Genomics and Applied Biology 2024, Vol.15, No.2, 107-119 http://bioscipublisher.com/index.php/gab 109 3.2 Applications in mosquito gene editing CRISPR-Cas9 has been widely adopted in mosquito research for various applications, including gene knockout, gene knock-in, and the development of gene drives. These applications aim to understand mosquito biology better and develop novel vector control strategies. For instance, CRISPR-Cas9 has been used to disrupt genes involved in mosquito olfaction, which is crucial for host-seeking behavior, thereby reducing their ability to transmit diseases (Figure 1) (Macias et al., 2019; Wang and Doudna, 2023). Additionally, CRISPR-based gene drives have been designed to spread genetic modifications rapidly through mosquito populations, offering a promising approach to controlling vector-borne diseases (Lo and Matthews, 2023). Figure 1 CRISPR-based adaptive immunity provides programmable genome editing tools (Adopted from Wang and Doudna, 2023) Image caption: (A) CRISPR immune systems target DNA or RNA in microbes (illustration depicts DNA targeting). Three steps to immunity include: (i) acquisition of CRISPR spacer sequence matching an infectious agent; (ii) transcription and formation of Cas-RNA complexes; (iii) seek-and-destroy surveillance mechanisms. (B) CRISPR-Cas9 is the canonical genome editing tool for RNA-guided genetic manipulation. Cas9 searches for target sites in a genome by engaging with PAM sequences, forming an R-loop with complementary DNA, generating a double-strand DNA (dsDNA) break, and finally releasing DNA for repair (Adopted from Wang and Doudna, 2023)
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