Leucine aminopeptidase1 controls egg deposition and hatchability in male Aedes aegypti mosquitoes.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 38168045.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/s41467-023-44444-z and PMC identifier 10762072.
- 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
Aedes aegypti are vectors for several arboviruses infecting hundreds of millions of people annually. Controlling mosquito populations by regulating their reproduction is a potential strategy to minimize viral transmission in the absence of effective antiviral therapies or vaccines. Here, we demonstrate that leucine aminopeptidase1 (LAP1), detected by a SWATH-MS-based proteomic screen of female spermathecae, is a crucial determinant in mosquito population expansion. Mitochondrial defects and aberrant autophagy of sperm in LAP1 mutant males (LAP1<sup>-/-</sup>), prepared using CRISPR/Cas9 system, result in a reduction of reproduction in wild-type females that mated with them. The fitness of LAP1<sup>-/-</sup> males is strong enough to efficiently transmit genetic changes to mosquito populations through a low number of hatchable offspring. Thus, LAP1<sup>-/-</sup> males represent an opportunity to suppress mosquito populations and further studies should be undertaken to characterize LAP1's suitability for gene drive usage.
Medical subject headings
- Aedes