Gene drive and resilience through renewal with next generation Cleave and Rescue selfish genetic elements.

ABSTRACT: Gene drive-based strategies for modifying populations face the problem that genes encoding cargo and the drive mechanism are subject to separation, mutational inactivation, and loss of efficacy. Resilience, an ability to respond to these eventualities in ways that restore population modification with functional genes, is needed for long-term success. Here, we show that resilience can be achieved through cycles of population modification with "Cleave and Rescue" (ClvR) selfish genetic elements. ClvR comprises a DNA sequence-modifying enzyme such as Cas9/gRNAs that disrupts endogenous versions of an essential gene and a recoded version of the essential gene resistant to cleavage. ClvR spreads by creating conditions in which those lacking ClvR die because they lack functional versions of the

SUBMITTER: Oberhofer G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7183144 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature