Evaluation of genetic and biotechnological tools towards the development of an Anastrepha fraterculus sexing strain.

LANZAVECCHIA; GATICA; GIARDINI; SCANNAPIECO; MILLA; CONTE; SEGURA; CLADERA

Workshop; FIRST RESEARCH COORDINATION MEETING On ?Comparing Rearing Efficiency and Competitiveness of Sterile Male Strains Produced by Genetic, Transgenic or Symbiont-Based Technologies?; 2015

Anastrepha fraterculus Wiedemann (Diptera: Tephritidae) commonly named the South American fruit fly is one of the most destructive pest species in the region. It attacks a wide range of fruit and ¿vegetable? species and produces important economic losses. In Argentina, this species is distributed in temperate and subtropical regions, sharing these habitats with the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata Wiedemann. Currently, insecticides are the only control method available against A. fraterculus bueno, el CB ya esta siendo probado en san juan no?, and hence the development of a more environmentally safe control strategy, is strongly recommended. The objective of the research proposed here is to perform a complete genetic evaluation of A. fraterculus wild populations and laboratory strains present in Argentina, in order to provide valuable genetic resources for the development of a sexing strain candidate for the Sterile Insect Technique . Our first goal is the identification, characterization and purification of strains carrying karyotypic variants using cytogenetic and molecular tools. Microsatellite markers recently developed in our laboratory for this species will be used as chromosomal markers for structural polymorphisms identification. We plan to analyse A. fraterculus transcriptome, in order to identify sequences of expressed genes and sex-specific transcripts useful to understand the early sex-determination pathway in this species.The information provided using this genomic approach will be helpful to select gene genomic? regions with sex-specific characteristics in order to be evaluated in transgenic experiments using A. fraterculus characterized strains. With this research we will contribute to the knowledge needed for the construction of an A. fraterculus sexing strain with potential for the SIT strategy against this pest.