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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Gainesville, Florida » Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology » Insect Behavior and Biocontrol Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #193885
Title: NEW PIGGYBAC VECTORS FOR FUNCTIONAL GENOMICS AND TRANSGENIC INSECT RELEASE

Author
item Handler, Alfred - Al

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/15/2006
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Our research focuses on creating transgenic fruit fly strains for improved biological control and functional genomics analysis. This has involved the development of the piggyBac transposon-based transformation system that is now used in four orders of insects. For biocontrol based on conditional lethality, studies are focused on dominant temperature sensitive lethal mutations of 20S proteasome subunit genes including the use of Drosophila alleles, and isolation of their cognates in tephritid species. The piggyBac transposon has recently undergone horizontal transfer between moth and fly species raising concern for vector stability. To improve the ecological safety of released transgenics, new vector systems have been created that immobilize the vector after integration and target their insertion in the genome.