Genetic control of the tomato leaf miner Tuta absoluta

番茄潜叶蛾（Tuta absoluta，TLM，一种蛾类）是南美番茄的主要害虫，自2006年以来，欧洲和北非也是如此。TLM幼虫以树叶和果实为食，造成作物损害，在许多国家造成重大经济损失。此外，随着这种害虫在欧洲和地中海地区蔓延，受影响的国家数量迅速增加。目前的防治活动主要依靠杀虫剂的使用。不幸的是，TLM正在对大多数一线杀虫剂产生抗药性，其他控制方法未能提供足够的控制。TLM显示适合通过不育昆虫技术（SIT）控制，但是常规SIT方法的几个局限性限制了其广泛使用[1-2]。SIT依赖于大量饲养、使用辐照灭菌和在目标区域释放大量不育雄性动物[1，3]。被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。如果足够多的不育雄性被释放足够长的时间，目标种群就会崩溃。传统的SIT依赖于辐照来使目标害虫物种不育。然而，在鳞翅目昆虫中诱导性不育所需的电离辐射通常会损害交配行为，以至于雄性在SIT程序中无法存活[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后代都在计划设施内饲养，增加了生产成本，降低了效率，因为不育雌性“分散”不育雄性寻找野生雌性[6-7]。Oxitec的核心专有技术，称为RIDL（释放显性致死昆虫），首先在果蝇[8]中得到证明，现在正在应用于真实的害虫[9-10]，为克服TLM的SIT限制提供了一种可行的方法。该学生将开发RIDL品系的小菜蛾，取代需要通过辐射灭菌，也作为一个遗传性别鉴定机制[11]。拟议的研究将受益于Oxitec在其他害虫物种（包括红铃虫和地中海实蝇）的RIDL菌株生成方面的独特专业知识，我们转化TLM的独特能力，以及在学术和公司实验室中昆虫分子遗传学和转化方面的丰富经验。昆虫害虫的基因工程尚处于起步阶段（例如，最近在2000年发表了任何蛾的第一次转化[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，并希望为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，eds.昆虫不育技术：区域害虫综合管理的原则和实践。2005年，Springer 2。原子能机构，“改进苹果蠹蛾SIT以促进扩大实地应用。' 2000年，原子能机构：奥地利维也纳。第33页。E.J.，J. Econ. Entomol.，1955. 48：459 4.罗宾逊，A.，穆特水库，2002年。511：113 5. Bloem，K.A.，等人，Dyck等人（编辑）2005，Springer 6. Rendón，P.，等J Econ. Entomol.，2004.九七年，一五四七年。Marec，F.，等. J. Econ. Entomol.，2005. 98：248 8 8.托马斯博士，等，Science，2000.第287章：第2474章Gong，P.，等Nat. Biotech.，2005. 23：453 10. Fu，G.，等人，Nat. Biotech，2007. 25：353 11.阿尔菲湖（2008）在“转基因和病媒传播疾病的管理”，Aksoy（艾德编）Landes Bioscience 12。Pefologin，J. J.，等人，Insect Mol.生物学，2000.九点三百二十三分

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