Male Anopheles gambiaeANT, SINKINSResearchers have identified a gene that kickstarts the male-specific genetic program in the African malaria mosquito Anopheles gambiae. When expressed in genetically female mosquito embryos, the gene, called Yob, is lethal. The results, published today (June 30) in Science, highlight a way toward genetic approaches to propagate male-only mosquitoes that could help kill malaria parasite–carrying females in the wild.
“This is a breakthrough in the field and potentially very useful for control of the malaria-transmitting mosquito,” said Steven Sinkins, who studies mosquito-borne diseases at Lancaster University in the U.K. “There is also an interesting evolutionary story that could be revealed as a result of this work,” added Sinkins, who penned an accompanying editorial but was not involved in the work.
“This is an important step forward in understanding the biology of this malaria vector and also has potential for applications to control malaria,” Zhijian “Jake” Tu, who studies sex determination and embryonic development of mosquitos at Virginia Tech, told The Scientist. Last year, Tu’s team identified the “maleness” gene in Aedes aegypti, the mosquito vector of dengue, Zika, and other viruses.
Insect species employ ...
