Engineering lhRNA based molecule to interfere replication of dengue virus in transgenic Aedes aegypti mosquitoes: Bioinformatics approach

摘要

As a preliminary step towards the development of transgenic Aedes aegypti mosquito’s resistance to SriLankan dengue viruses (SLDENV), the identification of previously unpublished DNA sequence of theconstruct, AeCPA/Mnp+/i/Mnp-/svA, was done using bioinformatics tools. Furthermore, a long hairpinRNA (lhRNA) molecule effective against all four SLDENV serotypes was designed. If this lhRNAmolecule to be cleaved by dicer at the correct site, the 100% of siRNA molecules produced are going tobe effective against each serotype of SLDENV, on the contrary, if it is to be cleaved at random sites,which is the worst case, 52.63% of total siRNA molecules produced are going to be effective againsteach SLDENV serotype. In addition, an alternative promoter sequence, Ae. aegypti vitellogenin A1(AeVtA), and a construct functionally similar to MosI helper plasmid, pKhsp82MOS (commerciallyunavailable) used in micro injection procedure of Ae. aegypti were also proposed in this study.