Modelling homing suppression gene drive in haplodiploid organisms

Area of Science:

• Genetics
• Evolutionary Biology
• Pest Control

Background:

• Gene drives, particularly CRISPR homing drives, are engineered alleles used for pest population suppression.
• CRISPR homing drives convert wild-type alleles to drive alleles in heterozygotes.
• Haplodiploid species, where males have one chromosome copy, pose challenges for traditional gene drives due to lack of conversion in males.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the efficacy of homing suppression gene drives in haplodiploid organisms.
• To assess the potential of targeting female fertility genes for population suppression in haplodiploids.
• To evaluate the impact of resistance alleles and maternal Cas9/gRNA deposition on drive performance.

Main Methods:

• Modeling homing suppression gene drives in haplodiploid populations.
• Analyzing the effects of targeting female fertility genes.
• Simulating spatial spread and population dynamics on a continuous landscape.
• Assessing the impact of resistance alleles and maternal gene product deposition.

Main Results:

• Gene drives targeting female fertility genes can be successful in haplodiploids, though less powerful than in diploids.
• Haplodiploid drives are more susceptible to functional resistance alleles and maternal Cas9/gRNA activity.
• Spatial modeling reveals that haplodiploid suppression drives perform nearly as well as diploid drives, potentially due to wider initial spread.

Conclusions:

• Gene drive technology holds potential for effective suppression of haplodiploid pest populations.
• Targeting female fertility genes is a viable strategy for gene drives in haplodiploids.
• Despite inherent challenges, gene drives can be a powerful tool for managing insect populations with haplodiploid life cycles.