News – Despite the popularity of sharks, snakes, scorpions and other scary creatures, mosquitoes are by far the deadliest animal on the planet. Mosquito-borne malaria remains the world’s leading killer of vector-borne diseases worldwide, claiming more than 400,000 human lives in 2019.
To devise advanced defenses against malaria transmission, including targeted CRISPR and gene-based strategies, scientists need detailed knowledge of vector mosquito genomes.
Mahul Chakraborty – project scientist at the University of California, Irvine, works with colleagues at the Tata Institute for Genetics and Society (TIGS) at UC San Diego and India, and the Institute of Biology and Bio- Applied technology in Bangalore, India – on production. an innovative reference genome for the Asian vector malaria mosquito Anopheles stephensi. Full details of the genome, which scientists say are now identical to the best available animal genomes by science (humans and fruit flies), are published in the journal. BMC Biology.
“Anopheles stephensi is the leading vector malaria mosquito in urban areas in South Asia and recently attacked the horn of Africa. It is expected to be a major vector of urban malaria in Africa, endangering 126 million urban Africans, ”said paper coauthor Ethan Bier, a prestigious UC San Diego professor of cell biology and development and director of science for TIGS-UC San Diego. “The new genome assemblage is a complete and accurate map of the elements of genomic function and will be the foundation for a new age of active genetics in An. stephensi. This smooth collaborative effort highlights the benefits and value of multi-UC initiatives. ”
With the new update Anopheles stephensi genome, Chakraborty and colleagues discovered more than 3,000 genes that cleared a previous study. The newly emerged genes, which offer new targets for gene transfer, play key roles in blood nutrition and metabolism of swallowed blood food, reproduction and immunity against microbial parasites.
The findings include 29 previously unidentified genes that play a critical role in combating chemical insecticides, a development that is critical to the crisis of Asian and African growth. An. stephensi numbers with insect-resistant mutations. The findings also suggest that the molecular basis against insecticides may differ between species.
“This work will assist in fundamental studies of genome evolution and will inform strategies aimed at eradicating one of the long-term effects of disease in the world,” said paper coauthor JJ Emerson , associate professor of ecology & evolutionary biology at UCI. “Together, these results and resources confirm the importance of previously hidden genomic elements in malaria mosquito biology and accelerate the development of genetic control strategies in malaria transmission. ”
The researchers also reconstructed – significantly more than before – the previously complex DNA sequences of the Y sex chromosome, revealing genes involved in male development and own genetic elements. -operative activity that parasitizes the genome only in males. The authors show that previously invisible mobile genetic elements act as an important source of genetic novelty in this genus, serving as substrates to create and impart structural changes. raw materials for conversion to chemical insecticides.
“This reference genome and its high quality should help malaria biologists in India and the rest of the world, especially in line with the national goal of eradicating malaria in India by 2030,” said TIGS Global Director Suresh Subramani, a distinguished professor in the Department. of Biological Sciences at UC San Diego.
The full list of authors of the report includes: Mahul Chakraborty, Arunachalam Ramaiah, Adriana Adolfi, Paige Halas, Bhagyashree Kaduskar, Luna Thanh Ngo, Suvratha Jayaprasad, Kiran Paul, Saurabh Whadgar, Subhashini Srinivasan, Suresh Subram Bier, Anthony James.
Funding for the research was provided by National Institutes of Health (grants K99GM129411, R01GM123303-1 and R01 GM117321), Paul G. Allen Frontiers Group Distinguished Researchers Award, TIGS-UC San Diego and TIGS-India.
Note: Bier has an interest in two of its co-founded companies: Synbal Inc. and Agragene, Inc., which may benefit from the research findings. He also serves on the board of directors and scientific advisory board of Synbal Inc., and on the scientific advisory board of Agragene Inc.