GC-TiMo

The tiger mosquito Aedes albopictus can vector dengue, Zika and chikungunya viruses and is highly invasive in France and the world. Current vector control techniques fail to contain its expansion, as insecticides cannot reach all larval breeding sites, favor the emergence of genetic resistance, while being noxious to biodiversity and human health. We have established several transgenic lines that ectopically express the Nix gene, which converts females into functional males. The genetic construct also comprises a docking site in which additional transgenes can be inserted. We propose to exploit this collection of docking sites by adding components of the CRISPR/Cas9 system to (i) confer to Nix a gene drive property, in order to massively convert mosquito females into inoffensive males, with the aim to suppress invasive populations; (ii) associate Nix to a female sterilizing system independent of masculinisation and effective in subsequent generations; (iii) combine the two processes to prevent the emergence of mutant females that would be genetically resistant to the transgenes’ masculinizing effects. This project is expected to provide a new vector control tool specifically targeting Aedes albopictus, without collateral damage on the rest of the environment. It pertains to a preparation strategy to face the threat of future epidemics favored by the expansion and proliferation of this important vector of viruses.