Field performance of engineered male mosquitoes

Harris, Angela F.; Nimmo, Derric; McKemey, Andrew R.; Kelly, Nick; Scaife, Sarah; Donnelly, Christl A.; Beech, Camilla; Petrie, William; Alphey, Luke

doi:10.1038/nbt.2019

Cited by 333 publications

(273 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…We believe that lethality caused by pro-apoptotic cell death genes (e.g., hid, rpr, or grim), or other well-studied biological mechanisms (10), is preferable to systems for which the lethality mechanism is unknown, including those dependent on a toxic accumulation of the Tet-transcriptional activator (8,(14)(15)(16)(17). While tTA toxicity may be highly effective, it is not species-specific nor is its precise mode of action known (8).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Strategy for enhanced transgenic strain development for embryonic conditional lethality in Anastrepha suspensa

Schetelig

Handler

2012

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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Here the first reproductive sterility system for the tephritid fruit fly pest, Anastrepha suspensa, is presented, based on lethality primarily limited to embryos heterozygous for a conditional lethal transgene combination. This tetracycline (Tet)-suppressible system uses a driver construct having the promoter from the newly isolated embryo-specific A. suspensa serendipity α gene linked to the Tet-transactivator. This was used to drive expression of a phosphomutated variant of the pro-apoptotic cell death gene, hid, from A. ludens, that was isolated, based on its identity to A. suspensa hid. The Alhid Ala2 variant was shown to have the highest cell death activity in an in vitro A. suspensa cell death assay compared to the orthologous genes Ashid, Dmhid, and the variant Dmhid Ala5 . These cell death assays also allowed a determination of the most-efficient driver-effector cassette combinations for use in A. suspensa transformants, resulting in two hybrid strains exhibiting 100% lethality. One strain was 96% lethal in embryos in the absence of tetracycline, with none surviving past the first larval instar, which is critical for pests that are most damaging in late-larval stages. We demonstrate that the isolation and in vitro validation of species-specific promoters and lethal effector genes can greatly improve the efficiency of creating high-performance conditional lethality strains that may be extended to other insect pest species.apoptosis | insect pest management | sterile insect technique

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Strategy for enhanced transgenic strain development for embryonic conditional lethality in Anastrepha suspensa

Schetelig

Handler

2012

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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“…Probably due to the fact that transgenic technology is just beginning to move from laboratory to the field [79,80], there are yet no scientifically proven disadvantages. Despite this, many public negative concerns already exist on the use of transgenics [78], mostly environmental and social, as well as safety and ethical issues.…”

Section: Disadvantages Of Transgenic Technologymentioning

confidence: 99%

Developing the Arsenal Against Pest and Vector Dipterans: Inputs of Transgenic and Paratransgenic Biotechnologies

Ogaugwu¹,

Durvasula²

2017

Biological Control of Pest and Vector Insects

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Insects are the most numerous of all animals and are found in almost every inhabitable place on earth. The order Diptera (true flies) contains many members that are notorious agricultural pests, nuisance or vectors of diseases. The list is long: mosquitoes, tsetse flies, screw worms, fruit flies, sand flies, blow flies, house flies, gall and biting midges, black flies, leaf miners, horse flies, and so on. Efforts to combat some of these pests and vectors have resulted in control measures such as the chemical, physical, and cultural control methods. These methods, though largely beneficial, have disadvantages and limitations, which sometimes seem to outweigh the problems initially sought to be controlled. The chemical method, for example, is not environment-friendly since it negatively affects many nontarget organisms and disrupts ecosystem balance. Development of insecticide resistance by pests/vectors is another concern. Molecular biotechnology has introduced vast arrays of novel ways to tackle pests and disease vectors, as well as improve the potency of existing control methods. This chapter looks at transgenic and paratransgenic biotechnologies and how they have been applied so far to develop and expand the arsenal against dipteran pests and disease vectors. Further, we discuss the advantages, disadvantages, and limitations of these technologies.

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“…Similarly, while the strategy underlying the use of genetically-engineered mosquitoes to combat dengue fever [40,99] may provide a species-specific means of controlling insect vectors for important diseases, various concerns have been pointed out. These include potential hazards for human health (by synthetic gene products injected by bites of sur- viving female mosquitoes), potential ecological consequences (e.g.…”

Section: Healthmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…empty niche) [100,101] or ethical and social issues [101,102]. Nonetheless, initial field-release experiments have recently been performed in the Cayman Islands, Malaysia, and in Brazil [99,101]. Further socio-economic issues may arise from a soar in broad patents and "patent thickets" through synthetic biology [103,104], potentially impeding access to drugs by poor countries.…”

Section: Healthmentioning

confidence: 99%

Synthetic Genomics and Synthetic Biology Applications Between Hopes and Concerns

König¹,

Frank²,

Heil³

et al. 2013

Current Genomics

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New organisms and biological systems designed to satisfy human needs are among the aims of synthetic genomics and synthetic biology. Synthetic biology seeks to model and construct biological components, functions and organisms that do not exist in nature or to redesign existing biological systems to perform new functions. Synthetic genomics, on the other hand, encompasses technologies for the generation of chemically-synthesized whole genomes or larger parts of genomes, allowing to simultaneously engineer a myriad of changes to the genetic material of organisms. Engineering complex functions or new organisms in synthetic biology are thus progressively becoming dependent on and converging with synthetic genomics. While applications from both areas have been predicted to offer great benefits by making possible new drugs, renewable chemicals or clean energy, they have also given rise to concerns about new safety, environmental and socio-economic risks -stirring an increasingly polarizing debate. Here we intend to provide an overview on recent progress in biomedical and biotechnological applications of synthetic genomics and synthetic biology as well as on arguments and evidence related to their possible benefits, risks and governance implications.

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Field performance of engineered male mosquitoes

Cited by 333 publications

References 30 publications

Strategy for enhanced transgenic strain development for embryonic conditional lethality in Anastrepha suspensa

Strategy for enhanced transgenic strain development for embryonic conditional lethality in Anastrepha suspensa

Developing the Arsenal Against Pest and Vector Dipterans: Inputs of Transgenic and Paratransgenic Biotechnologies

Synthetic Genomics and Synthetic Biology Applications Between Hopes and Concerns

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