Altering traits and fates of wild populations with Mendelian DNA sequence modifying Allele Sails
Michelle L. Johnson,
Bruce A. Hay () and
Maciej Maselko ()
Additional contact information
Michelle L. Johnson: Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology
Bruce A. Hay: Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology
Maciej Maselko: Macquarie University
Nature Communications, 2024, vol. 15, issue 1, 1-12
Abstract:
Abstract Population-scale genome modification can alter the composition or fate of wild populations. Synthetic gene drives provide one set of tools, but their use is complicated by scientific, regulatory, and social issues associated with transgene persistence and flow. Here we propose an alternative approach. An Allele Sail consists of a genome editor (the Wind) that introduces DNA sequence edits, and is inherited in a Mendelian fashion. Meanwhile, the edits (the Sail) experience an arithmetic, Super-Mendelian increase in frequency. We model this system and identify contexts in which a single, low frequency release of an editor brings edits to a very high frequency. We also identify conditions in which manipulation of sex determination can bring about population suppression. In regulatory frameworks that distinguish between transgenics (GMO) and their edited non-transgenic progeny (non-GMO) Allele Sails may prove useful since the spread and persistence of the GM component can be limited.
Date: 2024
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:
Downloads: (external link)
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-50992-9 Abstract (text/html)
Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.
Export reference: BibTeX
RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan)
HTML/Text
Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:nat:natcom:v:15:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-024-50992-9
Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
https://www.nature.com/ncomms/
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-50992-9
Access Statistics for this article
Nature Communications is currently edited by Nathalie Le Bot, Enda Bergin and Fiona Gillespie
More articles in Nature Communications from Nature
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().