Cerasti Flavia, Mastrantonio Valentina, Cemmi Alessia, Di Sarcina Ilaria, Cristofaro Massimo, Porretta Daniele
Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
NUC-IRAD-GAM Laboratory, Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA), Rome, Italy.
PLoS One. 2025 Jul 3;20(7):e0320546. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0320546. eCollection 2025.
The spotted-wing drosophila (Drosophila suzukii), a highly invasive agricultural pest, poses significant challenges to fruit production worldwide. Traditional chemical control methods are costly and raise concerns about resistance and environmental sustainability. The Heterospecific Sterile Insect Technique (h-SIT) has emerged as a promising alternative. Sterile heterospecific males (Drosophila melanogaster) can be used to suppress D. suzukii populations through reproductive interference, primarily mediated by post-zygotic isolation mechanisms. Although this approach ensures the absence of viable offspring from heterospecific matings, male sterilization through irradiation remains essential. It prevents unintended ecological effects from D. melanogaster proliferation in the release area and allows for safe large-scale implementation. Therefore, determining an optimal irradiation dose is critical for achieving high levels of male sterility and maintaining biological quality and mating performance. This study aimed to determine the optimal irradiation dose by assessing induced sterility in D. melanogaster males exposed to gamma ray doses ranging from 80-180 Gy. Subsequently, the longevity and the time spent by irradiated D. melanogaster males courting D. suzukii females were also assessed. Results showed a significant dose-dependent increase in induced sterility, with near-complete sterility at 180 Gy. However, longevity decreased with increasing doses, with males irradiated at 160-180 Gy showing a lifespan reduction of up to 50 days compared to controls. Regardless of the irradiation dose received, D. melanogaster males retained their courtship ability toward D. suzukii females, although males exposed to 160 Gy exhibited reduced courtship activity. These findings showed that, among the tested doses, 80 Gy was the most effective in preserving male longevity and mating performance, significantly reducing fertility, while 180 Gy induced the highest sterility. The potential lifespan and courtship behavior trade-offs warrant further evaluation. Future studies should evaluate field performance to refine the balance between sterility, longevity, and mating performance for effective D. suzukii population suppression.
斑翅果蝇（Drosophila suzukii）是一种极具入侵性的农业害虫，给全球水果生产带来了重大挑战。传统的化学防治方法成本高昂，且引发了对耐药性和环境可持续性的担忧。异种不育昆虫技术（h-SIT）已成为一种有前景的替代方法。不育的异种雄性（黑腹果蝇Drosophila melanogaster）可用于通过生殖干扰来抑制铃木氏果蝇种群，这种干扰主要由合子后隔离机制介导。尽管这种方法确保了异种交配不会产生有活力的后代，但通过辐射进行雄性绝育仍然至关重要。它可防止黑腹果蝇在释放区域增殖产生意外的生态影响，并允许安全地大规模实施。因此，确定最佳辐射剂量对于实现高水平的雄性不育以及维持生物学质量和交配性能至关重要。本研究旨在通过评估暴露于80 - 180 Gy伽马射线剂量的黑腹果蝇雄性的诱导不育情况来确定最佳辐射剂量。随后，还评估了经辐射的黑腹果蝇雄性的寿命以及它们向铃木氏果蝇雌性求偶所花费的时间。结果显示，诱导不育呈显著的剂量依赖性增加，在180 Gy时接近完全不育。然而，寿命随着剂量增加而缩短，与对照组相比，接受160 - 180 Gy辐射的雄性寿命缩短了多达50天。无论接受何种辐射剂量，黑腹果蝇雄性对铃木氏果蝇雌性都保持求偶能力，尽管接受160 Gy辐射的雄性求偶活动有所减少。这些发现表明，在测试的剂量中，80 Gy在保持雄性寿命和交配性能方面最为有效，能显著降低生育力，而180 Gy诱导的不育程度最高。潜在的寿命和求偶行为权衡值得进一步评估。未来的研究应评估田间表现，以优化不育、寿命和交配性能之间的平衡，从而有效抑制铃木氏果蝇种群。
