| Grant number: | 05/50225-2 |
| Support Opportunities: | Research Grants - Young Investigators Grants |
| Start date: | October 01, 2005 |
| End date: | March 31, 2010 |
| Field of knowledge: | Biological Sciences - Biochemistry - Molecular Biology |
| Principal Investigator: | Mauro Toledo Marrelli |
| Grantee: | Mauro Toledo Marrelli |
| Host Institution: | Faculdade de Saúde Pública (FSP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil |
| City of the host institution: | São Paulo |
Abstract
This project has as main objective to generate Culex quinquefasciatus transgenic mosquito lines carrying a dominant lethal gene (system RIDL), which could be used in the control of these mosquitoes in the place of the conventional methods of sterilization (SIT), as strategy to eliminate or to reduce the local vector population. The integration of a lethal gene dominant associated to a specific promoter of female avoids the need for radiation. In this process the insects receive diet supplemented with a chemical repressor (tetracycline). The expression of the dominant lethal gene is kept off while this repressor is added to the larvae. For the samples that would be being prepared for release, the repressor is removed, and the dominant lethal gene is activated, causing the death of all the females, and consequently only leaving male for release. The homozygous males for the lethal gene would be set free to mate with the wild females. The lineages of these wild females would be heterozygous for the lethal gene and die. The heterozygous males would survive. Since that the capacity of mating of the transgenic males produced by method RDIL is an important prerequisite for the success of the program, will be also necessary studies of fitness related to the competitiveness parameters, such as mating success and of comparative males RIDL to the wild males of this species. In this way, some experiments analyzing this behavior also will be performed. This project also considers analyzing the population diversity of Cx. quinquefasciatus using mitochondrial and ribosomal DNA as molecular markers. (AU)
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