title: Identification of genes for engineering the male germline of Aedes aegypti and Ceratitis capitata.
abstract: Synthetic biology approaches are promising new strategies for control of pest insects that transmit disease and cause agricultural damage. These strategies require characterised modular components that can direct appropriate expression of effector sequences, with components conserved across species being particularly useful. The goal of this study was to identify genes from which new potential components could be derived for manipulation of the male germline in two major pest species, the mosquito Aedes aegypti and the tephritid fruit fly Ceratitis capitata.
  
  
  
  Using RNA-seq data from staged testis samples, we identified several candidate genes with testis-specific expression and suitable expression timing for use of their regulatory regions in synthetic control constructs. We also developed a novel computational pipeline to identify candidate genes with testis-specific splicing from this data; use of alternative splicing is another method for restricting expression in synthetic systems. Some of the genes identified display testis-specific expression or splicing that is conserved across species; these are particularly promising candidates for construct development.
  
  
  
  In this study we have identified a set of genes with testis-specific expression or splicing. In addition to their interest from a basic biology perspective, these findings provide a basis from which to develop synthetic systems to control important pest insects via manipulation of the male germline.
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3PS, UK.|Oxitec Ltd, Milton Park, Abingdon, OX14 4RX, UK.|Present address: Sistemic, West of Scotland Science Park, Glasgow, G20 0SP, UK.
authors.forename: Elizabeth R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Sutton
authors.affiliation: School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF10 3AX, UK.|Present address: The Beatson Institute for Cancer Research, CRUK, Glasgow, G61 1BD, UK.
authors.forename: Yachuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3PS, UK.
authors.forename: Sebastian M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Shimeld
authors.affiliation: School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF10 3AX, UK. white-cooperh@cardiff.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: White-Cooper
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3PS, UK. luke.alphey@pirbright.ac.uk.|Oxitec Ltd, Milton Park, Abingdon, OX14 4RX, UK. luke.alphey@pirbright.ac.uk.|The Pirbright Institute, Pirbright, GU24 0NF, UK. luke.alphey@pirbright.ac.uk.
authors.forename: And Luke
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Alphey
mesh_terms: D000330:Aedes / Q000235:genetics*; D000818:Animals; D033622:Ceratitis capitata / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D017344:Genes, Insect; D005818:Genetic Engineering; D005854:Germ Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D009928:Organ Specificity / Q000235:genetics; D012326:RNA Splicing; D017423:Sequence Analysis, RNA; D058615:Synthetic Biology / Q000379:methods; D013737:Testis / Q000378:metabolism
keywords: Aedes aegypti; Ceratitis capitata; Male germline; Pest insect; RNA-seq; Synthetic biology