• Conditional sex conversion sys...

*Result*: Conditional sex conversion systems for improved control of insect pests.

Title:
Conditional sex conversion systems for improved control of insect pests.
Authors:
Kriete AL; Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA., Scott MJ; Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA. Electronic address: mjscott3@ncsu.edu.
Source:
Current opinion in insect science [Curr Opin Insect Sci] 2026 Feb; Vol. 73, pp. 101454. Date of Electronic Publication: 2025 Oct 18.
Publication Type:
Journal Article; Review
Language:
English
Journal Info:
Publisher: Elsevier Country of Publication: Netherlands NLM ID: 101635599 Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 2214-5753 (Electronic) NLM ISO Abbreviation: Curr Opin Insect Sci Subsets: MEDLINE
Imprint Name(s):
Original Publication: Amsterdam : Elsevier
MeSH Terms:
Insecta*/genetics , Insecta*/physiology , Pest Control, Biological*/methods , Sex Determination Processes*, Animals ; Female ; Male
Entry Date(s):
Date Created: 20251020 Date Completed: 20251211 Latest Revision: 20251211
Update Code:
20260130
DOI:
10.1016/j.cois.2025.101454
PMID:
41115571
Database:
MEDLINE

*Further Information*

*Conditional female-to-male sex conversion systems are promising tools for improving the Sterile Insect Technique, an environmentally-friendly form of genetic pest control. In recent years, several conditional sex conversion systems, employing various effector genes and gene expression techniques, have been designed and evaluated in diverse insect species. While no system described thus far is ready for real-world use, valuable insight into insect physiology and sex determination has been gained. Additional basic research on insect sex determination mechanisms, particularly dosage compensation, coupled with increasingly flexible and powerful tools for gene expression and editing, should enable researchers to improve existing sex conversion systems, as well as to develop new systems in non-model insect pests.
(Copyright © 2025 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)*

*Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.*