A5079908497- Insect Resistance and Genetics
- Insect and Pesticide Research
- Insect-Plant Interactions and Control
- CRISPR and Genetic Engineering
- Insect symbiosis and bacterial influences
- Insect behavior and control techniques
- Invertebrate Immune Response Mechanisms
- Mosquito-borne diseases and control
- Viral Infectious Diseases and Gene Expression in Insects
Imperial College London
2020-2024
University of Naples Federico II
2017-2020
Gene drives hold promise for the genetic control of malaria vectors. The development vector population modification strategies hinges on availability effector mechanisms impeding parasite in transgenic mosquitoes. We augmented a midgut gene mosquito
The Mediterranean fruitfly Ceratitis capitata (medfly) is an invasive agricultural pest of high economic impact and has become emerging model for developing new genetic control strategies as alternative to insecticides. Here, we report the successful adaptation CRISPR-Cas9-based gene disruption in medfly by injecting vitro pre-assembled, solubilized Cas9 ribonucleoprotein complexes (RNPs) loaded with gene-specific single guide RNAs (sgRNA) into early embryos. When targeting eye pigmentation...
Abstract Background Genetic sex ratio distorters are systems aimed at effecting a bias in the reproductive of population and could be applied for area-wide control sexually reproducing insects that vector disease or disrupt agricultural production. One example such system leading to male is X-shredding, an approach interferes with transmission X-chromosome by inducing multiple DNA double-strand breaks during meiosis. Endonucleases targeting whose activity restricted gametogenesis have...
Gene drives for mosquito population replacement are promising tools malaria control. However, there is currently no clear pathway safely testing such in endemic countries. The lack of well-characterized promoters infection-relevant tissues and regulatory hurdles further obstacles their design use. Here we explore how minimal genetic modifications endogenous genes can convert them directly into non-autonomous gene without disrupting expression. We co-opted the native sequences three...
Abstract Background Females of the Mediterranean fruit fly Ceratitis capitata (Medfly) are major agricultural pests, as they lay eggs into crops hundreds plant species. In Medfly, female sex determination is based on activation Cctransformer ( Cctra ). A maternal contribution required to activate itself in XX embryos and start epigenetically maintain a positive feedback loop, by female-specific alternative splicing, leading development. XY embryos, male determining Maleness-on-the-Y gene MoY...
Abstract Gene drives hold promise for the genetic control of malaria vectors. The development vector population modification strategies hinges on availability effector mechanisms impeding parasite in transgenic mosquitoes. We augmented a midgut gene mosquito Anopheles gambiae to secrete two exogenous antimicrobial peptides, Magainin 2 and Melittin. This small modification, capable efficient non-autonomous drive, hampers oocyst both Plasmodium falciparum berghei . It delays release infectious...
Abstract The NF-κB-like transcription factor, REL2, is a key player in the mosquito Immunodeficiency (Imd) pathway and holds promise for controlling malaria parasite infections genetically modified Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes. We engineered transgenic mosquitoes overexpressing REL2 from within bloodmeal-inducible zinc carboxypeptidase A1 (CP) host gene adult posterior midgut. Our results confirmed elevated expression midgut following bloodmeal, with corresponding protein localized...
ABSTRACT The Mediterranean fruitfly Ceratitis capitata (medfly) is an invasive agricultural pest of high economical impact and has become emerging model for developing new genetic control strategies as alternative to insecticides. Here, we report the successful adaptation CRISPR-Cas9-based gene disruption in medfly by injecting vitro pre-assembled, solubilized Cas9 ribonucleoprotein complexes (RNPs) loaded with gene-specific sgRNAs into early embryos. When targeting eye pigmentation white (...
Abstract Genetic sex ratio distorters have potential for the area-wide control of harmful insect populations. Endonucleases targeting X-chromosome and whose activity is restricted to male gametogenesis recently been pioneered as a means engineer such traits. Here we enabled endogenous CRISPR/Cas9 CRISPR/Cas12a during spermatogenesis Mediterranean fruit fly Ceratitis capitata , worldwide agricultural pest extensive economic significance. In absence chromosome-level assembly, analysed long...