Gene Drive Mosquitoes Can Aid Malaria Elimination by Retarding Sporogonic Development

Overview

Journal Sci Adv

Specialties Biology
Science

Date 2022 Sep 21

PMID 36129981

Authors

Astrid Hoermann

Tibebu Habtewold

Prashanth Selvaraj

Giuseppe Del Corsano

Paolo Capriotti

Maria Grazia Inghilterra

Temesgen M Kebede

George K Christophides

Nikolai Windbichler

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Gene drives hold promise for the genetic control of malaria vectors. The development of vector population modification strategies hinges on the availability of effector mechanisms impeding parasite development in transgenic mosquitoes. We augmented a midgut gene of the malaria mosquito to secrete two exogenous antimicrobial peptides, magainin 2 and melittin. This small genetic modification, capable of efficient nonautonomous gene drive, hampers oocyst development in both and . It delays the release of infectious sporozoites, while it simultaneously reduces the life span of homozygous female transgenic mosquitoes. Modeling the spread of this modification using a large-scale agent-based model of malaria epidemiology reveals that it can break the cycle of disease transmission across a range of transmission intensities.

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