Infectious transgenesis in arthropods

Abstract

In the last decade, there has been an explosion in the development of in vivo germline genetic editing technologies in arthropods, first pioneered by the Receptor-Mediated Ovary Transduction of Cargo (ReMOT Control) method. While ReMOT Control and related technologies (DIPA-CRISPR and SYNCAS) have shown great utility for gene knock-out in many different species, consistent gene insertion has been elusive, limiting widespread adoption. We developed a novel system based on the baculovirus Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV) to deliver heritable CRISPR knock-out and knock-in constructs to the arthropod germline by oral feeding. We call this method "Germline Engineering by Viral Transduction" ("GEValT"). With GEValT, newly-eclosed female and male adult arthropods are fed on virus in sugar (and/or blood) and allowed to breed, resulting in easy generation of genetically modified offspring. GeValT is easy to use and has the potential to revolutionize gene editing methodology for researchers working across diverse arthropod species.