Spatial structure undermines parasite suppression by gene drive cargo
Gene drives may be used in two ways to curtail vectored diseases. Both involve engineering the drive to spread in the vector population. One approach uses the drive to directly depress vector numbers, possibly to extinction. The other approach leaves intact the vector population but suppresses the d...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
PeerJ Inc.
2019-10-01
|
| Series: | PeerJ |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://peerj.com/articles/7921.pdf |
| _version_ | 1797417797277450240 |
|---|---|
| author | James J. Bull Christopher H. Remien Richard Gomulkiewicz Stephen M. Krone |
| author_facet | James J. Bull Christopher H. Remien Richard Gomulkiewicz Stephen M. Krone |
| author_sort | James J. Bull |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Gene drives may be used in two ways to curtail vectored diseases. Both involve engineering the drive to spread in the vector population. One approach uses the drive to directly depress vector numbers, possibly to extinction. The other approach leaves intact the vector population but suppresses the disease agent during its interaction with the vector. This second application may use a drive engineered to carry a genetic cargo that blocks the disease agent. An advantage of the second application is that it is far less likely to select vector resistance to block the drive, but the disease agent may instead evolve resistance to the inhibitory cargo. However, some gene drives are expected to spread so fast and attain such high coverage in the vector population that, if the disease agent can evolve resistance only gradually, disease eradication may be feasible. Here we use simple models to show that spatial structure in the vector population can greatly facilitate persistence and evolution of resistance by the disease agent. We suggest simple approaches to avoid some types of spatial structure, but others may be intrinsic to the populations being challenged and difficult to overcome. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T06:23:52Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-6f5590f03a3d4c68b73a72898d5446e1 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2167-8359 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T06:23:52Z |
| publishDate | 2019-10-01 |
| publisher | PeerJ Inc. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PeerJ |
| spelling | doaj.art-6f5590f03a3d4c68b73a72898d5446e12023-12-03T11:28:52ZengPeerJ Inc.PeerJ2167-83592019-10-017e792110.7717/peerj.7921Spatial structure undermines parasite suppression by gene drive cargoJames J. Bull0Christopher H. Remien1Richard Gomulkiewicz2Stephen M. Krone3Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, United States of AmericaDepartment of Mathematics, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, United States of AmericaSchool of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, United States of AmericaDepartment of Mathematics, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, United States of AmericaGene drives may be used in two ways to curtail vectored diseases. Both involve engineering the drive to spread in the vector population. One approach uses the drive to directly depress vector numbers, possibly to extinction. The other approach leaves intact the vector population but suppresses the disease agent during its interaction with the vector. This second application may use a drive engineered to carry a genetic cargo that blocks the disease agent. An advantage of the second application is that it is far less likely to select vector resistance to block the drive, but the disease agent may instead evolve resistance to the inhibitory cargo. However, some gene drives are expected to spread so fast and attain such high coverage in the vector population that, if the disease agent can evolve resistance only gradually, disease eradication may be feasible. Here we use simple models to show that spatial structure in the vector population can greatly facilitate persistence and evolution of resistance by the disease agent. We suggest simple approaches to avoid some types of spatial structure, but others may be intrinsic to the populations being challenged and difficult to overcome.https://peerj.com/articles/7921.pdfMathematical modelEvolutionGenetic engineeringSelfish genesEcologyIntervention |
| spellingShingle | James J. Bull Christopher H. Remien Richard Gomulkiewicz Stephen M. Krone Spatial structure undermines parasite suppression by gene drive cargo PeerJ Mathematical model Evolution Genetic engineering Selfish genes Ecology Intervention |
| title | Spatial structure undermines parasite suppression by gene drive cargo |
| title_full | Spatial structure undermines parasite suppression by gene drive cargo |
| title_fullStr | Spatial structure undermines parasite suppression by gene drive cargo |
| title_full_unstemmed | Spatial structure undermines parasite suppression by gene drive cargo |
| title_short | Spatial structure undermines parasite suppression by gene drive cargo |
| title_sort | spatial structure undermines parasite suppression by gene drive cargo |
| topic | Mathematical model Evolution Genetic engineering Selfish genes Ecology Intervention |
| url | https://peerj.com/articles/7921.pdf |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jamesjbull spatialstructureunderminesparasitesuppressionbygenedrivecargo AT christopherhremien spatialstructureunderminesparasitesuppressionbygenedrivecargo AT richardgomulkiewicz spatialstructureunderminesparasitesuppressionbygenedrivecargo AT stephenmkrone spatialstructureunderminesparasitesuppressionbygenedrivecargo |