A synthetic maternal-effect selfish genetic element drives population replacement in Drosophila

Science. 2007 Apr 27;316(5824):597-600. doi: 10.1126/science.1138595. Epub 2007 Mar 29.

Abstract

One proposed strategy for controlling the transmission of insect-borne pathogens uses a drive mechanism to ensure the rapid spread of transgenes conferring disease refractoriness throughout wild populations. Here, we report the creation of maternal-effect selfish genetic elements in Drosophila that drive population replacement and are resistant to recombination-mediated dissociation of drive and disease refractoriness functions. These selfish elements use microRNA-mediated silencing of a maternally expressed gene essential for embryogenesis, which is coupled with early zygotic expression of a rescuing transgene.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing / genetics*
  • Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing / physiology
  • Animals
  • Antigens, Differentiation / genetics*
  • Antigens, Differentiation / physiology
  • Crosses, Genetic
  • DNA Transposable Elements
  • Drosophila / embryology
  • Drosophila / genetics*
  • Drosophila / physiology*
  • Drosophila Proteins / genetics*
  • Drosophila Proteins / physiology
  • Embryonic Development
  • Female
  • Gene Expression
  • Genes, Insect*
  • Genetic Engineering*
  • Heterozygote
  • Homozygote
  • Male
  • MicroRNAs / genetics
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • RNA Interference*
  • Receptors, Immunologic / genetics*
  • Receptors, Immunologic / physiology
  • Recombination, Genetic
  • Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid*
  • Transgenes
  • Zygote / physiology

Substances

  • Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing
  • Antigens, Differentiation
  • DNA Transposable Elements
  • Drosophila Proteins
  • MicroRNAs
  • Myd88 protein, Drosophila
  • Receptors, Immunologic

Associated data

  • GENBANK/EF447105
  • GENBANK/EF447106