Fig. 3: Transmission efficiency and life history traits of MM-CP Ifakara mosquitoes.

a, Schematic of the non-autonomous homing assay used to evaluate transmission efficiency of the MM-CP transgene. Homozygous MM-CP females were crossed with either zpg-CC males (Cas9 source) or wt Ifakara males (control). F₁ progeny were sexed and reciprocally crossed with wt Ifakara mosquitoes. Twenty F₂ progeny per cross (in triplicate) were genotyped by PCR to detect the MM-CP transgene. The bar graph (far right) shows inheritance rates, with significantly higher MM-CP transmission in zpg-CC crosses, confirming efficient non-autonomous homing. Each row represents a biological replicate, and each box denotes one mosquito (5% rate). Note that only 17 mosquitoes were genotyped in 1 replicate. b, Fecundity of MM-CP (n = 23 and 25) and wt (n = 25 and 24) females, measured as the number of eggs laid per mosquito in two independent biological replicates. MM-CP females showed significantly reduced egg output compared with wt controls (P = 0.0005, two-sided Mann–Whitney U-test). Boxplots show median, interquartile range (25th to 75th percentiles) and full data range (whiskers) for each group; dots outside boxplots are outliers. Source data are provided in Source Data Sheet 1. c, Mean fertility of female mosquitoes used for the fecundity assays (b), measured as hatching rate (% of eggs developing into larvae), did not differ significantly between lines (P = 0.95, two-sided Mann–Whitney U-test). Error bars show the range of fertility rates across the two replicates. Source data are provided in Source Data Sheet 1. d, Survival curves postemergence. Left, females post-bloodmeal (BF); right, sugar-fed males. MM-CP females showed markedly reduced survival after blood feeding (P < 0.0001, log-rank test); males also showed reduced survival under sugar-only conditions (P < 0.0001), although to a lesser extent. Data points represent the mean of two independent biological replicates (MM-CP, n = 378 and 242; wt, n = 368 and 350), each comprising three cages of mosquitoes reared from separate aquatic trays. Error bars indicate the range between replicates. Source data are provided in Source Data Sheet 2.