From a Female Mosquito to a Non Biting Male Mosquito

From a Female Mosquito to a Non Biting Male Mosquito

Researchers have specifically found a gene that has proven to convert female mosquitoes into male mosquitoes. An interesting fact about mosquitoes that I learned from reading the article was that female mosquitoes bite and the males do not. Only the females bite so they can take the blood for the production of eggs. 

Nix, which is a male determining gene, can be inherited by the female mosquitoes in the chromosomal region. Although the females can be converted to male mosquitoes, there is one problem. The female mosquitoes that were converted to males can not fly because another gene called the myo-sex gene, was not inherited as well. This gene is needed to properly function as a male mosquito. Without this gene, the mosquitoes are not able to fly and as a result they will not be able to mate. 

Although researchers have a long way to go in perfecting the strategies to fully convert a female mosquito to a functioning male mosquito, huge milestones have been met. These small steps are only the beginning to being able to do the same process to different species, animals, and insects. 

Article Website: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/07/200714144730.htm

Journal Reference: https://www.pnas.org/content/early/2020/07/10/2001132117