This proposal aims to determine the potential for selfish genes, AKA homing endonucleases, to serve as a method of dispersing and fixing genes into natural mosquito populations that reduce the vector competence of mosquitoes to transmit pathogens, such as the causative agents of dengue fever and malaria. In the first aim of this proposal we seek to determine the ability of various homing endonucleases to generate dsDNA breaks using a two-plasmid based assay. This assay has been designed so that successful cutting by the homing endonuclease will result in the loss of a negative selectable marker. Plasmid-based assays will be conducted in both cultured mosquito cells as well as in live embryos. In the second aim we seek to determine the rate at which homing endonucleases can excise a transgene from the mosquito genome. A marker gene flanked by homing endonuclease recognition sites will be inserted into the mosquito genome, followed by the introduction of a homing endonuclease which should excise the marker. Homing endonucleases found to be functional in both plasmid-based assays and transgene excision assays will serve as the foundation for future work at adapting homing endonucleases as a method of gene drive. Public health relevance: This work is part of a larger, ongoing strategy to control human pathogens using genetics. Such a genetic control strategy is founded on the hypothesis that reduced/ablated vector competence will result in a corresponding reduction/elimination of human disease, and is based on three elements: the development of anti-pathogen effector genes, the ability to introduce effector genes into mosquito vectors, and the ability to spread these effector genes into wild populations. The first two elements have seen substantial progress in the past decade, and this proposal is designed complement this work so genetic control strategies can become a reality in effecting and improving public health outcomes due to vector-borne diseases. ? ? ?

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Type
Exploratory/Developmental Grants (R21)
Project #
1R21AI071208-01A1
Application #
7255326
Study Section
Vector Biology Study Section (VB)
Program Officer
Costero, Adriana
Project Start
2007-04-01
Project End
2009-03-30
Budget Start
2007-04-01
Budget End
2008-03-31
Support Year
1
Fiscal Year
2007
Total Cost
$184,725
Indirect Cost
Name
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Department
Zoology
Type
Schools of Earth Sciences/Natur
DUNS #
003137015
City
Blacksburg
State
VA
Country
United States
Zip Code
24061
Aryan, Azadeh; Anderson, Michelle A E; Myles, Kevin M et al. (2013) Germline excision of transgenes in Aedes aegypti by homing endonucleases. Sci Rep 3:1603
Carpenetti, T L G; Aryan, A; Myles, K M et al. (2012) Robust heat-inducible gene expression by two endogenous hsp70-derived promoters in transgenic Aedes aegypti. Insect Mol Biol 21:97-106
Anderson, M A E; Gross, T L; Myles, K M et al. (2010) Validation of novel promoter sequences derived from two endogenous ubiquitin genes in transgenic Aedes aegypti. Insect Mol Biol 19:441-9
Traver, B E; Anderson, M A E; Adelman, Z N (2009) Homing endonucleases catalyze double-stranded DNA breaks and somatic transgene excision in Aedes aegypti. Insect Mol Biol 18:623-33
Gross, Tiffany L; Myles, Kevin M; Adelman, Zach N (2009) Identification and characterization of heat shock 70 genes in Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae). J Med Entomol 46:496-504