Development of alternative methodologies in the control of mosquitoes (Diptera: culicidae) of epidemiological importance: use of method RIDL (release of insects carrying a dominant lethal gene) in the control of Culex quinquefasciatus mosquitoes

• 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

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)

Scientific publications

(8)

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

DEMARI-SILVA, BRUNA; VESGUEIRO, FABIANA TAVARES; MUREB SALLUM, MARIA ANICE; MARRELLI, MAURO TOLEDO. Taxonomic and Phylogenetic Relationships Between Species of the Genus Culex (Diptera: Culicidae) From Brazil Inferred From the Cytochrome c Oxidase I Mitochondrial Gene. Journal of Medical Entomology, v. 48, n. 2, p. 272-279, MAR 2011. (05/53973-0, 05/50225-2)

VESGUEIRO, FABIANA TAVARES; DEMARI-SILVA, BRUNA; MALAFRONTE, ROSELY DOS SANTOS; MUREB SALLUM, MARIA ANICE; MARRELLI, MAURO TOLEDO. Intragenomic variation in the second internal transcribed spacer of the ribosomal DNA of species of the genera Culex and Lutzia (Diptera: Culicidae). Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, v. 106, n. 1, p. 1-8, FEB 2011. (05/53973-0, 05/50225-2)

MARRELLI, MAURO TOLEDO; MALAFRONTE, ROSELY S.; SALLUM, MARIA A. M.; NATAL, DELSIO. Kerteszia subgenus of Anopheles associated with the Brazilian Atlantic rainforest: current knowledge and future challenges. Malaria Journal, v. 6, 2007. (05/53973-0, 05/50225-2)

WALTER CERETTI JUNIOR; DANIEL PAGOTTO VENDRAMI; JOÃO MOLINA GIL; JOSÉ MARIA SOARES BARATA; MAURO TOLEDO MARRELLI. Análise das relações taxonômicas e sistemáticas entre espécies de triatomíneos (Hemiptera, Reduviidae) de colônias mantidas pelo Serviço Especial de Saúde de Araraquara, inferida de seqüências do 16S rDNA mitocondrial. Revista Brasileira de Entomologia, v. 52, n. 3, p. 455-462, 2008-09-00. (05/50225-2)

ANDRE BARRETTO BRUNO WILKE; SARAH SCAIFE; LUKE ALPHEY; MAURO TOLEDO MARRELLI. DsRed2 transient expression in Culex quinquefasciatus mosquitoes. Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, v. 108, n. 4, p. 529-531, 2013-06-00. (05/50225-2)

DE MORAIS, SIRLEI ANTUNES; MORATORE, CAMILA; SUESDEK, LINCOLN; MARRELLI, MAURO TOLEDO. Genetic-morphometric variation in Culex quinquefasciatus from Brazil and La Plata, Argentina. Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, v. 105, n. 5, p. 672-676, AUG 2010. (05/50225-2, 06/02622-5)

MORAIS, SIRLEI ANTUNES; DE ALMEIDA, FABIO; SUESDEK, LINCOLN; MARRELLI, MAURO TOLEDO. LOW GENETIC DIVERSITY IN Wolbachia-INFECTED Culex quinquefasciatus (DIPTERA: CULICIDAE) FROM BRAZIL AND ARGENTINA. Revista do Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo, v. 54, n. 6, p. 325-329, NOV-DEC 2012. (05/50225-2, 06/02622-5)

MAURO TOLEDO MARRELLI; MARIA ANICE MUREB SALLUM; OSVALDO MARINOTTI. The second internal transcribed spacer of nuclear ribosomal DNA as a tool for Latin American anopheline taxonomy: a critical review. Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, v. 101, n. 8, p. 817-832, 2006-12-00. (05/53973-0, 05/50225-2)