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Chae K, Contreras B, Romanowski JS, Dawson C, Myles KM, Adelman ZN. Transgene removal using an in cis programmed homing endonuclease via single-strand annealing in the mosquito Aedes aegypti. Commun Biol 2024; 7:660. [PMID: 38811748 PMCID: PMC11137009 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-06348-6] [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: 12/06/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024] Open
Abstract
While gene drive strategies have been proposed to aid in the control of mosquito-borne diseases, additional genome engineering technologies may be required to establish a defined end-of-product-life timeline. We previously demonstrated that single-strand annealing (SSA) was sufficient to program the scarless elimination of a transgene while restoring a disrupted gene in the disease vector mosquito Aedes aegypti. Here, we extend these findings by establishing that complete transgene removal (four gene cassettes comprising ~8-kb) can be programmed in cis. Reducing the length of the direct repeat from 700-bp to 200-bp reduces, but does not eliminate, SSA activity. In contrast, increasing direct repeat length to 1.5-kb does not increase SSA rates, suggesting diminishing returns above a certain threshold size. Finally, we show that while the homing endonuclease Y2-I-AniI triggered both SSA and NHEJ at significantly higher rates than I-SceI at one genomic locus (P5-EGFP), repair events are heavily skewed towards NHEJ at another locus (kmo), suggesting the nuclease used and the genomic region targeted have a substantial influence on repair outcomes. Taken together, this work establishes the feasibility of engineering temporary transgenes in disease vector mosquitoes, while providing critical details concerning important operational parameters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keun Chae
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Bryan Contreras
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Joseph S Romanowski
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Chanell Dawson
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Kevin M Myles
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Zach N Adelman
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA.
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Bu L, Habib MR, Lu L, Mutuku MW, Loker ES, Zhang SM. Transcriptional profiling of Bulinus globosus provides insights into immune gene families in snails supporting the transmission of urogenital schistosomiasis. DEVELOPMENTAL AND COMPARATIVE IMMUNOLOGY 2024; 154:105150. [PMID: 38367887 PMCID: PMC10932938 DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2024.105150] [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: 12/11/2023] [Revised: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 02/19/2024]
Abstract
Schistosomiasis, urogenital and intestinal, afflicts 251 million people worldwide with approximately two-thirds of the patients suffering from the urogenital form of the disease. Freshwater snails of the genus Bulinus (Gastropoda: Planorbidae) serve as obligate intermediate hosts for Schistosoma haematobium, the etiologic agent of human urogenital schistosomiasis. These snails also act as vectors for the transmission of schistosomiasis in livestock and wildlife. Despite their crucial role in human and veterinary medicine, our basic understanding at the molecular level of the entire Bulinus genus, which comprises 37 recognized species, is very limited. In this study, we employed Illumina-based RNA sequencing (RNAseq) to profile the genome-wide transcriptome of Bulinus globosus, one of the most important intermediate hosts for S. haematobium in Africa. A total of 179,221 transcripts (N50 = 1,235) were assembled and the benchmarking universal single-copy orthologs (BUSCO) was estimated to be 97.7%. The analysis revealed a substantial number of transcripts encoding evolutionarily conserved immune-related proteins, particularly C-type lectin (CLECT) domain-containing proteins (n = 316), Toll/Interleukin 1-receptor (TIR)-containing proteins (n = 75), and fibrinogen related domain-containing molecules (FReD) (n = 165). Notably, none of the FReDs are fibrinogen-related proteins (FREPs) (immunoglobulin superfamily (IgSF) + fibrinogen (FBG)). This RNAseq-based transcriptional profile provides new insights into immune capabilities of Bulinus snails, helps provide a framework to explain the complex patterns of compatibility between snails and schistosomes, and improves our overall understanding of comparative immunology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lijing Bu
- Center for Evolutionary and Theoretical Immunology, Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA
| | - Mohamed R Habib
- Center for Evolutionary and Theoretical Immunology, Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA
| | - Lijun Lu
- Center for Evolutionary and Theoretical Immunology, Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA
| | - Martin W Mutuku
- Centre for Biotechnology Research and Development, Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), P.O Box 54840-00200, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Eric S Loker
- Center for Evolutionary and Theoretical Immunology, Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA; Parasitology Division, Museum of Southwestern Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, 87131, USA
| | - Si-Ming Zhang
- Center for Evolutionary and Theoretical Immunology, Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA.
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Krueger CJ, Dai Z, Zhu C, Zhang B. Heritable CRISPR Mutagenesis of Essential Maternal Effect Genes as a Simple Tool for Sustained Population Suppression of Invasive Species in a Zebrafish Model. Zebrafish 2024. [PMID: 38512221 DOI: 10.1089/zeb.2023.0108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Invasive species control is important for ecological and agricultural management. Genetic methods can provide species specificity for population control. We developed heritable maternal effect embryo lethality (HMEL), a novel strategy allowing negative population pressure from HMEL individuals to be transmitted within a population across generations. We demonstrate the HMEL technique in zebrafish through genome-integrated CRISPR/Cas targeted mutagenic disruption of nucleoplasmin 2b (npm2b), a female-specific essential maternal effect gene, causing heritable sex-limited disruption of reproduction. HMEL-induced high-efficiency mutation of npm2b in females suppresses population, while males transmit the HMEL allele across generations. HMEL could be easily modified to target other genes causing sex-specific sterility, or generalized to control invasive fish or other vertebrate species for environmental conservation or agricultural protection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher J Krueger
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Future Technology, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Wallace H Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- Key Laboratory of Cell Proliferation and Differentiation of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Zhifei Dai
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Future Technology, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Cheng Zhu
- Wallace H Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Bo Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Cell Proliferation and Differentiation of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
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Li M, Kandul NP, Sun R, Yang T, Benetta ED, Brogan DJ, Antoshechkin I, Sánchez C HM, Zhan Y, DeBeaubien NA, Loh YM, Su MP, Montell C, Marshall JM, Akbari OS. Targeting sex determination to suppress mosquito populations. eLife 2024; 12:RP90199. [PMID: 38289340 PMCID: PMC10945564 DOI: 10.7554/elife.90199] [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: 02/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Each year, hundreds of millions of people are infected with arboviruses such as dengue, yellow fever, chikungunya, and Zika, which are all primarily spread by the notorious mosquito Aedes aegypti. Traditional control measures have proven insufficient, necessitating innovations. In response, here we generate a next-generation CRISPR-based precision-guided sterile insect technique (pgSIT) for Ae. aegypti that disrupts genes essential for sex determination and fertility, producing predominantly sterile males that can be deployed at any life stage. Using mathematical models and empirical testing, we demonstrate that released pgSIT males can effectively compete with, suppress, and eliminate caged mosquito populations. This versatile species-specific platform has the potential for field deployment to effectively control wild populations of disease vectors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming Li
- School of Biological Sciences, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
| | - Nikolay P Kandul
- School of Biological Sciences, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
| | - Ruichen Sun
- School of Biological Sciences, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
| | - Ting Yang
- School of Biological Sciences, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
| | - Elena D Benetta
- School of Biological Sciences, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
| | - Daniel J Brogan
- School of Biological Sciences, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
| | - Igor Antoshechkin
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering (BBE), California Institute of TechnologyPasadenaUnited States
| | - Héctor M Sánchez C
- Divisions of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
| | - Yinpeng Zhan
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology and the Neuroscience Research, Institute, University of California, Santa BarbaraSanta BarbaraUnited States
| | - Nicolas A DeBeaubien
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology and the Neuroscience Research, Institute, University of California, Santa BarbaraSanta BarbaraUnited States
| | - YuMin M Loh
- Graduate School of Science, Nagoya UniversityNagoyaJapan
| | - Matthew P Su
- Graduate School of Science, Nagoya UniversityNagoyaJapan
- Institute for Advanced Research, Nagoya UniversityNagoyaJapan
| | - Craig Montell
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology and the Neuroscience Research, Institute, University of California, Santa BarbaraSanta BarbaraUnited States
| | - John M Marshall
- Divisions of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
- Innovative Genomics InstituteBerkeleyUnited States
| | - Omar S Akbari
- School of Biological Sciences, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
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Weng SC, Masri RA, Akbari OS. Advances and challenges in synthetic biology for mosquito control. Trends Parasitol 2024; 40:75-88. [PMID: 38000957 PMCID: PMC11064511 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2023.11.001] [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: 08/30/2023] [Revised: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 11/01/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023]
Abstract
Mosquito-borne illnesses represent a significant global health peril, resulting in approximately one million fatalities annually. West Nile, dengue, Zika, and malaria are continuously expanding their global reach, driven by factors that escalate mosquito populations and pathogen transmission. Innovative control measures are imperative to combat these catastrophic ailments. Conventional approaches, such as eliminating breeding sites and using insecticides, have been helpful, but they face challenges such as insecticide resistance and environmental harm. Given the mounting severity of mosquito-borne diseases, there is promise in exploring innovative approaches using synthetic biology to bolster mosquitoes' resistance to pathogens, or even eliminate the mosquito vectors, as a means of control. This review outlines current strategies, future goals, and the importance of gene editing for global health defenses against mosquito-borne diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shih-Che Weng
- School of Biological Sciences, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Reem A Masri
- School of Biological Sciences, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Omar S Akbari
- School of Biological Sciences, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
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Smidler AL, Apte RA, Pai JJ, Chow ML, Chen S, Mondal A, Sánchez C. HM, Antoshechkin I, Marshall JM, Akbari OS. Eliminating Malaria Vectors with Precision Guided Sterile Males. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.07.20.549947. [PMID: 37503146 PMCID: PMC10370176 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.20.549947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
Controlling the principal African malaria vector, the mosquito Anopheles gambiae, is considered essential to curtail malaria transmission. However existing vector control technologies rely on insecticides, which are becoming increasingly ineffective. Sterile insect technique (SIT) is a powerful suppression approach that has successfully eradicated a number of insect pests, yet the A. gambiae toolkit lacks the requisite technologies for its implementation. SIT relies on iterative mass-releases of non-biting, non-driving, sterile males which seek out and mate with monandrous wild females. Once mated, females are permanently sterilized due to mating-induced refractoriness, which results in population suppression of the subsequent generation. However, sterilization by traditional methods renders males unfit, making the creation of precise genetic sterilization methods imperative. Here we develop precision guided Sterile Insect Technique (pgSIT) in the mosquito A. gambiae for inducible, programmed male-sterilization and female-elimination for wide scale use in SIT campaigns. Using a binary CRISPR strategy, we cross separate engineered Cas9 and gRNA strains to disrupt male-fertility and female-essential genes, yielding >99.5% male-sterility and >99.9% female-lethality in hybrid progeny. We demonstrate that these genetically sterilized males have good longevity, are able to induce population suppression in cage trials, and are predicted to eliminate wild A. gambiae populations using mathematical models, making them ideal candidates for release. This work provides a valuable addition to the malaria genetic biocontrol toolkit, for the first time enabling scalable SIT-like confinable suppression in the species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea L. Smidler
- School of Biological Sciences, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093
| | - Reema A. Apte
- School of Biological Sciences, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093
| | - James J. Pai
- School of Biological Sciences, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093
| | - Martha L. Chow
- School of Biological Sciences, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093
| | - Sanle Chen
- School of Biological Sciences, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093
| | - Agastya Mondal
- Divisions of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Héctor M. Sánchez C.
- Divisions of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Igor Antoshechkin
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering (BBE), California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA91125, USA
| | - John M. Marshall
- Divisions of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Innovative Genomics Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Omar S. Akbari
- School of Biological Sciences, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093
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