Abstract
BackgroundThe Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus (Skuse), is a vector of several arboviruses including dengue and chikungunya. This highly invasive species originating from Southeast Asia has travelled the world in the last 30 years and is now established in Europe, North and South America, Africa, the Middle East and the Caribbean. In the absence of vaccine or antiviral drugs, efficient mosquito control strategies are crucial. Conventional control methods have so far failed to control Ae. albopictus adequately.Methodology/Principal FindingsGermline transformation of Aedes albopictus was achieved by micro-injection of embryos with a piggyBac-based transgene carrying a 3xP3-ECFP marker and an attP site, combined with piggyBac transposase mRNA and piggyBac helper plasmid. Five independent transgenic lines were established, corresponding to an estimated transformation efficiency of 2–3%. Three lines were re-injected with a second-phase plasmid carrying an attB site and a 3xP3-DsRed2 marker, combined with PhiC31 integrase mRNA. Successful site-specific integration was observed in all three lines with an estimated transformation efficiency of 2–6%.Conclusions/SignificanceBoth piggybac- and site-specific PhiC31-mediated germline transformation of Aedes albopictus were successfully achieved. This is the first report of Ae. albopictus germline transformation and engineering, a key step towards studying and controlling this species using novel molecular techniques and genetic control strategies.
Highlights
Aedes mosquitoes are responsible for an estimated 50 to 100 million dengue cases worldwide every year, with nearly half the world’s population at risk of being infected [1,2]
Aedes albopictus is generally considered to be somewhat less of a concern in this regard than Aedes aegypti
A recent mutation in the chikungunya virus dramatically increased its transmission by Aedes albopictus, causing an important outbreak in the Indian Ocean in 2006 that eventually reached Italy in 2007
Summary
Aedes mosquitoes are responsible for an estimated 50 to 100 million dengue cases worldwide every year, with nearly half the world’s population at risk of being infected [1,2]. In the last 30 years, Ae. albopictus has travelled the world via human travel and commerce, e.g. the trade of used tyres [3] and ‘‘lucky bamboo’’ [4] It spread from Southeast Asia and Pacific Islands to Europe, North and South America, Africa, the Middle East and the Caribbean. The Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus (Skuse), is a vector of several arboviruses including dengue and chikungunya This highly invasive species originating from Southeast Asia has travelled the world in the last 30 years and is established in Europe, North and South America, Africa, the Middle East and the Caribbean. Conventional control methods have so far failed to control Ae. albopictus adequately
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