Y chromosome shredding in Anopheles gambiae: Insight into the cellular dynamics of a novel synthetic sex ratio distorter.

ABSTRACT: Despite efforts to explore the genome of the malaria vector Anopheles gambiae, the Y chromosome of this species remains enigmatic. The large number of repetitive and heterochromatic DNA sequences makes the Y chromosome exceptionally difficult to fully assemble, hampering the progress of gene editing techniques and functional studies for this chromosome. In this study, we made use of a bioinformatic platform to identify Y-specific repetitive DNA sequences that served as a target site for a CRISPR/Cas9 system. The activity of Cas9 in the reproductive organs of males caused damage to Y-bearing sperm without affecting their fertility, leading to a strong female bias in the progeny. Cytological investigation allowed us to identify meiotic defects and investigate sperm selection in this new synt

SUBMITTER: Vitale M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11189259 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature