Leveraging a natural murine meiotic drive to suppress invasive populations.
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abstract
Invasive rodents are a major cause of environmental damage and biodiversity loss, particularly on islands. Unlike insects, genetic biocontrol strategies including population-suppressing gene drives with biased inheritance have not been developed in mice. Here, we demonstrate a gene drive strategy (tCRISPR) that leverages super-Mendelian transmission of the t haplotype to spread inactivating mutations in a haplosufficient female fertility gene (Prl). Using spatially explicit individual-based in silico modeling, we show that tCRISPR can eradicate island populations under a range of realistic field-based parameter values. We also engineer transgenic tCRISPR mice that, crucially, exhibit biased transmission of the modified t haplotype and Prl mutations at levels our modeling predicts would be sufficient for eradication. This is an example of a feasible gene drive system for invasive alien rodent population control.
Gierus, L., Birand, A., Bunting, M. D., Godahewa, G. I., Piltz, S. G., Oh, K. P., ... Thomas, P. Q.
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Gierus, Luke||Birand, Aysegul||Bunting, Mark D||Godahewa, Gelshan I||Piltz, Sandra G||Oh, Kevin P||Piaggio, Antoinette J||Threadgill, David W||Godwin, John||Edwards, Owain||Cassey, Phillip||Ross, Joshua V||Prowse, Thomas AA||Thomas, Paul Q
