Medusa: A Novel Gene Drive System for Confined Suppression of Insect Populations

Details

• Alternative Title:
  PLoS One
• Personal Author:
  Marshall, John M. ; Hay, Bruce A.
• Description:
  Gene drive systems provide novel opportunities for insect population suppression by driving genes that confer a fitness cost into pest or disease vector populations; however regulatory issues arise when genes are capable of spreading across international borders. Gene drive systems displaying threshold properties provide a solution since they can be confined to local populations and eliminated through dilution with wild-types. We propose a novel, threshold-dependent gene drive system, Medusa, capable of inducing a local and reversible population crash. Medusa consists of four components--two on the X chromosome, and two on the Y chromosome. A maternally-expressed, X-linked toxin and a zygotically-expressed, Y-linked antidote results in suppression of the female population and selection for the presence of the transgene-bearing Y because only male offspring of Medusa-bearing females are protected from the effects of the toxin. At the same time, the combination of a zygotically-expressed, Y-linked toxin and a zygotically-expressed, X-linked antidote selects for the transgene-bearing X in the presence of the transgene-bearing Y. Together these chromosomes create a balanced lethal system that spreads while selecting against females when present above a certain threshold frequency. Simple population dynamic models show that an all-male release of Medusa males, carried out over six generations, is expected to induce a population crash within 12 generations for modest release sizes on the order of the wild population size. Re-invasion of non-transgenic insects into a suppressed population can result in a population rebound; however this can be prevented through regular releases of modest numbers of Medusa males. Finally, we outline how Medusa could be engineered with currently available molecular tools.
• Subjects:
  Algorithms Animals Animals, Genetically Modified Antidotes Chromosomes, Insect Female Genetic Engineering Genetics, Population Inheritance Patterns Insect Control Male Models, Genetic Time Factors Toxins, Biological Transgenes X Chromosome Y Chromosome

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• Source:
  PLoS One. 2014; 9(7).
• Pubmed ID:
  25054803
• Pubmed Central ID:
  PMC4108329
• Document Type:
  Journal Article
• Funding:
  DP1GM1053A/DP/NCCDPHP CDC HHS/United States ; Medical Research Council/United Kingdom
• Volume:
  9
• Issue:
  7
• Collection(s):
  CDC Public Access
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha256:94b44b2e7cf6825ae69170d8f7a2c647a8f20dc696c215289b6488bd7bff8cad
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/32187/cdc_32187_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.46 MB ]