Genetic control of the tomato leaf miner Tuta absoluta

番茄潜叶蛾是南美洲番茄的主要害虫，自2006年以来一直是欧洲和北非的主要害虫。作物危害是由TLM幼虫取食叶片和果实造成的，在许多国家造成了重大的经济损失。此外，随着虫害在欧洲和地中海地区蔓延，受影响的国家数量正在迅速增加。目前的控制活动很大程度上依赖于杀虫剂的使用。不幸的是，TLM对大多数前线杀虫剂产生了抗药性，而其他控制方法未能提供足够的控制。TLM显示适合于通过不育昆虫技术(SIT)进行控制，但传统SIT方法的几个局限性限制了它的广泛应用[1-2]。SIT依赖于大规模饲养，使用辐射消毒，并在目标区域释放大量不育雄性[1，3]。释放的不育雄性与野生雌性交配，降低了野生种群的繁殖潜力，从而导致下一代野生种群的减少。如果在足够长的时间内释放足够多的雄性不育动物，目标种群就会崩溃。传统的SIT依靠辐射来使目标害虫物种不育。然而，在鳞翅目中诱导性不育所需的电离辐射往往会损害交配行为，以至于雄性在SIT计划中无法存活[4-5]。此外，目前还没有遗传性别鉴定机制，这意味着雄性和雌性F1后代都是在计划设施内饲养的，这增加了生产成本，并降低了效率，因为不育的雌性“分散了”不育的雄性寻找野生雌性的注意力[6-7]。Oxitec的核心专利技术，称为RIDL(释放具有优势致死的昆虫)，最初在果蝇[8]中演示，现在应用于真实的害虫[9-10]，为TLM提供了一种克服SIT限制限制的可行方法。这名学生将开发RIDL小菜蛾品系，以取代辐射绝育的需要，并作为一种遗传性别鉴定机制[11]。拟议的研究将受益于Oxitec在产生其他害虫物种(包括红铃虫和麦蝇)RIDL菌株方面的独特专业知识，我们转化TLM的独特能力，以及学术和公司实验室在昆虫分子遗传学和转化方面的丰富经验。害虫的基因工程还处于初级阶段(例如，直到2000年才发表了任何飞蛾的第一次转化[12])，该项目处于应用昆虫遗传学的前沿。我们对其他昆虫的经验现在使我们第一次能够解决这些问题，并有现实的希望为一种具有重要经济意义的害虫开发一种新的、可持续的、低环境影响的害虫控制策略。参考文献1.Dyck等人主编。昆虫不育技术：区域害虫综合管理的原理与实践。2005年，施普林格2。国际原子能机构，“改良椰蛾以促进田间应用”。2000，国际原子能机构：维也纳，奥地利。33页3.坎普林，E.，J.经济学。《昆虫大战》，1955年。48：459 4.罗宾逊，A.，Mut Res，2002。511：113 5.Bloem，K.A.，et al in Dyck，et al(编辑)2005，Springer 6.Rendón，P.，et al.J·经济。昆摩尔，2004年。97：1547 7.Marec，F.，et al.J.Econ。恩托莫尔，2005年。98：248 8.托马斯，D.D.等人《科学》，2000年。287：2474 9.龚培平等人纳特。《生物技术》，2005。23：453 10.傅家贵等人纳特。生物技术，2007年。25：353 11.Alphey，L.，(2008)摘自《转基因与病媒传播疾病的管理》，Aksoy(编辑)Landes Bioscience 12.Peloquin，J.J.等人。昆虫摩尔。《生物》，2000年。9：323

The tomato leafminer, Tuta absoluta (TLM, a species of moth), is a major pest of tomatoes in South America and, since 2006, Europe and North Africa. Crop damage is caused by TLM larvae feeding on the foliage and fruit, and results in significant economic losses in many countries. Moreover, affected countries are rapidly increasing in number as the pest spreads through Europe and the Mediterranean region. Current control activities largely rely on insecticide use. Unfortunately, TLM is developing resistance to most front-line insecticides, and other control methods have failed to provide adequate control. TLM shows suitability for control by the sterile insect technique (SIT), but several limitations of the conventional SIT approach limit its widespread utilisation [1-2]. SIT relies on the mass rearing, sterilisation using irradiation and release of large numbers of the sterile males over the target area [1, 3]. Released sterile males mate with wild females, reducing the reproductive potential of the wild population and so causing a reduction in the wild population in the subsequent generation. If enough sterile males are released for a sufficient time, the target population will collapse. Conventional SIT relies on irradiation to sterile the target pest species. However, the ionising radiation required to induce sexual sterility in Lepidoptera often impairs mating behaviour to such an extent that the males are not viable within an SIT programme [4-5]. Furthermore, there is currently no genetic sexing mechanism, which means males and female F1 progeny are both reared within the programme facilities, increasing production costs and decreasing effectiveness as sterile females 'distract' sterile males from seeking wild females [6-7]. Oxitec's core proprietary technology, known as RIDL (Release of Insects with Dominant Lethal), first demonstrated in Drosophila [8] and now being applied to real pest insects [9-10], provides a viable means of overcoming the limiting constraints of SIT for TLM. The student will develop RIDL strains of diamondback moth that replace the need for sterilisation by irradiation and also act as a genetic sexing mechanism [11]. The proposed research will benefit from the unique expertise within Oxitec of generation of RIDL strains of other pest species including pink bollworm and Medfly, our unique ability to transform TLM, and the extensive experience of insect molecular genetics and transformation in both the academic and company laboratories. Genetic engineering of insect pests is in its infancy (e.g. first transformation of any moth was published as recently as 2000 [12]), and this project is at the cutting edge of applied insect genetics. Our experience with other insects now enables us for the first time to address these issues with a realistic hope of developing a novel, sustainable, low-environmental-impact pest control strategy for a pest of great economic importance. References 1. Dyck et al, eds. Sterile Insect Technique: principles and practice in area-wide Integrated Pest Management. 2005, Springer 2. IAEA, 'Improvement of Codling moth SIT to facilitate expansion of field application.' 2000, IAEA: Vienna, Austria. p. 33 3. Knipling, E., J. Econ. Entomol., 1955. 48:459 4. Robinson, A., Mut Res, 2002. 511:113 5. Bloem, K.A., et al in Dyck, et al (eds) 2005, Springer 6. Rendón, P., et al. J Econ. Entomol., 2004. 97:1547 7. Marec, F., et al.. J. Econ. Entomol., 2005. 98: 248 8. Thomas, D.D., et al. Science, 2000. 287:2474 9. Gong, P., et al. Nat. Biotech., 2005. 23:453 10. Fu, G., et al. Nat. Biotech, 2007. 25:353 11. Alphey, L., (2008) in 'Transgenesis and the management of vector-borne disease', Aksoy (ed) Landes Bioscience 12. Peloquin, J.J., et al. Insect Mol. Biol., 2000. 9:323