Abstract
The mosquito Aedes aegypti is the principal vector for arboviruses including dengue/yellow fever, chikungunya, and Zika virus, infecting hundreds of millions of people annually. Unfortunately, traditional control methodologies are insufficient, so innovative control methods are needed. To complement existing measures, here we develop a molecular genetic control system termed precision-guided sterile insect technique (pgSIT) in Aedes aegypti. PgSIT uses a simple CRISPR-based approach to generate flightless females and sterile males that are deployable at any life stage. Supported by mathematical models, we empirically demonstrate that released pgSIT males can compete, suppress, and even eliminate mosquito populations. This platform technology could be used in the field, and adapted to many vectors, for controlling wild populations to curtail disease in a safe, confinable, and reversible manner.
Highlights
The mosquito Aedes aegypti is the principal vector for arboviruses including dengue/yellow fever, chikungunya, and Zika virus, infecting hundreds of millions of people annually
A CRISPR-based technology termed precision guided sterile insect technique (SIT), was recently innovated11. precision-guided sterile insect technique (pgSIT) uses a binary approach to simultaneously disrupt genes essential for female (♀) viability and ♂ fertility, resulting in the exclusive survival of sterile ♂’s that can be deployed at any life stage to suppress and eliminate populations
PgSIT does not require the use of radiation, Wolbachia, or antibiotics, and will not persist in the environment longterm
Summary
The mosquito Aedes aegypti is the principal vector for arboviruses including dengue/yellow fever, chikungunya, and Zika virus, infecting hundreds of millions of people annually. PgSIT uses a binary approach to simultaneously disrupt genes essential for female (♀) viability and ♂ fertility, resulting in the exclusive survival of sterile ♂’s that can be deployed at any life stage to suppress and eliminate populations. It requires two breeding strains, one expressing Cas[9] and the other expressing guide RNAs (gRNAs). PgSIT does not require the use of radiation, Wolbachia, or antibiotics, and will not persist in the environment longterm This technology is presently only accessible in flies, and for population control techniques, its equivalent needs to be developed for mosquitoes. This study suggests that pgSIT may be an efficient technology for mosquito population control and introduces the first pgSIT system suited for real-world release
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