Targeted mutagenesis in the malaria mosquito using TALE nucleases.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 23977401.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1371/journal.pone.0074511 and PMC identifier 3744473.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
Anopheles gambiae, the main mosquito vector of human malaria, is a challenging organism to manipulate genetically. As a consequence, reverse genetics studies in this disease vector have been largely limited to RNA interference experiments. Here, we report the targeted disruption of the immunity gene TEP1 using transgenic expression of Transcription-Activator Like Effector Nucleases (TALENs), and the isolation of several TEP1 mutant A. gambiae lines. These mutations inhibited protein production and rendered TEP1 mutants hypersusceptible to Plasmodium berghei. The TALEN technology opens up new avenues for genetic analysis in this disease vector and may offer novel biotechnology-based approaches for malaria control.
Medical subject headings
- Anopheles
- Endonucleases
- Gene Targeting
- Malaria
- Mutagenesis
- Trans-Activators