A dominant lethal genetic system for autocidal control of the Mediterranean fruitfly.
The Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) used to control insect pests relies on the release of large numbers of radiation-sterilized insects. Irradiation can have a negative impact on the subsequent performance of the released insects and therefore on the cost and effectiveness of a control program. This and other problems associated with current SIT programs could be overcome by the use of recombinant DNA methods and molecular genetics. Here we describe the construction of strains of the Mediterranean fruit fly (medfly) harboring a tetracycline-repressible transactivator (tTA) that causes lethality in early developmental stages of the heterozygous progeny but has little effect on the survival of the parental transgenic tTA insects. We show that these properties should prove advantageous for the implementation of insect pest control programs.
Gong
Peng
P
Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PS, UK.
Epton
Matthew J
MJ
Fu
Guoliang
G
Scaife
Sarah
S
Hiscox
Alexandra
A
Condon
Kirsty C
KC
Condon
George C
GC
Morrison
Neil I
NI
Kelly
David W
DW
Dafa'alla
Tarig
T
Coleman
Paul G
PG
Alphey
Luke
L
D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D033622:Ceratitis capitata / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development; D003433:Crosses, Genetic; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian; D005799:Genes, Dominant; D017344:Genes, Insect; D005804:Genes, Lethal; D006579:Heterozygote; D007300:Insect Control / Q000379:methods*; D008845:Microinjections; D008954:Models, Biological; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016254:Mutagenesis, Insertional; D010957:Plasmids; D013752:Tetracycline / Q000378:metabolism; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014170:Transformation, Genetic
D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D015534:Trans-Activators; D013752:Tetracycline