Publications
14 results found
Davydova S, Liu J, Kandul NP, et al., 2023, Next-generation genetic sexing strain establishment in the agricultural pest Ceratitis capitata., Sci Rep, Vol: 13
Tephritid fruit fly pests pose an increasing threat to the agricultural industry due to their global dispersion and a highly invasive nature. Here we showcase the feasibility of an early-detection SEPARATOR sex sorting approach through using the non-model Tephritid pest, Ceratitis capitata. This system relies on female-only fluorescent marker expression, accomplished through the use of a sex-specific intron of the highly-conserved transformer gene from C. capitata and Anastrepha ludens. The herein characterized strains have 100% desired phenotype outcomes, allowing accurate male-female separation during early development. Overall, we describe an antibiotic and temperature-independent sex-sorting system in C. capitata, which, moving forward, may be implemented in other non-model Tephritid pest species. This strategy can facilitate the establishment of genetic sexing systems with endogenous elements exclusively, which, on a wider scale, can improve pest population control strategies like sterile insect technique.
Meccariello A, Krsticevic F, Colonna R, et al., 2021, Engineered sex ratio distortion by X-shredding in the global agricultural pest <i>Ceratitis capitata</i>, BMC BIOLOGY, Vol: 19
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- Citations: 18
Primo P, Meccariello A, Inghilterra MG, et al., 2020, Targeting the autosomal <i>Ceratitis capitata transformer</i> gene using Cas9 or dCas9 to masculinize XX individuals without inducing mutations, BMC GENETICS, Vol: 21, ISSN: 1471-2156
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- Citations: 5
Meccariello A, Krsticevic F, Colonna R, et al., 2020, Engineered sex distortion in the global agricultural pest<i>Ceratitis capitata</i>
<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:p>Genetic sex ratio distorters have potential for the area-wide control of harmful insect populations. Endonucleases targeting the X-chromosome and whose activity is restricted to male gametogenesis have recently been pioneered as a means to engineer such traits. Here we enabled endogenous CRISPR/Cas9 and CRISPR/Cas12a activity during spermatogenesis of the Mediterranean fruit fly<jats:italic>Ceratitis capitata</jats:italic>, a worldwide agricultural pest of extensive economic significance. In the absence of a chromosome-level assembly, we analysed long and short-read genome sequencing data from males and females to identify two clusters of abundant and X-chromosome specific sequence repeats. When targeted by gRNAs in conjunction with Cas9 they yielded a significant and consistent distortion of the sex ratio in independent transgenic strains and a combination of distorters induced a strong bias towards males (~80%). Our results demonstrate the design of sex distorters in a non-model organism and suggest that strains with characteristics suitable for field application could be developed for a range of medically or agriculturally relevant insect species.</jats:p>
Meccariello A, Tsoumani KT, Gravina A, et al., 2020, Targeted somatic mutagenesis through CRISPR/Cas9 ribonucleoprotein complexes in the olive fruit fly, <i>Bactrocera oleae</i>, ARCHIVES OF INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY, Vol: 104, ISSN: 0739-4462
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- Citations: 3
Fasulo B, Meccariello A, Morgan M, et al., 2020, A fly model establishes distinct mechanisms for synthetic CRISPR/Cas9 sex distorters, PLOS GENETICS, Vol: 16, ISSN: 1553-7404
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- Citations: 24
Tsoumani KT, Meccariello A, Mathiopoulos KD, et al., 2020, Developing CRISPR-based sex-ratio distorters for the genetic control of fruit fly pests: A how to manual, ARCHIVES OF INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY, Vol: 103, ISSN: 0739-4462
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- Citations: 5
Meccariello A, Salvemini M, Primo P, et al., 2019, Maleness-on-the-Y (MoY) orchestrates male sex determination in major agricultural fruit fly pests, Sciecnce, Vol: 365, Pages: 1457-1460, ISSN: 0036-8075
In insects, rapidly evolving primary sex-determining signals are transduced by a conserved regulatory module controlling sexual differentiation. In the agricultural pest Ceratitis capitata (Mediterranean fruit fly, or Medfly), we identified a Y-linked gene, Maleness-on-the-Y (MoY), encoding a small protein that is necessary and sufficient for male development. Silencing or disruption of MoY in XY embryos causes feminization, whereas overexpression of MoY in XX embryos induces masculinization. Crosses between transformed XY females and XX males give rise to males and females, indicating that a Y chromosome can be transmitted by XY females. MoY is Y-linked and functionally conserved in other species of the Tephritidae family, highlighting its potential to serve as a tool for developing more effective control strategies against these major agricultural insect pests.
Chiarore A, Bertocci I, Fioretti S, et al., 2019, Syntopic <i>Cystoseira</i> taxa support different molluscan assemblages in the Gulf of Naples (southern Tyrrhenian Sea), MARINE AND FRESHWATER RESEARCH, Vol: 70, Pages: 1561-1575, ISSN: 1323-1650
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- Citations: 17
Monti SM, Meccariello A, Ceruso M, et al., 2017, Inhibition studies of <i>Brucella suis</i> β-carbonic anhydrases with a series of 4-substituted pyridine-3-sulphonamides, JOURNAL OF ENZYME INHIBITION AND MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY, Vol: 33, Pages: 255-+, ISSN: 1475-6366
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- Citations: 8
Meccariello A, Monti SM, Romanelli A, et al., 2017, Highly efficient DNA-free gene disruption in the agricultural pest <i>Ceratitis capitata</i> by CRISPR-Cas9 ribonucleoprotein complexes, SCIENTIFIC REPORTS, Vol: 7, ISSN: 2045-2322
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- Citations: 38
Heinze SD, Kohlbrenner T, Ippolito D, et al., 2017, CRISPR-Cas9 targeted disruption of the <i>yellow</i> ortholog in the housefly identifies the <i>brown body</i> locus, SCIENTIFIC REPORTS, Vol: 7, ISSN: 2045-2322
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- Citations: 28
Papanicolaou A, Schetelig MF, Arensburger P, et al., 2017, Erratum to: The whole genome sequence of the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), reveals insights into the biology and adaptive evolution of a highly invasive pest species, Genome Biology, Vol: 18, ISSN: 1474-7596
Papanicolaou A, Schetelig MF, Arensburger P, et al., 2016, The whole genome sequence of the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), reveals insights into the biology and adaptive evolution of a highly invasive pest species, Genome Biology, Vol: 17, ISSN: 1474-7596
BackgroundThe Mediterranean fruit fly (medfly), Ceratitis capitata, is a major destructive insect pest due to its broad host range, which includes hundreds of fruits and vegetables. It exhibits a unique ability to invade and adapt to ecological niches throughout tropical and subtropical regions of the world, though medfly infestations have been prevented and controlled by the sterile insect technique (SIT) as part of integrated pest management programs (IPMs). The genetic analysis and manipulation of medfly has been subject to intensive study in an effort to improve SIT efficacy and other aspects of IPM control.ResultsThe 479 Mb medfly genome is sequenced from adult flies from lines inbred for 20 generations. A high-quality assembly is achieved having a contig N50 of 45.7 kb and scaffold N50 of 4.06 Mb. In-depth curation of more than 1800 messenger RNAs shows specific gene expansions that can be related to invasiveness and host adaptation, including gene families for chemoreception, toxin and insecticide metabolism, cuticle proteins, opsins, and aquaporins. We identify genes relevant to IPM control, including those required to improve SIT.ConclusionsThe medfly genome sequence provides critical insights into the biology of one of the most serious and widespread agricultural pests. This knowledge should significantly advance the means of controlling the size and invasive potential of medfly populations. Its close relationship to Drosophila, and other insect species important to agriculture and human health, will further comparative functional and structural studies of insect genomes that should broaden our understanding of gene family evolution.
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