Insect population control using a dominant, repressible, lethal genetic system.
A major modification to the sterile insect technique is described, in which transgenic insects homozygous for a dominant, repressible, female-specific lethal gene system are used. We demonstrate two methods that give the required genetic characteristics in an otherwise wild-type genetic background. The first system uses a sex-specific promoter or enhancer to drive the expression of a repressible transcription factor, which in turn controls the expression of a toxic gene product. The second system uses non-sex-specific expression of the repressible transcription factor to regulate a selectively lethal gene product. Both methods work efficiently in Drosophila melanogaster, and we expect these principles to be widely applicable to more economically important organisms.
Thomas
D D
DD
Department of Zoology, Wellcome Trust Centre for the Epidemiology of Infectious Disease, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PS, UK.
Donnelly
C A
CA
Wood
R J
RJ
Alphey
L S
LS
D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D003433:Crosses, Genetic; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000235:genetics*; D004527:Egg Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D004742:Enhancer Elements, Genetic; D005216:Fat Body / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D005799:Genes, Dominant; D017344:Genes, Insect; D005804:Genes, Lethal; D011905:Genes, ras; D006720:Homozygote; D008297:Male; D008954:Models, Biological; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D010572:Pest Control, Biological; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D013752:Tetracycline / Q000494:pharmacology; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000235:genetics; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics
D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D004527:Egg Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D015534:Trans-Activators; D014157:Transcription Factors; C070799:YP3 protein, Drosophila; C094166:msl-2 protein, Drosophila; D013752:Tetracycline