1
|
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] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [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.
Collapse
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.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Anderson MAE, Gonzalez E, Ang JXD, Shackleford L, Nevard K, Verkuijl SAN, Edgington MP, Harvey-Samuel T, Alphey L. Closing the gap to effective gene drive in Aedes aegypti by exploiting germline regulatory elements. Nat Commun 2023; 14:338. [PMID: 36670107 PMCID: PMC9860013 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-36029-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
CRISPR/Cas9-based homing gene drives have emerged as a potential new approach to mosquito control. While attempts have been made to develop such systems in Aedes aegypti, none have been able to match the high drive efficiency observed in Anopheles species. Here we generate Ae. aegypti transgenic lines expressing Cas9 using germline-specific regulatory elements and assess their ability to bias inheritance of an sgRNA-expressing element (kmosgRNAs). Four shu-Cas9 and one sds3-Cas9 isolines can significantly bias the inheritance of kmosgRNAs, with sds3G1-Cas9 causing the highest average inheritance of ~86% and ~94% from males and females carrying both elements outcrossed to wild-type, respectively. Our mathematical model demonstrates that sds3G1-Cas9 could enable the spread of the kmosgRNAs element to either reach a higher (by ~15 percentage point) maximum carrier frequency or to achieve similar maximum carrier frequency faster (by 12 generations) when compared to two other established split drive systems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michelle A E Anderson
- Arthropod Genetics, The Pirbright Institute, Ash Road, Pirbright, GU24 0NF, 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 0NF, 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 0NF, UK
- The Department of Biology, University of York, Wentworth Way, York, YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Lewis Shackleford
- Arthropod Genetics, The Pirbright Institute, Ash Road, Pirbright, GU24 0NF, 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 0NF, UK
- The Department of Biology, University of York, Wentworth Way, York, YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Sebald A N Verkuijl
- Arthropod Genetics, The Pirbright Institute, Ash Road, Pirbright, GU24 0NF, UK
- Mathematical Ecology Research Group, Department of Biology, University of Oxford, 11a Mansfield Road, Oxford, OX13SZ, UK
| | - Matthew P Edgington
- Arthropod Genetics, The Pirbright Institute, Ash Road, Pirbright, GU24 0NF, UK
- The Department of Biology, University of York, Wentworth Way, York, YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Tim Harvey-Samuel
- Arthropod Genetics, The Pirbright Institute, Ash Road, Pirbright, GU24 0NF, UK
| | - Luke Alphey
- Arthropod Genetics, The Pirbright Institute, Ash Road, Pirbright, GU24 0NF, UK.
- The Department of Biology, University of York, Wentworth Way, York, YO10 5DD, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Verkuijl SAN, Gonzalez E, Li M, Ang JXD, Kandul NP, Anderson MAE, Akbari OS, Bonsall MB, Alphey L. A CRISPR endonuclease gene drive reveals distinct mechanisms of inheritance bias. Nat Commun 2022; 13:7145. [PMID: 36414618 PMCID: PMC9681865 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-34739-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
CRISPR/Cas gene drives can bias transgene inheritance through different mechanisms. Homing drives are designed to replace a wild-type allele with a copy of a drive element on the homologous chromosome. In Aedes aegypti, the sex-determining locus is closely linked to the white gene, which was previously used as a target for a homing drive element (wGDe). Here, through an analysis using this linkage we show that in males inheritance bias of wGDe did not occur by homing, rather through increased propagation of the donor drive element. We test the same wGDe drive element with transgenes expressing Cas9 with germline regulatory elements sds3, bgcn, and nup50. We only find inheritance bias through homing, even with the identical nup50-Cas9 transgene. We propose that DNA repair outcomes may be more context dependent than anticipated and that other previously reported homing drives may, in fact, bias their inheritance through other mechanisms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sebald A N Verkuijl
- Mathematical Ecology Research Group, Department of Biology, University of Oxford, 11a Mansfield Road, Oxford, OX1 3SZ, UK
- Arthropod Genetics, The Pirbright Institute, Ash Road, Pirbright, GU24 0NF, UK
| | - Estela Gonzalez
- Arthropod Genetics, The Pirbright Institute, Ash Road, Pirbright, GU24 0NF, UK
- The Department of Biology, University of York, Wentworth Way, York, YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Ming Li
- School of Biological Sciences, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Joshua X D Ang
- Arthropod Genetics, The Pirbright Institute, Ash Road, Pirbright, GU24 0NF, UK
- The Department of Biology, University of York, Wentworth Way, York, YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Nikolay P Kandul
- School of Biological Sciences, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Michelle A E Anderson
- Arthropod Genetics, The Pirbright Institute, Ash Road, Pirbright, GU24 0NF, UK
- The Department of Biology, University of York, Wentworth Way, York, YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Omar S Akbari
- School of Biological Sciences, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Michael B Bonsall
- Mathematical Ecology Research Group, Department of Biology, University of Oxford, 11a Mansfield Road, Oxford, OX1 3SZ, UK
| | - Luke Alphey
- Arthropod Genetics, The Pirbright Institute, Ash Road, Pirbright, GU24 0NF, UK.
- The Department of Biology, University of York, Wentworth Way, York, YO10 5DD, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Verkuijl SAN, Ang JXD, Alphey L, Bonsall MB, Anderson MAE. The Challenges in Developing Efficient and Robust Synthetic Homing Endonuclease Gene Drives. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022; 10:856981. [PMID: 35419354 PMCID: PMC8996256 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.856981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2022] [Accepted: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Making discrete and precise genetic changes to wild populations has been proposed as a means of addressing some of the world's most pressing ecological and public health challenges caused by insect pests. Technologies that would allow this, such as synthetic gene drives, have been under development for many decades. Recently, a new generation of programmable nucleases has dramatically accelerated technological development. CRISPR-Cas9 has improved the efficiency of genetic engineering and has been used as the principal effector nuclease in different gene drive inheritance biasing mechanisms. Of these nuclease-based gene drives, homing endonuclease gene drives have been the subject of the bulk of research efforts (particularly in insects), with many different iterations having been developed upon similar core designs. We chart the history of homing gene drive development, highlighting the emergence of challenges such as unintended repair outcomes, "leaky" expression, and parental deposition. We conclude by discussing the progress made in developing strategies to increase the efficiency of homing endonuclease gene drives and mitigate or prevent unintended outcomes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sebald A. N. Verkuijl
- Arthropod Genetics, The Pirbright Institute, Pirbright, United Kingdom
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Joshua X. D. Ang
- Arthropod Genetics, The Pirbright Institute, Pirbright, United Kingdom
| | - Luke Alphey
- Arthropod Genetics, The Pirbright Institute, Pirbright, United Kingdom
| | | | | |
Collapse
|