Y chromosome shredding in Anopheles gambiae: Insight into the cellular dynamics of a novel synthetic sex ratio distorter.

Despite efforts to explore the genome of the malaria vector Anopheles gambiae, the Y chromosome of this species remains enigmatic. The large number of repetitive and heterochromatic DNA sequences makes the Y chromosome exceptionally difficult to fully assemble, hampering the progress of gene editing techniques and functional studies for this chromosome. In this study, we made use of a bioinformatic platform to identify Y-specific repetitive DNA sequences that served as a target site for a CRISPR/Cas9 system.

Comprehensive characterization of a transgene insertion in a highly repetitive, centromeric region of mosquitoes.

The availability of the genomic sequence of the malaria mosquito has in recent years sparked the development of transgenic technologies with the potential to be used as novel vector control tools. These technologies rely on genome editing that confer traits able to affect vectorial capacity. This can be achieved by either reducing the mosquito population or by making mosquitoes refractory to the parasite infection.

Identification of Aedes aegypti specificity motifs in the N-terminus of the Bacillus thuringiensis Cry2Aa pesticidal protein.

One advantage of using the Cry proteins of Bacillus thuringiensis as pesticides is their relatively narrow spectrum of activity, thus reducing the risk of non-target effects. Understanding the molecular basis of specificity has the potential to help us design improved products against emerging pests, or against pests that have developed resistance to other Cry proteins. Many previous studies have associated specificity with the binding of the Cry protein, particularly through the apical regions of domain II, to particular receptors on the midgut epithelial cells of the host insect.