Insect Transgenesis
Insect Transgenesis - Related Videos
07:23
Mosaic Zebrafish Transgenesis for Evaluating Enhancer Sequences
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Cited by 6 •
2010
We demonstrate our approach to finding potential enhancer elements from developmentally regulated genes and evaluating their function through mosaic zebrafish transgenesis.
08:51
Microinjection for Transgenesis and Genome Editing in Threespine Sticklebacks
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Cited by 30 •
2016
Transgenic manipulations and genome editing are critical for functionally testing the roles of genes and cis-regulatory elements. Here a detailed microinjection protocol for the generation of genomic modifications (including Tol2-mediated fluorescent reporter transgene constructs, TALENs, and CRISPRs) is presented for the emergent model fish, the threespine stickleback.
06:57
RNAi Mediated Gene Knockdown and Transgenesis by Microinjection in the Necromenic Nematode Pristionchus pacificus
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Cited by 28 •
2011
In model organisms, transgenesis can manipulate gene functions while RNAi can knockdown specific mRNA transcripts 1-2. This protocol aims to illustrate the techniques needed to introduce stably transmitted DNA and transient double stranded RNA into the necromenic nematode Pristionchus pacificus for studies in evolutionary, developmental, and behavioral biology.
01:47
Osmoregulation in Insects
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2019
Malpighian tubules are specialized structures found in the digestive systems of many arthropods, including most insects, that handle excretion and osmoregulation. The tubules are typically arranged in pairs and have a convoluted structure that increases their surface area. Malpighian tubules extend from the digestive tract, typically the area between the midgut and hindgut, into the hemolymph—a mixture of blood and interstitial fluid found in insects and other arthropods, as well as most...
05:32
Embryo Microinjection for Transgenesis in Drosophila
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2024
This article takes the phiC31 integrase-mediated transgenesis in Drosophila as an example and presents an optimized protocol for embryo microinjection, a crucial step for creating transgenic flies.
FAQs
Transposable elements can serve as vehicles that integrate a genetic construct into the insect genome, whereas genome-editing systems are used to modify particular sequences. This distinction affects the experimental question: integration can introduce and maintain added DNA, while targeted modification can test the consequence of changing an existing locus. Both approaches can be applied at the germline stage.
Changes made in germline cells can be transmitted to offspring, allowing a trait or sequence alteration to persist across generations. By contrast, a change limited to non-reproductive tissues would not provide the same inherited model. This heritable behavior is central when researchers study gene function, regulation, development, physiology, or behavior over successive generations.
An engineered insect links a deliberate DNA change with observable biological questions. Researchers can examine how that change relates to gene regulation and then assess consequences for development, physiology, or behavior. Because the construct or modification can be maintained in the germline, the model supports analysis of inherited effects rather than only short-lived responses in individual insects.
Researchers begin by delivering genetic constructs into early embryos through microinjection, with the aim of reaching cells that contribute to the germline. The introduced DNA is then integrated or modified using the selected transposable-element or genome-editing system. Successful events can produce engineered insects whose traits are evaluated and, when inherited, followed in offspring.
Outcomes include altered gene regulation, developmental changes, physiological effects, behavioral differences, and modified disease-vector competence. Engineered insects can also be assessed for production of useful biological products. These readouts help connect a genetic construct or sequence modification to a phenotype and determine whether the organism is suitable for a research or bioengineering objective.
In bioengineering, this approach is useful when researchers need an insect model with a defined, inheritable genetic change. Applications described for the method include testing genetic control strategies, altering disease-vector competence, producing useful biological products, and investigating how genes shape development, physiology, or behavior. The appropriate application depends on the trait or biological process under study.