skip to main content
US FlagAn official website of the United States government
dot gov icon
Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
https lock icon
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( lock ) or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.


Title: Germline mutagenesis of Nasonia vitripennis through ovarian delivery of CRISPR‐Cas9 ribonucleoprotein
Abstract CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing is a powerful technology to study the genetics of rising model organisms, such as the jewel waspNasonia vitripennis. However, current methods involving embryonic microinjection of CRISPR reagents are challenging. Delivery of Cas9 ribonucleoprotein into female ovaries is an alternative that has only been explored in a small handful of insects, such as mosquitoes, whiteflies and beetles. Here, we developed a simple protocol for germline gene editing by injecting Cas9 ribonucleoprotein in adultN. vitripennisfemales using either ReMOT control (Receptor‐Mediated Ovary Transduction of Cargo) or BAPC (Branched Amphiphilic Peptide Capsules) as ovary delivery methods. For ReMOT Control we used theDrosophila melanogaster‐derived peptide ‘P2C’ fused to EGFP to visualize the ovary delivery, and fused to Cas9 protein for gene editing of thecinnabargene using saponin as an endosomal escape reagent. For BAPC we optimized the concentrations of protein, sgRNA and the transfection reagent. We demonstrate delivery of protein cargo such as EGFP and Cas9 into developing oocytes via P2C peptide and BAPC. Additionally, somatic and germline gene editing were demonstrated. This approach will greatly facilitate CRISPR‐applied genetic manipulation in this and other rising model organisms.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
1645331
PAR ID:
10378778
Author(s) / Creator(s):
 ;  ;  ;  ;  ;  
Publisher / Repository:
Wiley-Blackwell
Date Published:
Journal Name:
Insect Molecular Biology
Volume:
29
Issue:
6
ISSN:
0962-1075
Page Range / eLocation ID:
p. 569-577
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
More Like this
  1. Slotman, Michel (Ed.)
    Abstract The wide distribution of Culex (Cx.) pipiens complex mosquitoes makes it difficult to prevent the transmission of mosquito-borne diseases in humans. Gene editing using CRISPR/Cas9 is an effective technique with the potential to solve the growing problem of mosquito-borne diseases. This study uses the ReMOT Control technique in Culex pipiens pallens (L.) to produce genetically modified mosquitoes. A microinjection system was established by injecting 60 adult female mosquitoes—14 µl injection mixture was required, and no precipitation occurred with ≤1 µl of endosomal release reagents (chloroquine or saponin). The efficiency of delivery of the P2C-enhanced green fluorescent protein-Cas9 (P2C-EGFP-Cas9) ribonucleoprotein complex into the ovary was 100% when injected at 24 h post-bloodmeal (the peak of vitellogenesis). Using this method for KMO knockout, we found that gene editing in the ovary could also occur when P2C-Cas9 RNP complex was injected into the hemolymph of adult Cx. pipiens pallens by ReMOT Control. In the chloroquine group, of the 2,251 G0 progeny screened, 9 individuals showed with white and mosaic eye phenotypes. In the saponin group, of the 2,462 G0 progeny screened, 8 mutant individuals were observed. Sequencing results showed 13 bp deletions, further confirming the fact that gene editing occurred. In conclusion, the successful application of ReMOT Control in Cx. pipiens pallens not only provides the basic parameters (injection parameters and injection time) for this method but also facilitates the study of mosquito biology and control. 
    more » « less
  2. Rhodnius prolixus is currently the model vector of choice for studying Chagas disease transmission, a debilitating disease caused by Trypanosoma cruzi parasites. However, transgenesis and gene editing protocols to advance the field are still lacking. Here, we tested protocols for the maternal delivery of CRISPR-Cas9 (clustered regularly spaced palindromic repeats/Cas-9 associated) elements to developing R. prolixus oocytes and strategies for the identification of insertions and deletions (indels) in target loci of resulting gene-edited generation zero (G0) nymphs. We demonstrate successful gene editing of the eye color markers Rp-scarlet and Rp-white, and the cuticle color marker Rp-yellow, with highest effectiveness obtained using Receptor-Mediated Ovary Transduction of Cargo (ReMOT Control) with the ovary-targeting BtKV ligand. These results provide proof of concepts for generating somatic mutations in R. prolixus and potentially for generating germ line-edited lines in triatomines, laying the foundation for gene editing protocols that could lead to the development of novel control strategies for vectors of Chagas disease. 
    more » « less
  3. Innovative tools are essential for advancing malaria control and depend on an understanding of molecular mechanisms governing transmission of malaria parasites by Anopheles mosquitoes. CRISPR/Cas9-based gene disruption is a powerful method to uncover underlying biology of vector-pathogen interactions and can itself form the basis of mosquito control strategies. However, embryo injection methods used to genetically manipulate mosquitoes (especially Anopheles ) are difficult and inefficient, particularly for non-specialist laboratories. Here, we adapted the ReMOT Control ( Re ceptor- m ediated O vary T ransduction of C argo) technique to deliver Cas9 ribonucleoprotein complex to adult mosquito ovaries, generating targeted and heritable mutations in the malaria vector Anopheles stephensi without injecting embryos. In Anopheles , ReMOT Control gene editing was as efficient as standard embryo injections. The application of ReMOT Control to Anopheles opens the power of CRISPR/Cas9 methods to malaria laboratories that lack the equipment or expertise to perform embryo injections and establishes the flexibility of ReMOT Control for diverse mosquito species. 
    more » « less
  4. Abstract Macrophages are key effectors of host defense and metabolism, making them promising targets for transient genetic therapy. Gene editing through the delivery of Cas9‐ribonucleoprotein (RNP) provides multiple advantages over gene delivery–based strategies for introducing CRISPR machinery to the cell. There are, however, significant physiological, cellular, and intracellular barriers to the effective delivery of the Cas9 protein and guide RNA (sgRNA) that have to date, restricted in vivo Cas9 protein–based approaches to local/topical delivery applications. Described herein is a new nanoassembled platform featuring coengineered nanoparticles and Cas9 protein that has been developed to provide efficient Cas9‐sgRNA delivery and concomitant CRISPR editing through systemic tail‐vein injection into mice, achieving >8% gene editing efficiency in macrophages of the liver and spleen. 
    more » « less
  5. Synopsis In the past 20 years, sequencing technologies have led to easy access to genomic data from nonmodel organisms in all biological realms. Insect genetic manipulation, however, continues to be a challenge due to various factors, including technical and cost-related issues. Traditional techniques such as microinjection of gene-editing vectors into early stage embryos have been used for arthropod transgenesis and the discovery of Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats and CRISPR-associated protein (CRISPR–Cas) technologies allowed for targeted mutagenesis and the creation of knockouts or knock-ins in arthropods. Receptor-Mediated Ovary Transduction of Cargo (ReMOT Control) acts as an alternative to embryonic microinjections, which require expensive equipment and extensive hands-on training. ReMOT Control’s main advantage is its ease of use coupled with the ability to hypothetically target any vitellogenic species, as injections are administered to the egg-laying adult rather than embryos. After its initial application in the mosquito Aedes aegypti, ReMOT Control has successfully produced mutants not only for mosquitoes but for multiple arthropod species from diverse orders, such as ticks, mites, wasps, beetles, and true bugs, and is being extended to crustaceans, demonstrating the versatility of the technique. In this review, we discuss the current state of ReMOT Control from its proof-of-concept to the advances and challenges in the application across species after 5 years since its development, including novel extensions of the technique such as direct parental (DIPA)-CRISPR. 
    more » « less