Modelling the spatial spread of a homing endonuclease gene in a mosquito population.

ABSTRACT:

Summary

Homing endonuclease genes (HEGs) exist naturally in many single-celled organisms and can show extremely strong genetic drive allowing them to spread through populations into which they are introduced. They are being investigated as tools to manipulate the populations of important vectors of human disease, in particular the mosquitoes that transmit malaria. Before HEGs can be deployed, it is important to study their spatial spread in order to design efficient release strategies.A spatially explicit model is developed to study the spread of a HEG through a landscape whose structure is defined by the distribution of mosquito breeding and feeding sites. The model is motivated by the biology of the major vectors of malaria in Africa. The conditions for spread, fixation and loss

SUBMITTER: North A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4277857 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature