Using RNAi to improve the collection of male-only pupae for SIT of the mosquito, Aedes aegypti

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dc.contributor.authorWood, Michael
dc.contributor.examiningcommitteeWilkins, Olivia (Biological Sciences)
dc.contributor.examiningcommitteeBelmonte, Mark (Biological Sciences)
dc.contributor.supervisorWhyard, Steve
dc.date.accessioned2024-07-04T16:57:13Z
dc.date.available2024-07-04T16:57:13Z
dc.date.issued2024-06-21
dc.date.submitted2024-06-21T16:24:49Zen_US
dc.degree.disciplineBiological Sciences
dc.degree.levelMaster of Science (M.Sc.)
dc.description.abstractThe sterile insect technique (SIT) is a chemical-free approach to insect control that involves the mass release of sterile male insects into natural populations to reduce the number of offspring in subsequent generations by outcompeting wild males during mating. SIT has been effective against various insect species, but for the mosquito Aedes aegypti, eliminating females from the pool of sterile males is crucial for successful large-scale release programs. Current methods rely on automated sorting to separate larger female pupae from smaller males before sterilization. However, these methods still suffer from high levels of female contamination, which could worsen disease transmission. Notably, female Aedes aegypti pupae are not only larger but also emerge later than males, suggesting that sex-specific genes play a role in larval development. Identifying and targeting these genes using RNA interference (RNAi) technology could potentially alter larval development and be useful for SIT. Through transcriptomic analyses, 168 female-biased transcripts were identified, of which we selected 33 for RNAi knockdown experiments using gene-targeting short-hairpin RNA (shRNA). The results demonstrated that knocking down 23 of these genes had a significant impact on larval development, a subset of which drastically altered pupation times between males and females. These differences could aid sex-sorting efforts by allowing a higher proportion of male-only pupae to be collected before any females emerge, potentially improving the effectiveness of SIT for mosquito control.
dc.description.noteOctober 2024
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1993/38273
dc.language.isoeng
dc.rightsopen accessen_US
dc.subjectAedes aegypti
dc.subjectSIT
dc.subjectRNAi
dc.subjectyellow-fever
dc.subjectinsect control
dc.titleUsing RNAi to improve the collection of male-only pupae for SIT of the mosquito, Aedes aegypti
dc.typemaster thesisen_US
local.subject.manitobano
oaire.awardNumberRGPIN-2020-05339
oaire.awardTitleThe molecular basis of sex differentiation in mosquitoes
oaire.awardURIhttps://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=744858
project.funder.identifierNSERC: https://doi.org/10.13039/501100000038
project.funder.nameNatural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
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