Optimising Homing Endonuclease Gene Drive Performance in a Semi-Refractory Species: The Drosophila melanogaster Experience

RNA guided CRISPR gene drives have shown the capability of biasing transgene inheritance in multiple species. Among these, homing endonuclease drives are the most developed. In this study, we report the functioning of sds3, bgcn, and nup50 expressed Cas9 in an Aedes aegypti homing split drive system targeting the white gene. We report their inheritance biasing capability, propensity for maternal deposition, and zygotic/somatic expression. Additionally, by making use of the tight linkage of white to the sex-determining locus, we were able to elucidate mechanisms of inheritance bias. We find inheritance bias through homing in double heterozygous males, but find that a previous report of the same drive occurred through meiotic drive. We propose that other previously reported 'homing' design gene drives may in fact bias their inheritance through other mechanisms with important implications for gene drive design.

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Modelling the spatial spread of a homing endonuclease gene in a mosquito population

Journal of Applied Ecology ◽

10.1111/1365-2664.12133 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 50 (5) ◽

pp. 1216-1225 ◽

Cited By ~ 52

Author(s):

Ace North ◽

Austin Burt ◽

H. Charles J. Godfray

Keyword(s):

Homing Endonuclease ◽

Mosquito Population ◽

Spatial Spread ◽

Homing Endonuclease Gene ◽

Endonuclease Gene

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Group-I Intron Containing a Putative Homing Endonuclease Gene in the Small Subunit Ribosomal DNA of Beauveria bassiana IFO 31676

Molecular Biology and Evolution ◽

10.1093/oxfordjournals.molbev.a004025 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 19 (11) ◽

pp. 2022-2025 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

Eiji Yokoyama ◽

Kenzo Yamagishi ◽

Akira Hara

Keyword(s):

Beauveria Bassiana ◽

Ribosomal Dna ◽

Homing Endonuclease ◽

Group I Intron ◽

Small Subunit ◽

Homing Endonuclease Gene ◽

Group I ◽

Small Subunit Ribosomal Dna ◽

Endonuclease Gene

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Reverse splicing of a mobile twin-ribozyme group I intron into the natural small subunit rRNA insertion site

Biochemical Society Transactions ◽

10.1042/bst0330482 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 33 (3) ◽

pp. 482-484 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Å.B. Birgisdottir ◽

S.D. Johansen

Keyword(s):

Horizontal Transfer ◽

Homing Endonuclease ◽

Insertion Site ◽

Group I Intron ◽

Small Subunit ◽

Group I Introns ◽

Small Subunit Rrna ◽

Homing Endonuclease Gene ◽

Group I ◽

Endonuclease Gene

A mobile group I intron containing two ribozyme domains and a homing endonuclease gene (twin-ribozyme intron organization) can integrate by reverse splicing into the small subunit rRNA of bacteria and yeast. The integration is sequence-specific and corresponds to the natural insertion site (homing site) of the intron. The reverse splicing is independent of the homing endonuclease gene, but is dependent on the group I splicing ribozyme domain. The observed distribution of group I introns in nature can be explained by horizontal transfer between natural homing sites by reverse splicing and subsequent spread in populations by endonuclease-dependent homing.

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