Preprint: Anopheles gambiae VGSC knockouts reveal haplosufficiency with implications for insecticide resistance and genetic control

A preprint posted to bioRxiv on 11 September 2026 reports the first systematic functional disruption of the voltage-gated sodium channel gene (vgsc) in Anopheles gambiae, the primary mosquito vector of malaria. Pyrethroid insecticides — the active ingredient on insecticide-treated bednets, a cornerstone of malaria control — kill mosquitoes by targeting VGSC. Resistance mutations at the pyrethroid binding site (L995F/S) have spread widely across sub-Saharan Africa, but tools to functionally interrogate the gene itself have lagged behind population surveillance data.

The authors generated vgsc knockouts and report that the gene exhibits haplosufficiency — meaning one functional copy is sufficient to maintain normal mosquito physiology. This finding has implications both for understanding how resistance mutations spread (heterozygous resistance alleles may be phenotypically tolerated) and for evaluating vgsc as a candidate target for genetic control approaches such as gene drive.

The work provides a functional resource for the vector biology and insecticide-resistance research communities. As a preprint, it has not yet been peer-reviewed. Findings are not directly applicable to clinical or public health policy without further validation.