Ferguson Heather M, John Bernadette, Ng'habi Kija, Knols Bart G J
Public Health Entomology Unit, Ifakara Health Research and Development Centre, PO Box 53, Off Mlabani Passage, Ifakara, Tanzania.
Trends Ecol Evol. 2005 Apr;20(4):202-9. doi: 10.1016/j.tree.2005.02.003.
The recent development of transgenic mosquitoes that are resistant to infection by the Plasmodium malarial parasite is a promising new tool in the fight against malaria. However, results of large-scale field releases of alternatively modified mosquitoes carried out during the 1970s and 1980s suggest that this approach could be difficult to implement in the field. These past attempts to control mosquito populations largely floundered as a result of our insufficient understanding of the behavioural ecology of released males. In spite of this, contemporary research on genetic control strategies has concentrated predominantly on molecular aspects, with little progress being made toward resolving key ecological uncertainties, male mosquito ecology being the most important. Here, we review the state of knowledge of male mosquito ecology, and highlight priorities for further research. Case studies of two crop pests, the Mediterranean fruit fly and melon fly, are given as examples of how knowledge of male ecology facilitates successful control in other species. Unless similar information becomes available for mosquitoes, any future genetic control strategy will risk failure.
最近开发出的对疟原虫感染具有抗性的转基因蚊子，是抗击疟疾的一种很有前景的新工具。然而，20世纪70年代和80年代进行的大规模野外释放经过基因改造蚊子的结果表明，这种方法在野外可能难以实施。过去这些控制蚊子种群的尝试大多遭遇失败，原因是我们对释放的雄蚊行为生态学了解不足。尽管如此，当代关于基因控制策略的研究主要集中在分子方面，在解决关键的生态不确定性方面进展甚微，其中雄蚊生态学是最重要的。在此，我们综述了雄蚊生态学的知识现状，并强调了进一步研究的重点。以两种农作物害虫地中海实蝇和瓜实蝇为例，说明雄蚊生态学知识如何有助于成功控制其他物种。除非能获得关于蚊子的类似信息，否则未来任何基因控制策略都有失败的风险。
