Genetics can potentially provide new, species-specific, environmentally friendly methods for mosquito control. Genetic control strategies aim either to suppress target populations or to introduce a harm-reducing novel trait. Different approaches differ considerably in their properties, especially between self-limiting strategies, where the modification has limited persistence, and self-sustaining strategies, which are intended to persist indefinitely in the target population and may invade other populations. Several methods with different molecular biology are under development and the first field trials have been completed successfully.

/pdf/genetic-control-of-mosquitoes-323levzu0k.pdf

Genetic Control of Mosquitoes

Vector-borne disease is one of the greatest contributors to human mortality and morbidity throughout the tropics. Mosquito-transmitted diseases such as malaria, dengue, yellow fever and filariasis are the main contributors to this burden. Although insecticides have historically been used to try to control vector populations, over the past 15 years, substantial progress has been made in developing alternative vector control strategies ranging from biocontrol methods through to genetic modification of wild insect populations. Here, we review recent advances concerning these strategies and consider the potential impediments to their deployment, including the challenges of obtaining regulatory approval and community acceptance.

/pdf/beyond-insecticides-new-thinking-on-an-ancient-problem-1zzawitxhz.pdf

Beyond insecticides: new thinking on an ancient problem

Aedes mosquito-transmitted diseases, such as dengue, Zika and chikungunya, are becoming major global health emergencies while old threats, such as yellow fever, are re-emerging. Traditional control methods, which have focused on reducing mosquito populations through the application of insecticides or preventing breeding through removal of larval habitat, are largely ineffective, as evidenced by the increasing global disease burden. Here, we review novel mosquito population reduction and population modification approaches with a focus on control methods based on the release of mosquitoes, including the release of Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes and strategies to genetically modify the vector, that are currently under development and have the potential to contribute to a reversal of the current alarming disease trends.

Controlling vector-borne diseases by releasing modified mosquitoes.

Mosquito-borne diseases are causing a substantial burden of mortality, morbidity and economic loss in many parts of the world, despite current control efforts, and new complementary approaches to controlling these diseases are needed. One promising class of new interventions under development involves the heritable modification of the mosquito by insertion of novel genes into the nucleus or of Wolbachia endosymbionts into the cytoplasm. Once released into a target population, these modifications can act to reduce one or more components of the mosquito population's vectorial capacity (e.g. the number of female mosquitoes, their longevity or their ability to support development and transmission of the pathogen). Some of the modifications under development are designed to be self-limiting, in that they will tend to disappear over time in the absence of recurrent releases (and hence are similar to the sterile insect technique, SIT), whereas other modifications are designed to be self-sustaining, spreading through populations even after releases stop (and hence are similar to traditional biological control). Several successful field trials have now been performed with Aedes mosquitoes, and such trials are helping to define the appropriate developmental pathway for this new class of intervention.

/pdf/heritable-strategies-for-controlling-insect-vectors-of-4wx77bf9zq.pdf

Heritable strategies for controlling insect vectors of disease

Cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) is the most common symbiont-induced reproductive manipulation. Specifically, symbiont-induced sperm modifications cause catastrophic mitotic defects in the fertilized embryo and ensuing lethality in crosses between symbiotic males and either aposymbiotic females or females harboring a different symbiont strain. However, if the female carries the same symbiont strain, then embryos develop properly, thereby imparting a relative fitness benefit to symbiont-transmitting mothers. Thus, CI drives maternally-transmitted bacteria to high frequencies in arthropods worldwide. In the past two decades, CI experienced a boom in interest due to its (i) deployment in worldwide efforts to curb mosquito-borne diseases, (ii) causation by bacteriophage genes, cifA and cifB, that modify sexual reproduction, and (iii) important impacts on arthropod speciation. This review serves as a gateway to experimental, conceptual, and quantitative themes of CI and outlines significant gaps in understanding CI's mechanism that are ripe for investigation from diverse subdisciplines in the life sciences.

Symbiont-mediated cytoplasmic incompatibility: what have we learned in 50 years?

Background: Lymphatic filariasis (LF), a global public health problem affecting approximately 120 million people worldwide, is a leading cause of disability in the developing world including the South Pacific Despite decades of ongoing mass drug administration (MDA) in the region, some island nations have not yet achieved the threshold levels of microfilaremia established by the World Health Organization for eliminating transmission Previously, the generation of a novel Aedes polynesiensis strain (CP) infected with an exogenous type of Wolbachia has been described The CP mosquito is cytoplasmically incompatible (ie, effectively sterile) when mated with wildtype mosquitoes, and a strategy was proposed for the control of A polynesiensis populations by repeated, inundative releases of CP males to disrupt fertility of wild females Such a strategy could lead to suppression of the vector population and subsequently lead to a reduction in the transmission of filarial worms Methodology/Principal Findings: CP males and F1 male offspring from wild-caught A polynesiensis females exhibit near equal mating competitiveness with F1 females under semi-field conditions Conclusions/Significance: While laboratory experiments are important, prior projects have demonstrated the need for additional testing under semi-field conditions in order to recognize problems before field implementation The results reported here from semi-field experiments encourage forward progression toward small-scale field releases

https://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0001271&type=printable

Male mating competitiveness of a Wolbachia-introgressed Aedes polynesiensis strain under semi-field conditions.

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Male mating competitiveness of a Wolbachia-introgressed Aedes polynesiensis strain under semi-field conditions.