Development of the bi-partite Gal4-UAS system in the African malaria mosquito, Anopheles gambiae.

Functional genetic analysis in Anopheles gambiae would be greatly improved by the development of a binary expression system, which would allow the more rapid and flexible characterisation of genes influencing disease transmission, including those involved in insecticide resistance, parasite interact...

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Main Authors: Amy Lynd, Gareth John Lycett
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2012-01-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3278442?pdf=render
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author Amy Lynd
Gareth John Lycett
author_facet Amy Lynd
Gareth John Lycett
author_sort Amy Lynd
collection DOAJ
description Functional genetic analysis in Anopheles gambiae would be greatly improved by the development of a binary expression system, which would allow the more rapid and flexible characterisation of genes influencing disease transmission, including those involved in insecticide resistance, parasite interaction, host and mate seeking behaviour. The Gal4-UAS system, widely used in Drosophila melanogaster functional genetics, has been significantly modified to achieve robust application in several different species. Towards this end, previous work generated a series of modified Gal4 constructs that were up to 20 fold more active than the native gene in An. gambiae cells. To examine the Gal4-UAS system in vivo, transgenic An. gambiae driver lines carrying a modified Gal4 gene under the control of the carboxypeptidase promoter, and responder lines carrying UAS regulated luciferase and eYFP reporter genes have been created. Crossing of the Gal4 and UAS lines resulted in progeny that expressed both reporters in the expected midgut specific pattern. Although there was minor variation in reporter gene activity between the different crosses examined, the tissue specific expression pattern was consistent regardless of the genomic location of the transgene cassettes. The results show that the modified Gal4-UAS system can be used to successfully activate expression of transgenes in a robust and tissue specific manner in Anopheles gambiae. The midgut driver and dual reporter responder constructs are the first to be developed and tested successfully in transgenic An. gambiae and provide the basis for further advancement of the system in this and other insect species.
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spelling doaj.art-bec529e501e54b0390216815c1c621432022-12-22T03:07:43ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032012-01-0172e3155210.1371/journal.pone.0031552Development of the bi-partite Gal4-UAS system in the African malaria mosquito, Anopheles gambiae.Amy LyndGareth John LycettFunctional genetic analysis in Anopheles gambiae would be greatly improved by the development of a binary expression system, which would allow the more rapid and flexible characterisation of genes influencing disease transmission, including those involved in insecticide resistance, parasite interaction, host and mate seeking behaviour. The Gal4-UAS system, widely used in Drosophila melanogaster functional genetics, has been significantly modified to achieve robust application in several different species. Towards this end, previous work generated a series of modified Gal4 constructs that were up to 20 fold more active than the native gene in An. gambiae cells. To examine the Gal4-UAS system in vivo, transgenic An. gambiae driver lines carrying a modified Gal4 gene under the control of the carboxypeptidase promoter, and responder lines carrying UAS regulated luciferase and eYFP reporter genes have been created. Crossing of the Gal4 and UAS lines resulted in progeny that expressed both reporters in the expected midgut specific pattern. Although there was minor variation in reporter gene activity between the different crosses examined, the tissue specific expression pattern was consistent regardless of the genomic location of the transgene cassettes. The results show that the modified Gal4-UAS system can be used to successfully activate expression of transgenes in a robust and tissue specific manner in Anopheles gambiae. The midgut driver and dual reporter responder constructs are the first to be developed and tested successfully in transgenic An. gambiae and provide the basis for further advancement of the system in this and other insect species.http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3278442?pdf=render
spellingShingle Amy Lynd
Gareth John Lycett
Development of the bi-partite Gal4-UAS system in the African malaria mosquito, Anopheles gambiae.
PLoS ONE
title Development of the bi-partite Gal4-UAS system in the African malaria mosquito, Anopheles gambiae.
title_full Development of the bi-partite Gal4-UAS system in the African malaria mosquito, Anopheles gambiae.
title_fullStr Development of the bi-partite Gal4-UAS system in the African malaria mosquito, Anopheles gambiae.
title_full_unstemmed Development of the bi-partite Gal4-UAS system in the African malaria mosquito, Anopheles gambiae.
title_short Development of the bi-partite Gal4-UAS system in the African malaria mosquito, Anopheles gambiae.
title_sort development of the bi partite gal4 uas system in the african malaria mosquito anopheles gambiae
url http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3278442?pdf=render
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