Decoding and engineering temperature-sensitive lethality in Ceratitis capitata for pest control

The Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) is a species-specific and environmentally friendly method for effectively controlling pest insect populations based on releasing reared, sterile insects into infested areas. Sex sorting in rearing facilities, enabling male-only releases, is necessary to ensure SIT programs are efficient, cost-effective and, in case of mosquito control, also safe. This can be greatly facilitated by genetic sexing strains (GSS), exhibiting sex-specific phenotypic markers. However, the development of GSS remains challenging. The construction of a temperature-sensitive lethal (tsl)-based GSS in the Mediterranean fruit fly (Ceratitis capitata) over three decades ago was considered a major breakthrough for SIT programs but was never successfully replicated in other pests. After over 30 y of research, we have pinpointed a specific mutation in the C. capitata lysine--tRNA ligase (Lysyl-tRNA synthetase, LysRS) gene responsible for the tsl phenotype. Introducing this specific mutation into a wild-type strain produced full embryonic lethality under heat stress, replicating the original mutant phenotype. The random integration of a LysRS minigene reversed this effect. The high conservation of LysRS among insects suggests that tsl-based GSS could be expanded to multiple pest species and extend applications of SIT programs for disease prevention and the protection of agriculture.