Closing the gap to effective gene drive in Aedes aegypti by exploiting germline regulatory elements

Background

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.

Anderson, M. A., Gonzalez, E., Ang, J. X., Shackleford, L., Nevard, K., Verkuijl, S. A., … & Alphey, L. (2023). Closing the gap to effective gene drive in Aedes aegypti by exploiting germline regulatory elements. Nature Communications14(1), 338.

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