Using CRISPR to disable the white gene in the bluetongue virus carrier, Culicoides sonorensis biting midges

Gene editing efficiencies of up to 12.3% were achieved in Culicoides sonorensis, a significant vector of livestock diseases.

• Culicoides sonorensis is the primary vector of the bluetongue virus in North America.
• This study reports the first successful gene editing in C. sonorensis using Cas9 and specific guide RNAs.
• Heritable mutations were generated in the white gene, resulting in both white eye and red eye phenotypes.
• A homozygous knockout line was established with a single mutation in the white gene.
• The successful gene editing may facilitate future functional genomics studies and control strategies for these vectors.

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