DOCSLIB.ORG

Genetically Modified Insects: Why Do Ew Need Them and How Will They Be Regulated?

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Genetically Modified Insects: Why Do Ew Need Them and How Will They Be Regulated? Journal of Environmental and Sustainability Law Missouri Environmental Law and Policy Review Volume 17 Article 4 Issue 1 Fall 2009 2009 Genetically Modified Insects: Why Do eW Need Them and How Will They Be Regulated? Michael J. Donovan Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarship.law.missouri.edu/jesl Part of the Environmental Law Commons Recommended Citation Michael J. Donovan, Genetically Modified Insects: Why Do eW Need Them and How Will They Be Regulated?, 17 Mo. Envtl. L. & Pol'y Rev. 62 (2009) Available at: https://scholarship.law.missouri.edu/jesl/vol17/iss1/4 This Comment is brought to you for free and open access by the Law Journals at University of Missouri School of Law Scholarship Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Journal of Environmental and Sustainability Law by an authorized editor of University of Missouri School of Law Scholarship Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Genetically Modified Insects: Why Do We Need Them and How Will They be Regulated? Michael J. Donovan, Ph.D. J.D. Candidate, Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law, Arizona State University; Ph.D., Biology specializing in Immunology and Parasitology, 2007, University of Notre Dame; B.S., Microbiology, 2001, University of Michigan. Mo. ENVTL. L. & POL'Y REV., Vol. 17, No. 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction.....................................................64 I. The Science of and Public Response to GM Insects........................68 A. Motivations for GM Insects......................................68 1. Human Health.............................................68 2. Agricultural Concerns.......................................73 3. Other Potential Motivations for the Development of GM Insects...............................................75 B. How to Make a GM Insect.......................................75 1. Direct Genome Modification................................... 76 a.SIT.................................................. 76 b. Genetic Manipulation..................................... 77 2. Paratransgenesis............................................ 79 C. The Possible Drawbacks to GM Insects.............................80 1. Direct Impacts on Human Health ................................................... 80 2. Environmental Impacts....................................... 81 D. The Public's View............................................ 82 1. Pro GM Insects ....................................................................... 82 2. Anti-GM Insects...................................................................... 83 E. The Potential Impacts - Surrogate Models ...................... ..... 85 1. The Cactus M oth ................. .......................... .......................... 85 2. "Africanized" Honeybees ..................................... 86 RegulationC. of GM Insects ......................................... 87 A. Coordinated Framework ................................................................ 87 B. Food and Drug Administration......................................................... 89 1. Regulatory Jurisdiction ....................................... 90 2. FDA's Regulatory Process .......................................................... 92 C. Environmental Protection Agency.................................94 1. Regulatory Jurisdiction ....................................... 95 a. FIFRA............................................................................. 95 b. TSCA.............................................................................. 96 2. EPA's Regulatory Process.....................................97 a. FIFRA............................................................................. 97 b. TSCA.............................................................................. 98 D. U.S. Department of Agriculture ........................................................ 99 1. USDA's Jurisdiction ................................................................ 100 a. Plant Protection Act ..................................... 100 b. Animal Health Protection Act...............................102 c. Honeybee Act..........................................102 2. USDA's Regulatory Process .................................. 103 E. International Regulations.......................................105 Conclusion.................................. ..................... 107 63 GENETICALLY MODIFIED INSECTS INTRODUCTION The biotechnology' age began in 1973 with the publication of a research paper by Cohen and Boyer detailing their experiments in which they created a functional bacterial plasmid in vitro.2 This initial report explained how to splice two different DNA strands together and create an entirely new and functional DNA molecule. This development, although ground-breaking, immediately raised questions about the risks involved with the application of this technology. In a letter to Science the following year, several Nobel prize-winning scientists voiced their concerns over recombinant DNA (hereinafter "rDNA") technology.3 The group, including James Watson, proposed a moratorium on research using rDNA technology until a general meeting of scientists could be held. This proposed meeting was held in Asilomar, California in 1975. The output of the Asilomar conference was a set of conclusions about the potential uses of rDNA and recommendations for its regulation and safe use.5 The regulation of rDNA technology evolved from its beginnings in Asilomar. The Asilomar conference's non-binding recommendations were later used as the basis for the National Institutes of Health's (hereinafter "NIH") rDNA mandatory safety requirements. 6 The NIH's mandatory guidelines, however, applied only to research groups using 1Biotechnology, broadly defined as "the application of scientific and engineering principles to the processing of materials by biological agents to provide goods and services," ALAN T. BULL ET AL., ORG. FOR ECON. CO-OPERATION & DEV., BIOTECHNOLOGY: INTERNATIONAL TRENDS AND PERSPECTIVES 18 (1982) (internal quotation marks omitted), available at http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/34/9/2097562.pdf, has technically been around for centuries. The use of yeast to make beer and wine is technically a use of biotechnology. The advent of recombinant DNA technology has allowed scientists to manipulate organisms used in providing goods and services, leading to what many have come to think of as modem-day biotechnology. 2See Stanley N. Cohen et al., Construction ofBiologically FunctionalBacterial Plasmids In Vitro, 70 PROc. NAT'L ACAD. SCI. 3240 (1973). 3 See Paul Berg et al., PotentialBiohazards ofRecombinant DNA Molecules, 185 SCI. 303 (1974). 5 See Paul Berg et al., Summary Statement of the Asilomar Conference on Recombinant DNA Molecules, 72 PROC. NAT'L ACAD. SCI. 1981, 1981-83 (1975). 6 Recombinant DNA Research, 41 Fed. Reg. 27,902, 27,902 (July 7, 1976). 64 Mo. ENVTL. L. & POL'Y REv., Vol. 17, No. 1 federal funds.7 Any groups with independent means were free to take these rules under advisement but were not required to comply. Then, in 1986, the United States federal government published its own regulations in the Federal Register. These regulations, the CoordinatedFramework for Regulation of Biotechnology (hereinafter "Coordinated Framework"), have remained the basis of biotechnology regulation.8 The Coordinated Framework uses the joint efforts of three federal agencies, the Food and Drug Administration (hereinafter "FDA"), the Environmental Protection Agency (hereinafter "EPA"), and the United States Department of Agriculture (hereinafter "USDA"), to regulate biotechnology. Since the 1980s, the use of biotechnology has been both successful and controversial. Early on, many developments were not controversial as researchers were able to create plants that were resistant to a variety of chemicals. 9 In 1987, five applications for field trials of genetically modified (hereinafter "GM") plants were approved, and since that date, more than 12,000 field trials have been approved by government agencies. 0 More controversial, the 1980s also saw the creation of GM microorganisms for biotechnology uses." Researchers in California created a strain of Pseudomonas fluorescens that incorporated a gene, which when expressed, produced an anti-freeze protein that delayed ice crystal formation.12 This organism was named the "ice-minus" strain.'3 The creators of this organism were interested in its potential agricultural applications for use in preventing frost damage to plants during the fall growing season.14 To test its potential viability as a biotechnology product, field tests were necessary. The creators applied for regulatory ' See id 8 See Coordinated Framework for Regulation of Biotechnology, 51 Fed. Reg. 23,302 (June 26, 1986). 9 Alan McHughen & Stuart Smyth, US Regulatory System for Genetically Modified [Genetically Modified Organism (GMO), rDNA or Transgenic] Crop Cultivars,6 PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY J. 2, 4 (2008). '0 Id. at 5. "1See Jean L. Marx, Assessing the Risks ofMicrobialRelease, 237 ScI. 1413 (1987). 12 Id. at 1413-14. " Id. at 1413. 14 d 65 GENETICALLY MODIFIED INSECTS approval of field tests; and after two years of delay, their applications were approved.15 Unfortunately, public sentiment was not on their side.16 Opposition to the field trials was strong enough to further delay the testing.' 7 Eventually, the field tests were moved to a new location, approved, and completed, although the product eventually proved not to be commercially viable.'8 Applications
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Paratransgenic Control of Vector Borne Diseases Ivy Hurwitz, Annabeth Fieck, Amber Read, Heidi Hillesland*, Nichole Klein, Angray Kang1 and Ravi Dur- Vasula
    Int. J. Biol. Sci. 2011, 7 1334 Ivyspring International Publisher International Journal of Biological Sciences 2011; 7(9):1334-1344 Review Paratransgenic Control of Vector Borne Diseases Ivy Hurwitz, Annabeth Fieck, Amber Read, Heidi Hillesland*, Nichole Klein, Angray Kang1 and Ravi Dur- vasula Center for Global Health, Department of Internal Medicine, University of New Mexico and New Mexico VA Health Care System, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. 1. Institute of Dentistry, Queen Mary, University of London, England. * Present address: Department of Internal Medicine, University of Washington Medical Center, Seattle, Washington, USA. Corresponding author: Ravi Durvasula (505)991 3812, [email protected]. © Ivyspring International Publisher. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/ licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/). Reproduction is permitted for personal, noncommercial use, provided that the article is in whole, unmodified, and properly cited. Received: 2011.09.01; Accepted: 2011.10.01; Published: 2011.11.01 Abstract Conventional methodologies to control vector borne diseases with chemical pesticides are often associated with environmental toxicity, adverse effects on human health and the emergence of insect resistance. In the paratransgenic strategy, symbiotic or commensal microbes of host insects are transformed to express gene products that interfere with pathogen transmission. These genetically altered microbes are re-introduced back to the insect where expression of the engineered molecules decreases the host’s ability to transmit the pathogen. We have successfully utilized this strategy to reduce carriage rates of Trypa- nosoma cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas disease, in the triatomine bug, Rhodnius prolixus, and are currently developing this methodology to control the transmission of Leishmania donovani by the sand fly Phlebotomus argentipes.
    [Show full text]
  • Genome Features of Asaia Sp. W12 Isolated from the Mosquito Anopheles Stephensi Reveal Symbiotic Traits
    G C A T T A C G G C A T genes Article Genome Features of Asaia sp. W12 Isolated from the Mosquito Anopheles stephensi Reveal Symbiotic Traits Shicheng Chen 1,* , Ting Yu 2, Nicolas Terrapon 3,4 , Bernard Henrissat 3,4,5 and Edward D. Walker 6 1 Department of Clinical and Diagnostic Sciences, School of Health Sciences, Oakland University, 433 Meadowbrook Road, Rochester, MI 48309, USA 2 Agro-Biological Gene Research Center, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China; [email protected] 3 Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Aix-Marseille Université (AMU), UMR 7257, 13288 Marseille, France; [email protected] (N.T.); [email protected] (B.H.) 4 Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), USC AFMB, 1408 Marseille, France 5 Department of Biological Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21412, Saudi Arabia 6 Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected]; Tel.: +1-248-364-8662 Abstract: Asaia bacteria commonly comprise part of the microbiome of many mosquito species in the genera Anopheles and Aedes, including important vectors of infectious agents. Their close association with multiple organs and tissues of their mosquito hosts enhances the potential for paratransgenesis for the delivery of antimalaria or antivirus effectors. The molecular mechanisms involved in the interactions between Asaia and mosquito hosts, as well as Asaia and other bacterial members of the mosquito microbiome, remain underexplored. Here, we determined the genome sequence of Asaia strain W12 isolated from Anopheles stephensi mosquitoes, compared it to other Asaia species associated Citation: Chen, S.; Yu, T.; Terrapon, with plants or insects, and investigated the properties of the bacteria relevant to their symbiosis N.; Henrissat, B.; Walker, E.D.
    [Show full text]
  • Tsetse Fly Evolution, Genetics and the Trypanosomiases - a Review E
    Entomology Publications Entomology 10-2018 Tsetse fly evolution, genetics and the trypanosomiases - A review E. S. Krafsur Iowa State University, [email protected] Ian Maudlin The University of Edinburgh Follow this and additional works at: https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/ent_pubs Part of the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons, Entomology Commons, Genetics Commons, and the Parasitic Diseases Commons The ompc lete bibliographic information for this item can be found at https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/ ent_pubs/546. For information on how to cite this item, please visit http://lib.dr.iastate.edu/ howtocite.html. This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Entomology at Iowa State University Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Entomology Publications by an authorized administrator of Iowa State University Digital Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Tsetse fly evolution, genetics and the trypanosomiases - A review Abstract This reviews work published since 2007. Relative efforts devoted to the agents of African trypanosomiasis and their tsetse fly vectors are given by the numbers of PubMed accessions. In the last 10 years PubMed citations number 3457 for Trypanosoma brucei and 769 for Glossina. The development of simple sequence repeats and single nucleotide polymorphisms afford much higher resolution of Glossina and Trypanosoma population structures than heretofore. Even greater resolution is offered by partial and whole genome sequencing. Reproduction in T. brucei sensu lato is principally clonal although genetic recombination in tsetse salivary glands has been demonstrated in T. b. brucei and T. b. rhodesiense but not in T. b.
    [Show full text]
  • Engineering a Culturable Serratia Symbiotica Strain for Aphid Paratransgenesis
    bioRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.09.15.299214; this version posted September 16, 2020. The copyright holder for this preprint (which was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. It is made available under aCC-BY-NC 4.0 International license. 1 Engineering a culturable Serratia symbiotica strain for aphid paratransgenesis 2 3 Katherine M. Elstona, Julie Perreaua,b, Gerald P. Maedab, Nancy A. Moranb, 4 Jeffrey E. Barricka# 5 6 aDepartment of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 7 78712, USA 8 bDepartment of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, 9 USA 10 11 Running title: Engineering an aphid symbiont for paratransgenesis 12 13 #Correspondence: [email protected] 14 15 1 bioRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.09.15.299214; this version posted September 16, 2020. The copyright holder for this preprint (which was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. It is made available under aCC-BY-NC 4.0 International license. 16 ABSTRACT 17 Aphids are global agricultural pests and important models for bacterial symbiosis. To 18 date, none of the native symbionts of aphids have been genetically manipulated, which 19 limits our understanding of how they interact with their hosts. Serratia symbiotica CWBI- 20 2.3T is a culturable, gut-associated bacterium isolated from the black bean aphid. 21 Closely related Serratia symbiotica strains are facultative aphid endosymbionts that are 22 vertically transmitted from mother to offspring during embryogenesis.
    [Show full text]
  • Bacterial Microbiome in Chagas Disease Vectors
    Domako 1 Bacterial microbiome in Chagas disease vectors Presence of Bacterial Microbiome and Incidence of Infection in Chagas Disease Vectors Triatoma dimidiata Amber Domako Department of Integrative Biology University of California, Berkeley EAP Tropical Biology and Conservation Program, Fall 2016 16 December 2016 ABSTRACT Chagas disease is a condition caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi. In Costa Rica, it is spread by one species of kissing bug, Triatoma dimidiata. Recent studies have concluded that the microbiomes of insect disease vectors play a role in the insects’ transmission of diseases. My study examines the relationship between the number of individual bacteria morphospecies found in the microbiome of each T. dimidiata and whether that insect was a Chagas disease carrier. With this data, I analyzed the correlation between the presence of the trypanosome, or not, and the microbiome of the insect. I collected Chagas bugs from various locations across the San Luis Valley and the Monteverde area of Costa Rica and took fecal samples from the live insects. Through microscopic examination, I determined whether the T. dimidiata carried the parasite T. cruzi. Subsequently, I surveyed the number of bacteria in the microbiome of each Chagas bug using oil immersion. There was a significant relationship between the number of bacteria and the presence or absence of the parasite T. cruzi. T. dimidiata individuals carrying T. cruzi had a greater number of total bacteria than individuals who did not have the infection. In both types of bacteria studied, cocci and bacilli, the presence of the parasite was related to a higher number of individual bacteria in each Chagas bug.
    [Show full text]
  • Paratransgenesis As a Tool to Block Trypanosome Transmission by Tsetse
    Paratransgenesis as a tool to block trypanosome transmission by tsetse. Jan Van Den Abbeele THIRD FAO/IAEA INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON AREA-WIDE MANAGEMENT OF INSECT PESTS: INTEGRATING THE STERILE INSECT AND RELATED NUCLEAR AND OTHER TECHNIQUES VIENNA, 22 - 26 MAY 2017 DEPARTMENT BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES Outline of the presentation Background on tsetse-transmitted trypanosomiases and its control Potential role of paratransgenic refractory tsetse flies within SIT programs Paratransgenesis in tsetse fly: proof-of-concept; current bottlenecks DEPARTMENT BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES Tsetse-transmitted African trypanosomiasis HAT; sleeping sickness T.brucei gambiense; T.brucei Parasitic disease(s) caused by Tsetse fly (Glossina sp.) rhodesiense Trypanosoma sp. (protozoa, kinetoplastidae) in different host species (man, bovine, goat,…). Distribution: sub-Saharan Africa Trypanosoma sp. TYPEAAT NAME; nagana DEPARTMENT IN WINDOW T.congolense; T.vivax; T.brucei brucei DEPARTMENT BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES Tsetse-transmitted African trypanosomiasis HAT (in 2015) AAT DRC: 2.351 new cases Remains one of the biggest infectious (>85% ); disease constraints to productive livestock rearing in sub-Saharan Africa: CAR: 146; cattle breeding (increase of 100 cases in mortality and morbidity) surrounding countries reduction of meat / milk remote, rural areas AAT production: lower income, > 60 million people are reduction of nutritional proteins still at risk losses in animal traction WHO: elimination by 2025? power: reduction of the yields e.g. TRYP-ELIM program in DRC and the surface area that can (ITM, PNLTHA, LSTM – B&M be cultivated; restricted land funding) usage DEPARTMENT BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES Tsetse-transmitted African trypanosomiasis: control HAT: AAT: Active case detection Diagnosis by the local vet/farmer,… Treatment: two main drugs: Accurate and rapid diagnosis; stage isometamidum chloride, diminazene determination aceturate; homidium; important issues: Treatment: limited amount of drugs quality of the drugs on the local market; available; drug resistance? drug resistance.
    [Show full text]
  • Secretion of Malaria Transmission-Blocking Proteins from Paratransgenic Bacteria Nicholas Bongio
    Duquesne University Duquesne Scholarship Collection Electronic Theses and Dissertations Spring 2015 Secretion of Malaria Transmission-Blocking Proteins from Paratransgenic Bacteria Nicholas Bongio Follow this and additional works at: https://dsc.duq.edu/etd Recommended Citation Bongio, N. (2015). Secretion of Malaria Transmission-Blocking Proteins from Paratransgenic Bacteria (Doctoral dissertation, Duquesne University). Retrieved from https://dsc.duq.edu/etd/335 This Immediate Access is brought to you for free and open access by Duquesne Scholarship Collection. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Duquesne Scholarship Collection. For more information, please contact [email protected]. SECRETION OF MALARIA TRANSMISSION-BLOCKING PROTEINS FROM PARATRANSGENIC BACTERIA A Dissertation Submitted to the Bayer School of Natural and Environmental Sciences Duquesne University In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy By Nicholas James Bongio May 2015 Copyright by Nicholas James Bongio 2015 SECRETION OF MALARIA TRANSMISSION-BLOCKING PROTEINS FROM PARATRANSGENIC BACTERIA By Nicholas James Bongio Approved May 19, 2014 ________________________________ ________________________________ Dr. David Lampe Dr. Nancy Trun Associate Professor of Biology Associate Professor of Biology (Committee Chair) (Committee Member) ________________________________ ________________________________ Dr. Marcelo Jacobs-Lorena Dr. Jana Patton-Vogt Professor of Molecular
    [Show full text]
  • Genetic Approaches for Malaria Control
    5 Genetic approaches for malaria control Marcelo Jacobs-Lorena# Abstract The already unacceptable large burden of malaria continues to increase, indicating that the available means to fight the disease are insufficient. The genetic manipulation of the mosquito vectorial competence is a potential new promising weapon for the control of malaria. Considerable progress has been made in recent years towards this goal. It is now possible to introduce synthetic genes into the mosquito germ line, promoters have been identified that effectively drive gene expression in tissues and at times appropriate to target the parasite, and effector genes that impair parasite development in the mosquito have been identified. With these tools, proof-of-concept experiments have already demonstrated that it is possible to interfere genetically with the vectorial competence of the mosquito. At least some of the transgenic mosquito lines that have been created appear to be as fit as their wild-type counterparts. Presently, the major unresolved challenge is the development of methods to drive effector genes into mosquito populations in the field. While several approaches are under consideration, such as transposable elements, Wolbachia, meiotic drive and paratransgenesis, their relative feasibility remains to be demonstrated. Additional challenges are the resolution of safety concerns and satisfactorily addressing social, ethical and political considerations. Hopes remain high that the remaining challenges will be solved and that we shall be able to deploy this new genetic weapon in the foreseeable future. Keywords: mosquitoes; malaria; transgenesis; effector genes; driving mechanisms; refractoriness Introduction Insect-transmitted diseases impose an enormous burden on the world population in terms of loss of life (millions of deaths per year) and morbidity.
    [Show full text]
  • Isolation and Identification of Asaia Sp. in Anopheles Spp. Mosquitoes
    Rami et al. Parasites & Vectors (2018) 11:367 https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-018-2955-9 RESEARCH Open Access Isolation and identification of Asaia sp. in Anopheles spp. mosquitoes collected from Iranian malaria settings: steps toward applying paratransgenic tools against malaria Abbas Rami†, Abbasali Raz†, Sedigheh Zakeri and Navid Dinparast Djadid* Abstract Background: In recent years, the genus Asaia (Rhodospirillales: Acetobacteraceae) has been isolated from different Anopheles species and presented as a promising tool to combat malaria. This bacterium has unique features such as presence in different organs of mosquitoes (midgut, salivary glands and reproductive organs) of female and male mosquitoes and vertical and horizontal transmission. These specifications lead to the possibility of introducing Asaia as a robust candidate for malaria vector control via paratransgenesis technology. Several studies have been performed on the microbiota of Anopheles mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) in Iran and the Middle East to find a suitable candidate for controlling the malaria based on paratransgenesis approaches. The present study is the first report of isolation, biochemical and molecular characterization of the genus Asaia within five different Anopheles species which originated from different zoogeographical zones in the south, east, and north of Iran. Methods: Mosquitoes originated from field-collected and laboratory-reared colonies of five Anopheles spp. Adult mosquitoes were anesthetized; their midguts were isolated by dissection, followed by grinding the midgut contents which were then cultured in enrichment broth media and later in CaCO3 agar plates separately. Morphological, biochemical and physiological characterization were carried out after the appearance of colonies. For molecular confirmation, selected colonies were cultured, their DNAs were extracted and PCR was performed on the 16S ribosomal RNA gene using specific newly designed primers.
    [Show full text]
  • Self-Limiting Paratransgenesis
    PLOS NEGLECTED TROPICAL DISEASES RESEARCH ARTICLE Self-limiting paratransgenesis 1 2 1 Wei Huang , Sibao WangID , Marcelo Jacobs-LorenaID * 1 Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Malaria Research Institute, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America, 2 CAS Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental and Evolutionary Biology, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China * [email protected] a1111111111 a1111111111 Abstract a1111111111 a1111111111 Presently, the principal tools to combat malaria are restricted to killing the parasite in a1111111111 infected people and killing the mosquito vector to thwart transmission. While successful, these approaches are losing effectiveness in view of parasite resistance to drugs and mos- quito resistance to insecticides. Clearly, new approaches to fight this deadly disease need to be developed. Recently, one such approach±engineering mosquito resident bacteria to secrete anti-parasite compounds±has proven in the laboratory to be highly effective. How- OPEN ACCESS ever, implementation of this strategy requires approval from regulators as it involves intro- Citation: Huang W, Wang S, Jacobs-Lorena M (2020) Self-limiting paratransgenesis. PLoS Negl duction of recombinant bacteria into the field. A frequent argument by regulators is that if Trop Dis 14(8): e0008542. https://doi.org/10.1371/ something unexpectedly goes wrong after release, there must be a recall mechanism. This journal.pntd.0008542 report addresses this concern. Previously we have shown that a Serratia bacterium isolated Editor: Jose M. C. Ribeiro, National Institute of from a mosquito ovary is able to spread through mosquito populations and is amenable to Allergy and Infectious Diseases, UNITED STATES be engineered to secrete anti-plasmodial compounds.
    [Show full text]
  • Paratransgenesis to Control Malaria Vectors
    Mancini et al. Parasites & Vectors (2016) 9:140 DOI 10.1186/s13071-016-1427-3 RESEARCH Open Access Paratransgenesis to control malaria vectors: a semi-field pilot study Maria Vittoria Mancini1†, Roberta Spaccapelo2†, Claudia Damiani1, Anastasia Accoti1, Mario Tallarita2, Elisabetta Petraglia1, Paolo Rossi1, Alessia Cappelli1, Aida Capone1, Giulia Peruzzi2, Matteo Valzano1, Matteo Picciolini2, Abdoulaye Diabaté3, Luca Facchinelli2, Irene Ricci1 and Guido Favia1* Abstract Background: Malaria still remains a serious health burden in developing countries, causing more than 1 million deaths annually. Given the lack of an effective vaccine against its major etiological agent, Plasmodium falciparum, and the growing resistance of this parasite to the currently available drugs repertoire and of Anopheles mosquitoes to insecticides, the development of innovative control measures is an imperative to reduce malaria transmission. Paratransgenesis, the modification of symbiotic organisms to deliver anti-pathogen effector molecules, represents a novel strategy against Plasmodium development in mosquito vectors, showing the potential to reduce parasite development. However, the field application of laboratory-based evidence of paratransgenesis imposes the use of more realistic confined semi-field environments. Methods: Large cages were used to evaluate the ability of bacteria of the genus Asaia expressing green fluorescent protein (Asaiagfp), to diffuse in Anopheles stephensi and Anopheles gambiae target mosquito populations. Asaiagfp was introduced in large cages through the release of paratransgenic males or by sugar feeding stations. Recombinant bacteria transmission was directly detected by fluorescent microscopy, and further assessed by molecular analysis. Results: Here we show the first known trial in semi-field condition on paratransgenic anophelines. Modified bacteria were able to spread at high rate in different populations of An.
    [Show full text]
  • Towards Improving Tsetse Fly Paratransgenesis: Stable
    De Vooght et al. BMC Microbiology 2018, 18(Suppl 1):165 https://doi.org/10.1186/s12866-018-1282-9 RESEARCH Open Access Towards improving tsetse fly paratransgenesis: stable colonization of Glossina morsitans morsitans with genetically modified Sodalis Linda De Vooght*, Severien Van Keer and Jan Van Den Abbeele* Abstract Background: Tsetse flies (Glossina sp.) refractory to trypanosome infection are currently being explored as potential tools to contribute in the control of human and animal African trypanosomiasis. One approach to disrupt trypanosome transmission by the tsetse fly vector involves the use of paratransgenesis, a technique that aims to reduce vector competence of disease vectors via genetic modification of their microbiota. An important prerequisite for developing paratransgenic tsetse flies is the stable repopulation of tsetse flies and their progeny with its genetically modified Sodalis symbiont without interfering with host fitness. Results: In this study, we assessed by qPCR analysis the ability of a chromosomally GFP-tagged Sodalis (recSodalis) strain to efficiently colonize various tsetse tissues and its transmission to the next generation of offspring using different introduction approaches. When introduced in the adult stage of the fly via thoracic microinjection, recSodalis is maintained at high densities for at least 21 days. However, no vertical transmission to the offspring was observed. Oral administration of recSodalis did not lead to the colonization of either adult flies or their offspring. Finally, introduction of recSodalis via microinjection of third-instar larvae resulted in stably colonized adult tsetse flies. Moreover, the subsequent generations of offspring were also efficiently colonized with recSodalis. We show that proper colonization of the female reproductive tissues by recSodalis is an important determinant for vertical transmission.
    [Show full text]