Posted by Vector and Vector-borne Disease Committee
October 11, 2022
Padukka Vidanelage Desha Dilani1, Ranil Samantha Dassanayake1, Brij Kishore Tyagi2 and Yasanthi Illika Nilmini Silva Gunawardene3
1Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Colombo, Colombo, Sri Lanka
2Sponsored Research & Industrial Centre, VIT University, Vellore (TN), India
3Molecular Medicine Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya, Ragama, Sri Lanka
REVIEW article. Front. Insect Sci., 30 September 2022. Sec. Insect Physiology
https://doi.org/10.3389/finsc.2022.957570
Author’s abstract. Transgenic mosquitoes developed by genetic manipulation, offer a promising strategy for the sustainable and effective control of mosquito-borne diseases. This strategy relies on the mass release of transgenic mosquitoes into the wild, where their transgene is expected to persist in the natural environment, either permanently or transiently, within the mosquito population. In such circumstances, the fitness of transgenic mosquitoes is an important factor in determining their survival in the wild. The impact of transgene expression, insertional mutagenesis, inbreeding depression related to laboratory adaptation, and the hitchhiking effect involved in developing homozygous mosquito lines can all have an effect on the fitness of transgenic mosquitoes. Therefore, real-time estimation of transgene-associated fitness cost is imperative for modeling and planning transgenic mosquito release programs. This can be achieved by directly comparing fitness parameters in individuals homozygous or hemizygous for the transgene and their wild-type counterparts, or by cage invasion experiments to monitor the frequency of the transgenic allele over multiple generations. Recent advancements such as site-specific integration systems and gene drives, provide platforms to address fitness issues in transgenic mosquitoes. More research on the fitness of transgenic individuals is required to develop transgenic mosquitoes with a low fitness cost.
Note: This review paper addresses the fitness of released mosquitoes and should be of interest to those agencies that are using releases for invasive Aedes control, even though some of the genetic methods may not be similar to what is being used locally.