A CRISPR endonuclease gene drive reveals distinct mechanisms of inheritance bias

Background

CRISPR/Cas gene drives can bias transgene inheritance through different mechanisms. Homing drives are designed to replace a wild-type allele with a copy of a drive element on the homologous chromosome. In Aedes aegypti, the sex-determining locus is closely linked to the white gene, which was previously used as a target for a homing drive element (w^GDe). Here, through an analysis using this linkage we show that in males inheritance bias of w^GDe did not occur by homing, rather through increased propagation of the donor drive element.

Verkuijl, S. A., Gonzalez, E., Li, M., Ang, J. X., Kandul, N. P., Anderson, M. A., … & Alphey, L. (2022). A CRISPR endonuclease gene drive reveals distinct mechanisms of inheritance bias. Nature Communications, 13(1), 7145.

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