and Breeding, Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Xi Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Yunlu Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Shijia Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Chunming Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Zhijun Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Resources and Breeding, Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Ling Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Jiawu Zhou
- Food Crops Research Institute, Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Kunming 650200, China
| | - Huishan Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Liwen Jiang
- Centre for Cell & Developmental Biology and State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong, China
| | - Dayun Tao
- Food Crops Research Institute, Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Kunming 650200, China
| | - Jijie Chai
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Haiyang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Resources and Breeding, Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China.
| | - Chuanyin Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Resources and Breeding, Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China.
| | - Jianmin Wan
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China; State Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Resources and Breeding, Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China.
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Page N, Taxiarchi C, Tonge D, Kuburic J, Chesters E, Kriezis A, Kyrou K, Game L, Nolan T, Galizi R. Single-cell profiling of Anopheles gambiae spermatogenesis defines the onset of meiotic silencing and premeiotic overexpression of the X chromosome. Commun Biol 2023; 6:850. [PMID: 37582841 PMCID: PMC10427639 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05224-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding development and genetic regulation in the Anopheles gambiae germline is essential to engineer effective genetic control strategies targeting this malaria mosquito vector. These include targeting the germline to induce sterility or using regulatory sequences to drive transgene expression for applications such as gene drive. However, only very few germline-specific regulatory elements have been characterised with the majority showing leaky expression. This has been shown to considerably reduce the efficiency of current genetic control strategies, which rely on regulatory elements with more tightly restricted spatial and/or temporal expression. Meiotic silencing of the sex chromosomes limits the flexibility of transgene expression to develop effective sex-linked genetic control strategies. Here, we build on our previous study, dissecting gametogenesis into four distinct cell populations, using single-cell RNA sequencing to define eight distinct cell clusters and associated germline cell-types using available marker genes. We reveal overexpression of X-linked genes in a distinct cluster of pre-meiotic cells and document the onset of meiotic silencing of the X chromosome in a subcluster of cells in the latter stages of spermatogenesis. This study provides a comprehensive dataset, characterising the expression of distinct cell types through spermatogenesis and widening the toolkit for genetic control of malaria mosquitoes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Page
- Department of Vector Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK
| | | | - Daniel Tonge
- Centre for Applied Entomology and Parasitology, School of Life Sciences, Keele University, Keele, UK
| | - Jasmina Kuburic
- Centre for Applied Entomology and Parasitology, School of Life Sciences, Keele University, Keele, UK
| | - Emily Chesters
- Centre for Applied Entomology and Parasitology, School of Life Sciences, Keele University, Keele, UK
| | - Antonios Kriezis
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Kyros Kyrou
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Laurence Game
- Genomics Facility, MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Tony Nolan
- Department of Vector Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK.
| | - Roberto Galizi
- Centre for Applied Entomology and Parasitology, School of Life Sciences, Keele University, Keele, UK.
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Qureshi A, Connolly JB. Bioinformatic and literature assessment of toxicity and allergenicity of a CRISPR-Cas9 engineered gene drive to control Anopheles gambiae the mosquito vector of human malaria. Malar J 2023; 22:234. [PMID: 37580703 PMCID: PMC10426224 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-023-04665-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/16/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Population suppression gene drive is currently being evaluated, including via environmental risk assessment (ERA), for malaria vector control. One such gene drive involves the dsxFCRISPRh transgene encoding (i) hCas9 endonuclease, (ii) T1 guide RNA (gRNA) targeting the doublesex locus, and (iii) DsRed fluorescent marker protein, in genetically-modified mosquitoes (GMMs). Problem formulation, the first stage of ERA, for environmental releases of dsxFCRISPRh previously identified nine potential harms to the environment or health that could occur, should expressed products of the transgene cause allergenicity or toxicity. METHODS Amino acid sequences of hCas9 and DsRed were interrogated against those of toxins or allergens from NCBI, UniProt, COMPARE and AllergenOnline bioinformatic databases and the gRNA was compared with microRNAs from the miRBase database for potential impacts on gene expression associated with toxicity or allergenicity. PubMed was also searched for any evidence of toxicity or allergenicity of Cas9 or DsRed, or of the donor organisms from which these products were originally derived. RESULTS While Cas9 nuclease activity can be toxic to some cell types in vitro and hCas9 was found to share homology with the prokaryotic toxin VapC, there was no evidence from previous studies of a risk of toxicity to humans and other animals from hCas9. Although hCas9 did contain an 8-mer epitope found in the latex allergen Hev b 9, the full amino acid sequence of hCas9 was not homologous to any known allergens. Combined with a lack of evidence in the literature of Cas9 allergenicity, this indicated negligible risk to humans of allergenicity from hCas9. No matches were found between the gRNA and microRNAs from either Anopheles or humans. Moreover, potential exposure to dsxFCRISPRh transgenic proteins from environmental releases was assessed as negligible. CONCLUSIONS Bioinformatic and literature assessments found no convincing evidence to suggest that transgenic products expressed from dsxFCRISPRh were allergens or toxins, indicating that environmental releases of this population suppression gene drive for malaria vector control should not result in any increased allergenicity or toxicity in humans or animals. These results should also inform evaluations of other GMMs being developed for vector control and in vivo clinical applications of CRISPR-Cas9.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alima Qureshi
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Silwood Park, Sunninghill, Ascot, UK
| | - John B Connolly
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Silwood Park, Sunninghill, Ascot, UK.
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Odero JO, Nambunga IH, Wangrawa DW, Badolo A, Weetman D, Koekemoer LL, Ferguson HM, Okumu FO, Baldini F. Advances in the genetic characterization of the malaria vector, Anopheles funestus, and implications for improved surveillance and control. Malar J 2023; 22:230. [PMID: 37553665 PMCID: PMC10410966 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-023-04662-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Anopheles mosquitoes present a major public health challenge in sub-Saharan Africa; notably, as vectors of malaria that kill over half a million people annually. In parts of the east and southern Africa region, one species in the Funestus group, Anopheles funestus, has established itself as an exceptionally dominant vector in some areas, it is responsible for more than 90% of all malaria transmission events. However, compared to other malaria vectors, the species is far less studied, partly due to difficulties in laboratory colonization and the unresolved aspects of its taxonomy and systematics. Control of An. funestus is also increasingly difficult because it has developed widespread resistance to public health insecticides. Fortunately, recent advances in molecular techniques are enabling greater insights into species identity, gene flow patterns, population structure, and the spread of resistance in mosquitoes. These advances and their potential applications are reviewed with a focus on four research themes relevant to the biology and control of An. funestus in Africa, namely: (i) the taxonomic characterization of different vector species within the Funestus group and their role in malaria transmission; (ii) insecticide resistance profile; (iii) population genetic diversity and gene flow, and (iv) applications of genetic technologies for surveillance and control. The research gaps and opportunities identified in this review will provide a basis for improving the surveillance and control of An. funestus and malaria transmission in Africa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joel O Odero
- Environmental Health and Ecological Sciences Department, Ifakara Health Institute, Ifakara, Tanzania.
- School of Biodiversity, One Health, and Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK.
| | - Ismail H Nambunga
- Environmental Health and Ecological Sciences Department, Ifakara Health Institute, Ifakara, Tanzania
| | - Dimitri W Wangrawa
- Laboratoire d'Entomologie Fondamentale et Appliquée, Université Joseph ZEBRO, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
| | - Athanase Badolo
- Laboratoire d'Entomologie Fondamentale et Appliquée, Université Joseph ZEBRO, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
| | - David Weetman
- Department of Vector Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, L3 5QA, UK
| | - Lizette L Koekemoer
- Wits Research Institute for Malaria, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Centre for Emerging Zoonotic Parasitic Diseases, Vector Control Reference Laboratory, National Institute for Communicable Diseases of the National Health Laboratory Service, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Heather M Ferguson
- Environmental Health and Ecological Sciences Department, Ifakara Health Institute, Ifakara, Tanzania
- School of Biodiversity, One Health, and Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Fredros O Okumu
- Environmental Health and Ecological Sciences Department, Ifakara Health Institute, Ifakara, Tanzania
- School of Biodiversity, One Health, and Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK
- School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Science, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- School of Life Science and Biotechnology, Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology, Arusha, Tanzania
| | - Francesco Baldini
- School of Biodiversity, One Health, and Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK.
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