21Proc. Arthropod. Embryol. Soc. Jpn. 49, 21 (2016)Ⓒ 2016 Arthropodan Embryological Society of Japan
ISSN 1341–1527

Identification of the beta2-tubulin gene promoter regulating testisspecific expression from Anopheles stephensi *Daisuke S. YAMAMOTO 1), Megumi SUMITANI 2) and Hiroyuki MATSUOKA1)
Division of Medical Zoology, Department of Infection and Immunity, Jichi Medical University, 3311–1, Yakushiji, Shimotsuke,Tochigi 329–0498, Japan2)
Genetically Modified Organism Research Center, National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, 1–2, Owashi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki
305–8634, JapanE-mail: daisukey@jichi.ac.jp (DSY)1)

Some mosquitoes are vectors of infectious diseases,
such as malaria, dengue fever, and yellow fever. They transmit
the parasite to the host via blood feeding. To control these
diseases, vector control is an effective approach. The sterile
insect technique (SIT) releasing a large number of sterile
individuals has been an effective strategy for population
suppression of pest insects, and has been used successfully
against some insect species (Dyck et al., 2005). In themosquito, there has been hope that the development of sterilemales using genetic engineering will supply sterile individuals
more stably than radiation-induced sterility (Catteruccia et al.,2009). To induce male sterility by transgenesis, the testisspecific promoter is a useful tool. The beta2-tubulin gene
(β2-tubulin) promoter has been shown to be suitable fortestis-specific expression in dipteran insects (Catteruccia etal., 2005; Smith et al., 2007; Zimowska et al., 2009).
We identified the beta2-tubulin gene promoter region of
the malaria vector mosquito Anopheles stephensi and analyzed
whether the promoter region induces testis-specificexpression by transgenesis. We produced transgenic A.
stephensi expressing DsRed-monomer under the control oftheβ2-tubulin promoter. Red fluorescence was detected in
the testis of transgenic mosquitoes, and their sperm werelabeled with red fluorescence. DsRed-monomer protein wasexpressed in fourth-instar larvae, pupae, and adults oftransgenic males. This promoter could be a useful tool for thecontrol of male sterility in A. stephensi.
References
Catteruccia, F, J.P. Benton and A. Crisanti (2005) An Anopheles
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Catteruccia, F., A. Crisanti and E.A. Wimmer (2009) Transgenic
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Smith, R.C., M.F. Walter, R.H. Hice, D.A. OʼBrochta and P.W. Atkinson(2007) Testis-specific expression of theβ2 tubulin promoter ofAedes aegypti and its application as a genetic sex-separation
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* Abstract of paper read at the 50th Annual Meeting of the Arthropodan Embryological Society of Japan, July 3–4, 2014 (Fuchu, Tokyo).