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Transgenic expression of cif genes from Wolbachia strain wAlbB recapitulates cytoplasmic incompatibility in Aedes aegypti

McNamara, Cameron J.; Ant, Thomas H.; Harvey-Samuel, Tim; White-Cooper, Helen; Martinez, Julien; Alphey, Luke; Sinkins, Steven P.

Authors

Cameron J. McNamara

Thomas H. Ant

Helen White-Cooper

Julien Martinez

Luke Alphey

Steven P. Sinkins



Abstract

The endosymbiotic bacteria Wolbachia can invade insect populations by modifying host reproduction through cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI), an effect that results in embryonic lethality when Wolbachia-carrying males mate with Wolbachia-free females. Here we describe a transgenic system for recreating CI in the major arbovirus vector Aedes aegypti using CI factor (cif) genes from wAlbB, a Wolbachia strain currently being deployed to reduce dengue transmission. CI-like sterility is induced when cifA and cifB are co-expressed in testes; this sterility is rescued by maternal cifA expression, thereby reproducing the pattern of Wolbachia-induced CI. Expression of cifB alone is associated with extensive DNA damage and disrupted spermatogenesis. The strength of rescue by maternal cifA expression is dependent on the comparative levels of cifA/cifB expression in males. These findings are consistent with CifB acting as a toxin and CifA as an antitoxin, with CifA attenuating CifB toxicity in both the male germline and in developing embryos. These findings provide important insights into the interactions between cif genes and their mechanism of activity and provide a foundation for the building of a cif gene-based drive system in Ae. aegypti.

Citation

McNamara, C. J., Ant, T. H., Harvey-Samuel, T., White-Cooper, H., Martinez, J., Alphey, L., & Sinkins, S. P. (in press). Transgenic expression of cif genes from Wolbachia strain wAlbB recapitulates cytoplasmic incompatibility in Aedes aegypti. Nature communications, 15(1), Article 869. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-45238-7

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Jan 16, 2024
Online Publication Date Jan 29, 2024
Deposit Date Feb 24, 2025
Journal Nature Communications
Print ISSN 2041-1723
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 15
Issue 1
Article Number 869
DOI https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-45238-7
Public URL https://keele-repository.worktribe.com/output/1079031
Publisher URL https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-45238-7
Additional Information Received: 24 August 2023; Accepted: 16 January 2024; First Online: 29 January 2024; : The authors declare no competing interests.