# Functional assessment of the regulation of mosquito sexual dimorphism by non-coding RNAs

> **NIH NIH R21** · INDIANA UNIVERSITY INDIANAPOLIS · 2020 · $196,875

## Abstract

Project Summary
 Aedes aegypti is the principal mosquito vector of viruses that cause Zika, yellow fever, chikungunya,
and dengue, the most widespread and significant arboviral disease in the world. Although mosquito control is
the primary mechanism for disease control, insecticide resistance and a lack of support for mosquito control
programs compromise existing strategies for managing Aedes mosquitoes. Females differ from males in
morphological, physiological, and behavioral traits that are critical components of their ability to spread
diseases. Researchers have therefore had a long-standing interest in the potential to manipulate genes that
contribute to sexually dimorphic mosquito characters. Although genes that regulate sex-specification and
development of mosquito sexual dimorphism may represent novel targets for vector control, many of these
genes have not yet been functionally characterized in vector mosquitoes. Additionally, several new mosquito
control technologies designed to eliminate large populations of mosquitoes are dependent upon efficient sex-
sorting prior to mass release of male mosquitoes. However, affordable and effective methods of sex-sorting
that can be employed for mass-rearing of insects at remote or resource-limited locations have unfortunately not
yet been established. The proposed investigation addresses both the need for new sex-specific genetic
targets, as well as the requirement for new sex-sorting techniques. A successful RNA interference pilot screen
uncovered multiple female-specific larval lethal long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) genes. Although thousands of
putative lncRNA genes have been identified in the A. aegypti genome, these genes, once considered dark
matter, have not yet been functionally validated as lncRNA genes. This research program will invoke the use
of newly developed yeast interfering RNA larvicide technology to functionally test the hypothesis that lncRNAs
regulate A. aegypti sex-specific development. The proposed aims of this study include: (1) continued
identification and characterization of lncRNAs that regulate sex-specific development, (2) generation of yeast
interfering RNA larvicide strains corresponding to female-specific larval lethal lncRNA genes, and (3) down-
selection and evaluation of female-specific yeast interfering RNA larvicides under simulated mass-rearing
conditions. In addition to functionally validating lncRNAs as a new class of genes that regulate sex-specific
development in mosquitoes, this study will promote the development of affordable, effective, and scalable
female-specific yeast interfering RNA larvicide technology that could enhance the potential for mass-rearing
male mosquitoes in remote and resource-limited regions throughout the world. It is anticipated that the
proposed investigation will uncover many lncRNA genes that regulate sex-specific development and
differentiation, and the full characterization of these genes will be pursued in future investigations.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9859341
- **Project number:** 5R21AI144256-02
- **Recipient organization:** INDIANA UNIVERSITY INDIANAPOLIS
- **Principal Investigator:** Molly Duman Scheel
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $196,875
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-02-01 → 2022-01-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9859341

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9859341, Functional assessment of the regulation of mosquito sexual dimorphism by non-coding RNAs (5R21AI144256-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9859341. Licensed CC0.

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