Virginia Tech researchers have found a new way to identify genetic targets useful for control of mosquito populations, potentially offering an alternative to insecticides. Their study, published today in Communications Biology, focused on the genetic basis of species incompatibility. They crossed Ae.
aegypti, a major global arboviral disease vector, and its sibling species, Ae. mascarensis, from the Indian Ocean. When offspring is crossed back with one parent, about 10 percent of the progeny becomes intersex and is unable to reproduce.
The researchers identified abnormalities in the sex determination pathways of these intersex mosquitoes. They found that these mosquitoes are genetic males but express both male and female genes, leading to mixed physical traits. By understanding these genetic factors, they hope to develop strategies to create all-male mosquito populations, which could help control mosquito numbers by eliminating females.
This research also could help identify genes affecting female mosquito behavior, aiding in future vector control methods. These findings are significant for controlling diseases such as Zika and dengue, as better mosquito control can reduce the spread of these diseases. Though insecticides have been relatively effective at controlling mosquito populations in the past, they are now being reevaluated as they are significantly decreasing in effectiveness and are not ecologically friendly.
"We studied the hybridization of two mosquito species, fou.