Germline transformation of the West Nile virus and avian malaria vector Culex quinquefasciatus Say using the piggyBac transposon system.

Nevard, Katherine; Kaur, Rajdeep; Harvey-Samuel, Tim

Abstract

Culex quinquefasciatus Say is a mosquito which acts as a vector for numerous diseases including West Nile virus, lymphatic filariasis and avian malaria, over a broad geographical range. As the effectiveness of insecticidal mosquito control methods declines, the need has grown to develop genetic control methods to curb the spread of disease. The piggyBac transposon system - the most widely used genetic transformation tool in insects, including mosquitoes - generates quasi-random insertions of donor DNA into the host genome. However, despite the broad reported species range of piggyBac, previous attempts to use this tool to transform Culex quinquefasciatus mosquitoes have failed. Here we report the first successful transformation of Culex quinquefasciatus with the piggyBac transposon system. Using commercially synthesised piggyBac mRNA as a transposase source, we were able to generate three independent insertions of a ZsGreen fluorescent marker gene, with transformation efficiencies of up to 5 %. Through this work, we have expanded the genetic toolkit available for the genetic manipulation of Culex mosquitoes and thus removed a barrier to developing novel genetic control methods in this important disease vector. [Abstract copyright: Copyright © 2025. Published by Elsevier Ltd.]

Citation

Nevard, K., Kaur, R., & Harvey-Samuel, T. (2025). Germline transformation of the West Nile virus and avian malaria vector Culex quinquefasciatus Say using the piggyBac transposon system. Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 180(May 2025), 1-6. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibmb.2025.104309

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Mar 29, 2025
• Online Publication Date: Mar 31, 2025
• Publication Date: Mar 31, 2025
• Deposit Date: Jun 30, 2025
• Journal: Insect biochemistry and molecular biology
• Print ISSN: 0965-1748
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 180
• Issue: May 2025
• Article Number: 104309
• Pages: 1-6
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibmb.2025.104309
• Keywords: Embryo microinjection, piggyBac mRNA, Transposase, Mosquito, Transposable element
• Public URL: https://keele-repository.worktribe.com/output/1198150
• Publisher URL: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0965174825000530?via%3Dihub