Inserting transgenes into organisms can result in unanticipated patterns of expression or a gradual elimination of expression. In plants this gene regulation is largely epigenetic and in most cases it is a consequence of DNA methylation. The fate of transgene expression in mosquitoes is of some interest, particularly in light of the interest in using transgenic technologies to introduce and spread transgenes through populations of disease vectors for the purposes of eliminating pathogen transmission. In gene spreading schemes that involve genetic drive agents such as transposable elements transgene copy numbers are expected to increase over time. The end-point of transgene spreading is still not well defined but many individuals will have multiple copies of the transgene.
In this project we are asking a straightforward question – what is the fate of transgene expression as they are ‘stacked’ or increased in copy number?
We are using transgenic Aedes aegypti that are expressing the cinnabar transgene and through conventional genetic crosses creating lines with 1 to 8 copies of cinnabar. Gene expression is being measured by quantitative PCR, eye pigment quantitation and qualitative eye color phenotype assessment.
This project is a collaborative effort with Dr. Fred Gould at North Carolina State University.
