Repeat mediated excision of gene drive elements for restoring wild-type populations.

Here, we demonstrate that single strand annealing (SSA) can be co-opted for the precise autocatalytic excision of a drive element. We have termed this technology Repeat Mediated Excision of a Drive Element (ReMEDE). By engineering direct repeats flanking the drive allele and inducing a double-strand...

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Main Authors: Pratima R Chennuri, Josef Zapletal, Raquel D Monfardini, Martial Loth Ndeffo-Mbah, Zach N Adelman, Kevin M Myles
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2024-11-01
Series:PLoS Genetics
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgen.1011450
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author Pratima R Chennuri
Josef Zapletal
Raquel D Monfardini
Martial Loth Ndeffo-Mbah
Zach N Adelman
Kevin M Myles
author_facet Pratima R Chennuri
Josef Zapletal
Raquel D Monfardini
Martial Loth Ndeffo-Mbah
Zach N Adelman
Kevin M Myles
author_sort Pratima R Chennuri
collection DOAJ
description Here, we demonstrate that single strand annealing (SSA) can be co-opted for the precise autocatalytic excision of a drive element. We have termed this technology Repeat Mediated Excision of a Drive Element (ReMEDE). By engineering direct repeats flanking the drive allele and inducing a double-strand DNA break (DSB) at a second endonuclease target site within the allele, we increased the utilization of SSA repair. ReMEDE was incorporated into the mutagenic chain reaction (MCR) gene drive targeting the yellow gene of Drosophila melanogaster, successfully replacing drive alleles with wild-type alleles. Sequencing across the Cas9 target site confirmed transgene excision by SSA after pair-mated outcrosses with yReMEDE females, revealing ~4% inheritance of an engineered silent TcG marker sequence. However, phenotypically wild-type flies with alleles of indeterminate biogenesis also were observed, retaining the TGG sequence (~16%) or harboring a silent gGG mutation (~0.5%) at the PAM site. Additionally, ~14% of alleles in the F2 flies were intact or uncut paternally inherited alleles, indicating limited maternal deposition of Cas9 RNP. Although ReMEDE requires further research and development, the technology has some promising features as a gene drive mitigation strategy, notably its potential to restore wild-type populations without additional transgenic releases or large-scale environmental modifications.
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spelling doaj-art-cb7a7f2ee10b482ba11c9784c5cda4b32025-08-20T02:46:20ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS Genetics1553-73901553-74042024-11-012011e101145010.1371/journal.pgen.1011450Repeat mediated excision of gene drive elements for restoring wild-type populations.Pratima R ChennuriJosef ZapletalRaquel D MonfardiniMartial Loth Ndeffo-MbahZach N AdelmanKevin M MylesHere, we demonstrate that single strand annealing (SSA) can be co-opted for the precise autocatalytic excision of a drive element. We have termed this technology Repeat Mediated Excision of a Drive Element (ReMEDE). By engineering direct repeats flanking the drive allele and inducing a double-strand DNA break (DSB) at a second endonuclease target site within the allele, we increased the utilization of SSA repair. ReMEDE was incorporated into the mutagenic chain reaction (MCR) gene drive targeting the yellow gene of Drosophila melanogaster, successfully replacing drive alleles with wild-type alleles. Sequencing across the Cas9 target site confirmed transgene excision by SSA after pair-mated outcrosses with yReMEDE females, revealing ~4% inheritance of an engineered silent TcG marker sequence. However, phenotypically wild-type flies with alleles of indeterminate biogenesis also were observed, retaining the TGG sequence (~16%) or harboring a silent gGG mutation (~0.5%) at the PAM site. Additionally, ~14% of alleles in the F2 flies were intact or uncut paternally inherited alleles, indicating limited maternal deposition of Cas9 RNP. Although ReMEDE requires further research and development, the technology has some promising features as a gene drive mitigation strategy, notably its potential to restore wild-type populations without additional transgenic releases or large-scale environmental modifications.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgen.1011450
spellingShingle Pratima R Chennuri
Josef Zapletal
Raquel D Monfardini
Martial Loth Ndeffo-Mbah
Zach N Adelman
Kevin M Myles
Repeat mediated excision of gene drive elements for restoring wild-type populations.
PLoS Genetics
title Repeat mediated excision of gene drive elements for restoring wild-type populations.
title_full Repeat mediated excision of gene drive elements for restoring wild-type populations.
title_fullStr Repeat mediated excision of gene drive elements for restoring wild-type populations.
title_full_unstemmed Repeat mediated excision of gene drive elements for restoring wild-type populations.
title_short Repeat mediated excision of gene drive elements for restoring wild-type populations.
title_sort repeat mediated excision of gene drive elements for restoring wild type populations
url https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgen.1011450
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