lethal gene

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le′thal gene′

a gene that under certain conditions causes the death of an organism. Also called le′thal fac`tor, le′thal muta′tion.

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Noun

lethal gene - any gene that has an effect that causes the death of the organism at any stage of life

cistron, gene, factor - (genetics) a segment of DNA that is involved in producing a polypeptide chain; it can include regions preceding and following the coding DNA as well as introns between the exons; it is considered a unit of heredity; "genes were formerly called factors"

Translations

le·thal gene

n. factor letal que previene el desarrollo y causa la muerte de un organismo.

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References in periodicals archive ?

Then there are genetically modified male mosquitoes, engineered by the British biotech company Oxitec to pass a lethal gene to their offspring, causing death to the larvae.

Zika: prompts pleas for DDT: as yet another mosquito-borne ailment--the Zika virus--rages across the globe, even this time including North America, calls for DDT are surfacing and being ignored by the UN

But there are tricks -- ways the lethal gene could kill only male offspring or only females, while being carried on through the other sex.

Genetically modifying Zika virus out of existence

Oxitec's approach involves the insertion of a lethal gene into insect embryos using molecular genetic engineering techniques.

Stunted harvest: regulatory reform for biotechnology is a tough row to hoe

aegypti males carrying a dominant lethal gene re sulting in next-generation flightless females that can't mate or avoid predators (Proc Natl Acad Sci USA.