TY - JOUR
T1 - Mosquito sex separation using complementation of selectable traits and engineered neo-sex chromosomes
AU - Zaada, Doron S.Y.
AU - Toren, Or
AU - Krsticevic, Flavia
AU - Haber, Daniella A.
AU - Gildman, Denys
AU - Galpaz, Noam
AU - Häcker, Irina
AU - Schetelig, Marc F.
AU - Marois, Eric
AU - Arien, Yael
AU - Papathanos, Philippos A.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2025.
PY - 2025/12
Y1 - 2025/12
N2 - Effective sex separation remains a critical challenge for mosquito genetic control. Genetic sexing strains (GSS) address this by linking maleness with selectable traits, enabling efficient female removal. Here, we present a versatile platform for GSS development in the invasive Aedes albopictus mosquito that integrates CRISPR-engineered selectable phenotypes with sex conversion via nix, the male-determining factor. As a proof-of-concept, we disrupt the yellow pigmentation gene and restore its function in males using nix-containing transgenes, producing a stable strain with yellow females and dark males. Beyond serving as a vivid marker, yellow confers added advantages: GSS females pupate later than wild females, enhancing protandry-based sorting, and lay desiccation-sensitive eggs, lowering accidental female release risk. The strain is compatible with size-based separation, improving sexing accuracy through the integration of natural and engineered dimorphisms. To our knowledge, this represents the first engineered sex-linked selectable trait in mosquitoes based on endogenous genes, establishing a foundation for scalable GSS development.
AB - Effective sex separation remains a critical challenge for mosquito genetic control. Genetic sexing strains (GSS) address this by linking maleness with selectable traits, enabling efficient female removal. Here, we present a versatile platform for GSS development in the invasive Aedes albopictus mosquito that integrates CRISPR-engineered selectable phenotypes with sex conversion via nix, the male-determining factor. As a proof-of-concept, we disrupt the yellow pigmentation gene and restore its function in males using nix-containing transgenes, producing a stable strain with yellow females and dark males. Beyond serving as a vivid marker, yellow confers added advantages: GSS females pupate later than wild females, enhancing protandry-based sorting, and lay desiccation-sensitive eggs, lowering accidental female release risk. The strain is compatible with size-based separation, improving sexing accuracy through the integration of natural and engineered dimorphisms. To our knowledge, this represents the first engineered sex-linked selectable trait in mosquitoes based on endogenous genes, establishing a foundation for scalable GSS development.
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105025246808
U2 - 10.1038/s41467-025-66940-0
DO - 10.1038/s41467-025-66940-0
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C2 - 41381532
AN - SCOPUS:105025246808
SN - 2041-1723
VL - 16
JO - Nature Communications
JF - Nature Communications
IS - 1
M1 - 11175
ER -