Biology subjects

Messer, P. W.

Publications and source records attributed to Messer, P. W..

40 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

bioRxiv2018

Signatures of insecticide selection in the genome of Drosophila melanogaster.

Resistance to insecticides has evolved in multiple insect species, leading to increased application rates and even control failures. Understanding the genetic basis of insecticide resistance is fundamental for mitigating its impact on crop production and disease control. We performed a GWAS approach with the Drosophila Genetic Reference Panel (DGRP) to identify the mutations involved in resistance to two widely used classes of insecticides: organophosphates (OPs, parathion) and pyrethroids (deltamethrin). Most variation in parathion resistance was associated with mutations in the target gene Ace, while most variation in deltamethrin resistance was associated with mutations in Cyp6a23, a gene encoding a detoxification enzyme never previously associated with resistance. A \"nested GWAS\" further revealed the contribution of other loci: Dscam1 and trpl were implicated in resistance to parathion, but only in lines lacking Wolbachia. Cyp6a17, the paralogous gene of Cyp6a23, and CG7627, an ATP-binding cassette transporter, were implicated in deltamethrin resistance. We observed signatures of recent selective sweeps at all of these resistance loci and confirmed that the soft sweep at Ace is indeed driven by the identified resistance mutations. Analysis of allele frequencies in additional population samples revealed that most resistance mutations are segregating across the globe, but that frequencies can vary substantially among populations. Altogether, our data reveal that the widely used OP and pyrethroid insecticides imposed a strong selection pressure on natural insect populations. However, it remains unclear why, in Drosophila, resistance evolved due to changes in the target site for OPs, but due to a detoxification enzyme for pyrethroids.\n\nArticle summaryInsecticides are widely used to control pests and insect vectors of disease. In response to the strong selection pressure exerted by insecticides, resistance has evolved in most insect species. We identified few genes present in several Drosophila melanogaster natural populations implicated in the evolution of resistance against two insecticides widely used today. We identified primary and secondary genes involved in the resistance. Surprisingly, resistance evolved in the target site for one insecticide, but was associated to changes in a novel detoxification enzyme for the other insecticide.

evolutionary biology↗

bioRxiv2017

Reducing resistance allele formation in CRISPR gene drives

CRISPR gene drives can efficiently convert heterozygous cells with one copy of the drive allele into homozygotes, thereby enabling super-Mendelian inheritance. This mechanism could be used, for example, to rapidly disseminate a genetic payload through a population, promising novel strategies for the control of vector-borne diseases. However, all CRISPR gene drives tested have produced significant quantities of resistance alleles that cannot be converted to drive alleles and would likely prevent these drives from spreading in a natural population. In this study, we assessed three strategies for reducing resistance allele formation. First, we directly compared drives with the nanos and vasa promoters, which showed that the vasa drive produced high levels of resistance alleles in somatic cells. This was not observed in the nanos drive. Another strategy was the addition of a second gRNA to the drive, which both significantly increased the drive conversion efficiency and reduced the formation rate of resistance alleles. Finally, to minimize maternal carryover of Cas9, we assessed the performance of an autosomal drive acting in the male germline, and found no subsequent formation of resistance alleles in embryos. Our results mark a step toward developing effective gene drives capable of functioning in natural populations and provide several possible avenues for further reduction of resistance rates.

genetics↗

bioRxiv2017

Novel CRISPR/Cas9 gene drive constructs in Drosophila reveal insights into mechanisms of resistance allele formation and drive efficiency in genetically diverse populations

A functioning gene drive system could fundamentally change our strategies for the control of vector-borne diseases by facilitating rapid dissemination of transgenes that prevent pathogen transmission or reduce vector capacity. CRISPR/Cas9 gene drive promises such a mechanism, which works by converting cells that are heterozygous for the drive construct into homozygotes, thereby enabling super-Mendelian inheritance. Though CRISPR gene drive activity has already been demonstrated, a key obstacle for current systems is their propensity to generate resistance alleles. In this study, we developed two CRISPR gene drive constructs based on the nanos and vasa promoters that allowed us to illuminate the different mechanisms by which resistance alleles are formed in the model organism Drosophila melanogaster. We observed resistance allele formation at high rates both prior to fertilization in the germline and post-fertilization in the embryo due to maternally deposited Cas9. Assessment of drive activity in genetically diverse backgrounds further revealed substantial differences in conversion efficiency and resistance rates. Our results demonstrate that the evolution of resistance will likely impose a severe limitation to the effectiveness of current CRISPR gene drive approaches, especially when applied to diverse natural populations.

genetics↗

bioRxiv2017

asymptoticMK: A web-based tool for the asymptotic McDonald-Kreitman test

The McDonald-Kreitman (MK) test is a widely used method for quantifying the role of positive selection in molecular evolution. One key shortcoming of this test lies in its sensitivity to the presence of slightly deleterious mutations, which can severely bias its estimates. An asymptotic version of the MK test was recently introduced that addresses this problem by evaluating polymorphism levels for different mutation frequencies separately, and then extrapolating a function fitted to that data. Here we present asymptoticMK, a web-based implementation of this asymptotic McDonald-Kreitman test. Our web service provides a simple R-based interface into which the user can upload the required data (polymorphism and divergence data for the genomic test region and a neutrally evolving reference region). The web service then analyzes the data and provides plots of the test results. This service is free to use, open-source, and available at http://benhaller.com/messerlab/asymptoticMK.html.

evolutionary biology↗