Female-specific flightless (fsRIDL) phenotype for control of Aedes albopictus.
BACKGROUND
Aedes albopictus, the Asian tiger mosquito, is a vector of several arboviruses including dengue and chikungunya, and is also a significant nuisance mosquito. It is one of the most invasive of mosquitoes with a relentlessly increasing geographic distribution. Conventional control methods have so far failed to control Ae. albopictus adequately. Novel genetics-based strategies offer a promising alternative or aid towards efficient control of this mosquito.


RESULTS
We describe here the isolation, characterisation and use of the Ae. albopictus Actin-4 gene to drive a dominant lethal gene in the indirect flight muscles of Ae. albopictus, thus inducing a conditional female-specific late-acting flightless phenotype. We also show that in this context, the Actin-4 regulatory regions from both Ae. albopictus and Ae. aegypti can be used to provide conditional female-specific flightlessness in either species.


CONCLUSIONS
With the disease-transmitting females incapacitated, the female flightless phenotype encompasses a genetic sexing mechanism and would be suitable for controlling Ae. albopictus using a male-only release approach as part of an integrated pest management strategy.
Oxitec Limited, Oxford, United Kingdom.
Geneviève M C
GM
Labbé
Sarah
S
Scaife
Siân A
SA
Morgan
Zoë H
ZH
Curtis
Luke
L
Alphey
D000199:Actins / Q000235:genetics; D000330:Aedes / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D004199:Disease Vectors; D005260:Female; D005426:Flight, Animal; D008297:Male; D009032:Mosquito Control / Q000379:methods*; D010641:Phenotype
D000199:Actins