Maternal Effect Dominant Embryonic Arrest

The Maternal Effect Dominant Embryonic Arrest (, Maternal effect dominant embryonic arrest ' MEDEA ) is caused by a selfish DNA, for both a toxin and an antidote to contain genes, however, and occur in some flour beetles.

Properties

The toxin formed in the mother kills the offspring which do not contain the medea gene, since these do not produce the antidote. This effect occurs in the offspring of heterozygous mothers if the father does not have the medea gene. Thus this gene spread within a population. Said toxin is a microRNA that blocks the expression of MyD88. MyD88 is an essential gene for the embryogenesis of insects.

In laboratory experiments, the medea gene spreads, starting with an occurrence of 25%, within ten to twelve generations to the entire population of. Therefore, approaches are being studied, the medea gene to expand resistance factors against insects - borne pathogens such as Plasmodium ( malaria pathogen ) or arboviruses and introduce in insect populations. This is intended to insect populations become resistant to these pathogens and thus the infection chain be interrupted.

The medea gene was named in reference to the mythological figure of Medea, who killed her children when she was abandoned.