Abstract
Gene drives based on CRISPR/Cas9 have the potential to reduce the enormous harm inflicted by crop pests and insect vectors of human disease, as well as to bolster valued species. In contrast with extensive empirical and theoretical studies in diploid organisms, little is known about CRISPR gene drive in haplodiploids, despite their immense global impacts as pollinators, pests, natural enemies of pests, and invasive species in native habitats. Here, we analyze mathematical models demonstrating that, in principle, CRISPR homing gene drive can work in haplodiploids, as well as at sex-linked loci in diploids. However, relative to diploids, conditions favoring the spread of alleles deleterious to haplodiploid pests by CRISPR gene drive are narrower, the spread is slower, and resistance to the drive evolves faster. By contrast, the spread of alleles that impose little fitness cost or boost fitness was not greatly hindered in haplodiploids relative to diploids. Therefore, altering traits to minimize damage caused by harmful haplodiploids, such as interfering with transmission of plant pathogens, may be more likely to succeed than control efforts based on introducing traits that reduce pest fitness. Enhancing fitness of beneficial haplodiploids with CRISPR gene drive is also promising.
Original language | American English |
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Pages (from-to) | 2392-2403 |
Number of pages | 12 |
Journal | Evolutionary Applications |
Volume | 13 |
Issue number | 9 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 1 Oct 2020 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:We thank David Crowder for sharing his simulation model of evolution of resistance to insecticides in haplodiploids without gene drive and for providing insightful comments; and Michael Riehle, Todd Schlenke, Robert Smith, and two anonymous reviewers for their constructive suggestions. We are especially grateful to the reviewer who pointed out the connection between haplodiploids and sex‐linked loci in diploids. This work was supported by Research Grant IS‐5085‐18 from BARD, the United States—Israel Binational Agricultural Research and Development Fund.
Funding Information:
We thank David Crowder for sharing his simulation model of evolution of resistance to insecticides in haplodiploids without gene drive and for providing insightful comments; and Michael Riehle, Todd Schlenke, Robert Smith, and two anonymous reviewers for their constructive suggestions. We are especially grateful to the reviewer who pointed out the connection between haplodiploids and sex-linked loci in diploids. This work was supported by Research Grant IS-5085-18 from BARD, the United States?Israel Binational Agricultural Research and Development Fund.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 The Authors. Evolutionary Applications published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd
Keywords
- CRISPR/Cas9
- gene drive
- genetic engineering
- haplodiploid
- pests
- pollinators
- sex-linked