AePUb promoter length modulates gene expression in Aedes aegypti.

Molecular tools for modulating transgene expression in Aedes aegypti are few. Here we demonstrate that adjustments to the AePUb promoter length can alter expression levels of two reporter proteins in Ae. aegypti cell culture and in mosquitoes.

Optimizing CRE and PhiC31 mediated recombination in .

Genetic manipulation of is key to developing a deeper understanding of this insects' biology, vector-virus interactions and makes future genetic control strategies possible. Despite some advances, this process remains laborious and requires highly skilled researchers and specialist equipment. Here we present two improved methods for genetic manipulation in this species.

Silencing RNAs expressed from W-linked "retrocopies" target that gene during female sex determination in .

The Lepidoptera are an insect order of cultural, economic, and environmental importance, representing ∼10% of all described living species. Yet, for all but one of these species (silkmoth, ), the molecular genetics of how sexual fate is determined remains unknown. We investigated this in the diamondback moth (), a globally important, highly invasive, and economically damaging pest of cruciferous crops.

Insights into the Karyotype Evolution of Charinidae, the Early-Diverging Clade of Whip Spiders (Arachnida: Amblypygi).

Whip spiders (Amblypygi) represent an ancient order of tetrapulmonate arachnids with a low diversity. Their cytogenetic data are confined to only a few reports. Here, we analyzed the family Charinidae, a lineage almost at the base of the amblypygids, providing an insight into the ancestral traits and basic trajectories of amblypygid karyotype evolution.

Large-scale comparative analysis of cytogenetic markers across Lepidoptera.

Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) allows identification of particular chromosomes and their rearrangements. Using FISH with signal enhancement via antibody amplification and enzymatically catalysed reporter deposition, we evaluated applicability of universal cytogenetic markers, namely 18S and 5S rDNA genes, U1 and U2 snRNA genes, and histone H3 genes, in the study of the karyotype evolution in moths and butterflies. Major rDNA underwent rather erratic evolution, which does not always reflect chromosomal changes.

The genetic architecture of a host shift: An adaptive walk protected an aphid and its endosymbiont from plant chemical defenses.

Host shifts can lead to ecological speciation and the emergence of new pests and pathogens. However, the mutational events that facilitate the exploitation of novel hosts are poorly understood. Here, we characterize an adaptive walk underpinning the host shift of the aphid to tobacco, including evolution of mechanisms that overcame tobacco chemical defenses.

Sex Chromosome Turnover in Moths of the Diverse Superfamily Gelechioidea.

Sex chromosomes play a central role in genetics of speciation and their turnover was suggested to promote divergence. In vertebrates, sex chromosome-autosome fusions resulting in neo-sex chromosomes occur frequently in male heterogametic taxa (XX/XY), but are rare in groups with female heterogamety (WZ/ZZ). We examined sex chromosomes of seven pests of the diverse lepidopteran superfamily Gelechioidea and confirmed the presence of neo-sex chromosomes in their karyotypes.

Recent advances in threshold-dependent gene drives for mosquitoes.

Mosquito-borne diseases, such as malaria, dengue and chikungunya, cause morbidity and mortality around the world. Recent advances in gene drives have produced control methods that could theoretically modify all populations of a disease vector, from a single release, making whole species less able to transmit pathogens. This ability has caused both excitement, at the prospect of global eradication of mosquito-borne diseases, and concern around safeguards.

Mapping of single-copy genes by TSA-FISH in the codling moth, Cydia pomonella.

Background: We work on the development of transgenic sexing strains in the codling moth, Cydia pomonella (Tortricidae), which would enable to produce male-only progeny for the population control of this pest using sterile insect technique (SIT). To facilitate this research, we have developed a number of cytogenetic and molecular tools, including a physical map of the codling moth Z chromosome using BAC-FISH (fluorescence in situ hybridization with bacterial artificial chromosome probes). However, chromosomal localization of unique, single-copy sequences such as a transgene cassette by conventional FISH remains challenging.