Use of Insect Promoters in Genetic Engineering to Control Mosquito-Borne Diseases

Bottino-Rojas, Vanessa; James, Anthony A.

doi:10.3390/biom13010016

Cited by 7 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 132 publications

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“…Genetic systems that distort sex ratios with a bias for males via RNA-guided shredding of the X-chromosome during spermatogenesis are also quite promising [198][199][200]. More current cage studies have been described, and the results lend support to the efficacy of this emerging technology in controlling vector mosquito populations [201][202][203][204][205]. In addition, commentaries on the prospect of eradicating malaria using CRISPR/Cas9 gene drive [206,207] and regulatory and policy considerations [208] are the subjects of scrutiny and debate.…”

Section: Crispr/cas9 Gene Drivementioning

confidence: 97%

The Perpetual Vector Mosquito Threat and Its Eco-Friendly Nemeses

Miranda,

Rudd,

Mena

et al. 2024

Biology

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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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Section: Crispr/cas9 Gene Drivementioning

confidence: 97%

The Perpetual Vector Mosquito Threat and Its Eco-Friendly Nemeses

Miranda,

Rudd,

Mena

et al. 2024

Biology

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“…The promoter from the U6 RNA gene is ideal for driving gRNA transcription in Cas9based homing gene drive systems. In different mosquito species, U6 regulatory sequences were employed to promote gRNA expression, with various degrees of activity [61]. In W. magnifica, the promoters from six U6 genes could be used to drive gRNA expression.…”

Section: Genetic Controls Against W Magnifica Infestationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Genome and Transcriptome Analyses Facilitate Genetic Control of Wohlfahrtia magnifica, a Myiasis-Causing Flesh Fly

Jia

Hasi

Zhan

et al. 2023

Insects

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Myiasis caused by Wohlfahrtia magnifica is a widespread parasitic infestation in mammals. The infested host suffers from damage as the developing larvae feed on its tissues. For the control of myiasis infestation, genetic methods have been shown to be effective and promising as an alternative to insecticides. Combining genome, isoform sequencing (Iso-Seq), and RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) data, we isolated and characterized two sex-determination genes, W. magnifica transformer (Wmtra) and W. magnifica transformer2 (Wmtra2), whose orthologs in a number of insect pests have been utilized to develop genetic control approaches. Wmtra transcripts are sex-specifically spliced; only the female transcript encodes a full-length functional protein, while the male transcript encodes a truncated and non-functional polypeptide due to the presence of the male-specific exon containing multiple in-frame stop codons. The existence of five predicted TRA/TRA2 binding sites in the male-specific exon and the surrounding intron of Wmtra, as well as the presence of an RNA-recognition motif in WmTRA2 may suggest the auto-regulation of Wmtra by its own protein interacting with WmTRA2. This results in the skipping of the male-specific exon and translation of the full-length functional protein only in females. Our comparative study in dipteran species showed that both the WmTRA and WmTRA2 proteins exhibit a high degree of similarity to their orthologs in the myiasis-causing blow flies. Additionally, transcriptome profiling performed between adult females and adult males reported 657 upregulated and 365 downregulated genes. Functional analysis showed that among upregulated genes those related to meiosis and mitosis Gene Ontology (GO) terms were enriched, while, among downregulated genes, those related to muscle cell development and aerobic metabolic processes were enriched. Among the female-biased gene set, we detected five candidate genes, vasa (vas), nanos (nanos), bicoid (bcd), Bicaudal C (BicC), and innexin5 (inx5). The promoters of these genes may be able to upregulate Cas9 expression in the germline in Cas9-based homing gene drive systems as established in some flies and mosquitoes. The isolation and characterization of these genes is an important step toward the development of genetic control programs against W. magnifica infestation.

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“…aegypti native promoters have been characterized and used; exceptions include UbL40 and PUb (7) and, more recently, Hsp83 (8), which display ubiquitous expression. Th handful of promoters are used in various applications (9) and are frequently used to express mRNAs encoding fluorescent proteins, to provide markers for transgenesis/transfection, revealing the presence of a transgene construct otherwise lacking visible phenotype. Other promoters commonly characterized have tissue-specific expression patterns, such carboxypeptidase in the midgut, zpg, nos, vasa in ovaries or β2-tubulin in testes (10-13); this is useful for some genes of interest where expression in a specific tissue is vital.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

AePUbpromoter length modulates gene expression inAedes aegypti

Anderson,

Leftwich,

Wilson

et al. 2023

Preprint

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Use of Insect Promoters in Genetic Engineering to Control Mosquito-Borne Diseases

Cited by 7 publications

References 132 publications

The Perpetual Vector Mosquito Threat and Its Eco-Friendly Nemeses

The Perpetual Vector Mosquito Threat and Its Eco-Friendly Nemeses

Genome and Transcriptome Analyses Facilitate Genetic Control of Wohlfahrtia magnifica, a Myiasis-Causing Flesh Fly

AePUbpromoter length modulates gene expression inAedes aegypti

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