Culex quinquefasciatus Say is an opportunistic blood feeder with a wide geographic distribution which is also a major vector for a range of diseases of both animals and humans. CRISPR/Cas technologies have been applied to a wide variety of organisms for both applied and basic research purposes. CRISPR/Cas methods open new possibilities for genetic research in non-model organisms of public health importance. In this work we have adapted microinjection techniques commonly used in other mosquito species to Culex quinquefasciatus, and have shown these to be effective at generating homozygous knock-out mutations of a target gene in one generation. This is the first description of the kmo gene and mutant phenotype in this species.

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.

The increasing prevalence of insecticide resistance and the ongoing global burden of vector-borne diseases have encouraged new efforts in mosquito control. For Aedes aegypti, the most important arboviral vector, integration rates achieved in Cas9-based knock-ins so far have been rather low, highlighting the need to understand gene conversion patterns and other factors that influence homology-directed repair (HDR) events in this species. In this study, we report the effects of sequence mismatches or donor template forms on integration rates. We found that modest sequence differences between construct homology arms [DNA sequence in the donor template which resembles the region flanking the target cut] and genomic target comprising 1.2% nucleotide dissimilarity (heterology) significantly reduced integration rates. While most integrations (59–88%) from plasmid templates were the result of canonical [on target, perfect repair] HDR events, no canonical events were identified from other donor types (i.e. ssDNA, biotinylated ds/ssDNA). Sequencing of the transgene flanking region in 69 individuals with canonical integrations revealed 60% of conversion tracts to be unidirectional and extend up to 220 bp proximal to the break, though in three individuals bidirectional conversion of up to 725 bp was observed.

Culex quinquefasciatus Say is a mosquito distributed in both tropical and subtropical regions of the world. It is a night-active, opportunistic blood-feeder and vectors many animal and human diseases, including West Nile Virus and avian malaria. Current vector control methods (e.g. physical/chemical) are increasingly ineffective; use of insecticides also imposes hazards to both human and ecosystem health. Advances in genome editing have allowed the development of genetic insect control methods, which are species-specific and, theoretically, highly effective. CRISPR/Cas9 is a bacteria-derived programmable gene editing tool that is functional in a range of species. We describe the first successful germline gene knock-in by homology dependent repair in C. quinquefasciatus. Using CRISPR/Cas9, we integrated an sgRNA expression cassette and marker gene encoding a fluorescent protein fluorophore (Hr5/IE1-DsRed, Cq7SK-sgRNA) into the kynurenine 3-monooxygenase (kmo) gene. We achieved a minimum transformation rate of 2.8%, similar to rates in other mosquito species. Precise knock-in at the intended locus was confirmed. Insertion homozygotes displayed a white eye phenotype in early-mid larvae and a recessive lethal phenotype by pupation. This work provides an efficient method for engineering C. quinquefasciatus, providing a new tool for developing genetic control tools for this vector.