scholarly journals Drosophila melanogaster Response to Feeding with Neomycin-Based Medium Expressed in Fluctuating Asymmetry

Insects ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 378
Author(s):  
Kemal Büyükgüzel ◽  
Ender Büyükgüzel ◽  
Ewa Chudzińska ◽  
Anetta Lewandowska-Wosik ◽  
Renata Gaj ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Fluctuating Asymmetry ◽  
Fruit Fly ◽  
Model Organisms ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Developmental Stress ◽  
Type D ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Electron And Light Microscopy ◽  
Anal Papillae

The fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster is a model species used for a wide range of studies. Contamination of Drosophila cultures with bacterial infection is common and is readily eradicated by antibiotics. Neomycin antibiotics can cause stress to D. melanogaster’s larvae and imagoes, which may affect the interpretation of the results of research using culture from neomycin-based medium. In the present study, fluctuating asymmetry (FA), one of the important bioindicators of stress, was measured. Larvae and imagoes of a wild-type D. melanogaster strain were exposed to various concentrations of neomycin. The size of anal papillae and selected wing veins were measured using scanning electron and light microscopy, respectively. Next, the FA was checked. The values obtained for larval anal papillae appeared to be concentration-dependant; the FA indices increased with the concentration of neomycin. The wing FA presented a large but variable correlation, depending on the measured vein. However, the mean length of veins was the highest for the control group, with neomycin-exposed groups showing lower values. The research showed that neomycin may cause sublethal stress in D. melanogaster, which manifests in increased FA indices. This suggests that neomycin can cause physiological and developmental stress in insects, which should be taken into account when interpreting the results of studies using these model organisms.

scholarly journals A model-based high throughput method for fecundity estimation in fruit fly studies

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Enoch Ng’oma ◽  
Elizabeth G. King ◽  
Kevin M. Middleton
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Cross Validation ◽  
Large Data ◽  
Fruit Fly ◽  
Model Organisms ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
High Throughput Method ◽  
The Media

AbstractThe ability to quantify fecundity is critically important to a wide range of experimental applications, particularly in widely-used model organisms such as Drosophila melanogaster. However, the standard method of manually counting eggs is time consuming and limits the feasibility of large-scale experiments. We develop a predictive model to automate the counting of eggs from images of eggs removed from the media surface and washed onto dark filter paper. A cross-validation approach demonstrates our method performs well, with a correlation between predicted and manually counted values of 0.88. We show how this method can be applied to a large data set where egg densities vary widely.

scholarly journals Recombinant deoxyribonucleoside kinase from Drosophila melanogaster can improve gemcitabine based combined gene/chemotherapy for targeting cancer cells

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahak Fatima ◽  
M. Mubasshar Iqbal Ahmed ◽  
Faiza Batool ◽  
Anjum Riaz ◽  
Moazzam Ali ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Cancer Cells ◽  
Cell Line ◽  
Cell Lines ◽  
Cancer Cell ◽  
Cancer Cell Line ◽  
Nucleoside Analogs ◽  
Cancer Cell Lines ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Wide Range

A recombinant deoxyribonucleoside kinase from Drosophila melanogaster with a deletion of the last 20 amino acid residues (named DmdNKΔC20) was hypothesized as a potential therapeutic tool for gene therapy due to its broad substrate specificity and better catalytic efficiency towards nucleosides and nucleoside analogs. This study was designed to evaluate the effect of DmdNKΔC20 for sensitizing human cancer cell lines towards gemcitabine and to further investigate its role in reversal of acquired drug resistance in gemcitabine-resistant cancer cell line. The DmdNKΔC20 gene was delivered to three different cancer cell lines, including breast, colon and liver cancer cells, using lipid-mediated transfection reagent. After transfection, gene expression of DmdNKΔC20 was confirmed by reverse transcription quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR) and the combined effect of DmdNKΔC20 and gemcitabine based cytotoxicity was observed by cell viability assay. We further evolved a gemcitabine-resistant breast cancer cell line (named MCF7-R) through directed evolution in the laboratory, which showed 375-fold more resistance compared to parental MCF7 cells. Upon transfection with DmdNKΔC20 gene, MCF7-R cells showed 83-fold higher sensitivity to gemcitabine compared to the control group of MCF7-R cells. Moreover, we observed 79% higher expression of p21 protein in transfected MCF7-R cells, which may indicate induction of apoptosis. Our findings highlight the importance and therapeutic potential of DmdNKΔC20 in combined gene/chemotherapy approach to target a wide range of cancers, particularly gemcitabine-resistant cancers.

scholarly journals Chromatin Structure and Function in Mosquitoes

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Óscar M. Lezcano ◽  
Miriam Sánchez-Polo ◽  
José L. Ruiz ◽  
Elena Gómez-Díaz
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Regulatory Networks ◽  
Genome Structure ◽  
Nuclear Architecture ◽  
Model Organism ◽  
Fruit Fly ◽  
Model Organisms ◽  
Epigenetic Mechanisms ◽  
West Nile Fever ◽  
And Function

The principles and function of chromatin and nuclear architecture have been extensively studied in model organisms, such as Drosophila melanogaster. However, little is known about the role of these epigenetic processes in transcriptional regulation in other insects including mosquitoes, which are major disease vectors and a worldwide threat for human health. Some of these life-threatening diseases are malaria, which is caused by protozoan parasites of the genus Plasmodium and transmitted by Anopheles mosquitoes; dengue fever, which is caused by an arbovirus mainly transmitted by Aedes aegypti; and West Nile fever, which is caused by an arbovirus transmitted by Culex spp. In this contribution, we review what is known about chromatin-associated mechanisms and the 3D genome structure in various mosquito vectors, including Anopheles, Aedes, and Culex spp. We also discuss the similarities between epigenetic mechanisms in mosquitoes and the model organism Drosophila melanogaster, and advocate that the field could benefit from the cross-application of state-of-the-art functional genomic technologies that are well-developed in the fruit fly. Uncovering the mosquito regulatory genome can lead to the discovery of unique regulatory networks associated with the parasitic life-style of these insects. It is also critical to understand the molecular interactions between the vectors and the pathogens that they transmit, which could hold the key to major breakthroughs on the fight against mosquito-borne diseases. Finally, it is clear that epigenetic mechanisms controlling mosquito environmental plasticity and evolvability are also of utmost importance, particularly in the current context of globalization and climate change.

scholarly journals Caffeine effects on AdoR mRNA expression in Drosophila melanogaster

2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 244-249
Author(s):  
Jacek Francikowski ◽  
Bartosz Baran ◽  
Anna Płachetka-Bożek ◽  
Michał Krzyżowski ◽  
Maria Augustyniak
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Mrna Expression ◽  
Adenosine Receptors ◽  
Fruit Fly ◽  
Adult Survival ◽  
Cellular Targets ◽  
Early Stages ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Adult Survival Rate ◽  
Mrna Expression Levels

AbstractIn this study, we aimed to evaluate whether exposure to caffeine in the early stages of development affect AdoR mRNA expression levels in the fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster) and how this will relate to the developmental success of flies. Adenosine receptors are seen as the most important biochemical targets of caffeine. Simultaneously adenosine signaling orchestrates the development and growth of insects. We demonstrate that AdoR mRNA expression in D. melanogaster is persistent from early stages till imago. Strong alterations in AdoR expression were observed in larvae that had been treated with caffeine. However, after the imaginal molt, the differences in AdoR expression between the insects from all of the test groups evened out despite a wide range of developmental success in the groups. Taken together, these results suggest that caffeine affects the expression of its cellular targets even from the early stages of fruit fly development and thus there is a significantly lower larvae-to-adult survival rate. Moreover, we also proved that the expression of AdoR undergoes a peculiar reset during the maturation of D. melanogaster despite the conditions in which larvae developed.

scholarly journals Drosophila melanogaster: A Veritable Genetic Tool and in vivo Model for Human Alzheimer’s Disease

2019 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Oluwatosin Imoleayo, Oyeniran
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Fruit Fly ◽  
Human Diseases ◽  
Model Organisms ◽  
In Vivo Model ◽  
Brain Functions ◽  
Drosophila Models

The rise in the cases of neurodegenerative diseases, such as the familial forms of Alzheimer’s disease is worrisome and a burden to many societies in our ever-increasing world. Due to the complexity in the nature of the brain and spinal cord characterized by an extremely organized network of neuronal cells, there is a need to answer scientific inquiries in uncomplicated, though similar, systems. Drosophila melanogaster (fruit-fly) is a well-studied and easily managed genetic model organism used for discerning the molecular mechanisms of many human diseases. There are strong conservations of several basic biological, physiological and neurological features between D. melanogaster and mammals, as about 75% of all human disease-causing genes are considered to possess a functional homolog in the fruit-fly. The development of Drosophila models of several neurodegenerative disorders via developed transgenic technologies has presented spectacular similarities to human diseases. An advantage that the fruit-fly has over other model organisms, such as the mouse, is its comparatively brief lifespan, which allows complex inquiries about brain functions to be addressed more quickly. Furthermore, there have been steady increases in understanding the pathophysiological basis of many neurological disorders via genetic screenings with the aid of Drosophila models. This review presents a widespread summary of the fruit-fly models relevant to Alzheimer’s disease, and highlight important genetic modifiers that have been recognized using this model.

scholarly journals Temporal regulation of proteome profile in the fruit fly,Drosophila melanogaster

PeerJ ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. e2080 ◽  
Author(s):  
Perumal Subramanian ◽  
Jaime J. Jayapalan ◽  
Puteri S. Abdul-Rahman ◽  
Manjula Arumugam ◽  
Onn H. Hashim
Keyword(s):  
Protein Synthesis ◽  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Muscle Activity ◽  
Biological Clock ◽  
Fruit Fly ◽  
Diurnal Rhythms ◽  
Cellular Transport ◽  
Temporal Regulation ◽  
Ms Analysis ◽  
Wide Range

Background.Diurnal rhythms of protein synthesis controlled by the biological clock underlie the rhythmic physiology in the fruit fly,Drosophila melanogaster. In this study, we conducted a proteome-wide investigation of rhythmic protein accumulation inD. melanogaster.Materials and Methods.Total protein collected from fly samples harvested at 4 h intervals over the 24 h period were subjected to two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, trypsin digestion and MS/MS analysis. Protein spots/clusters were identified with MASCOT search engine and Swiss-Prot database. Expression of proteins was documented as percentage of volume contribution using the Image Master 2D Platinum software.Results.A total of 124 protein spots/clusters were identified using MS/MS analysis. Significant variation in the expression of 88 proteins over the 24-h period was observed. A relatively higher number of proteins was upregulated during the night compared to the daytime. The complexity of temporal regulation of theD. melanogasterproteome was further reflected from functional annotations of the differently expressed proteins, with those that were upregulated at night being restricted to the heat shock proteins and proteins involved in metabolism, muscle activity, protein synthesis/folding/degradation and apoptosis, whilst those that were overexpressed in the daytime were apparently involved in metabolism, muscle activity, ion-channel/cellular transport, protein synthesis/folding/degradation, redox homeostasis, development and transcription.Conclusion.Our data suggests that a wide range of proteins synthesized by the fruit fly,D. melanogaster, is under the regulation of the biological clock.

Selected Contribution: Long-lived Drosophila melanogaster lines exhibit normal metabolic rates

2003 ◽  
Vol 95 (6) ◽  
pp. 2605-2613 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wayne A. Van Voorhies ◽  
Aziz A. Khazaeli ◽  
James W. Curtsinger
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Metabolic Rate ◽  
A Priori ◽  
Model Organisms ◽  
Large Set ◽  
Metabolic Rates ◽  
Powerful Method ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Average Adult

The use of model organisms, such as Drosophila melanogaster, provides a powerful method for studying mechanisms of aging. Here we report on a large set of recombinant inbred (RI) D. melanogaster lines that exhibit approximately a fivefold range of average adult longevities. Understanding the factors responsible for the differences in longevity, particularly the characteristics of the longest-lived lines, can provide fundamental insights into the mechanistic correlates of aging. In ectothermic organisms, longevity is often inversely correlated with metabolic rate, suggesting the a priori hypothesis that long-lived lines will have low resting metabolic rates. We conducted ∼6,000 measurements of CO2 production in individual male flies aged 5, 16, 29, and 47 days postemergence and simultaneously measured the weight of individual flies and life spans in populations of each line. Even though there was a wide range of longevities, there was no evidence of an inverse relationship between the variables. The increased longevity of long-lived lines is not mediated through reduction of metabolic activity. In Drosophila, it is possible to both maintain a normal metabolic rate and achieve long life. These results are evaluated in the context of 100 years of research on the relationship between metabolic rate and life span.

scholarly journals Why flies? Inexpensive public engagement exercises to explain the value of basic biomedical research on Drosophila melanogaster

2011 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 384-392 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefan R. Pulver ◽  
Paola Cognigni ◽  
Barry Denholm ◽  
Caroline Fabre ◽  
Wendy X. W. Gu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Public Awareness ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Basic Research ◽  
Model Organisms ◽  
Public Outreach ◽  
The Public ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
And Behavior ◽  
Teaching Modules

Invertebrate model organisms are powerful systems for uncovering conserved principles of animal biology. Despite widespread use in scientific communities, invertebrate research is often severely undervalued by laypeople. Here, we present a set of simple, inexpensive public outreach exercises aimed at explaining to the public why basic research on one particular invertebrate, the insect Drosophila melanogaster , is valuable. First, we designed seven teaching modules that highlight cutting-edge research in Drosophila genetics, metabolism, physiology, and behavior. We then implemented these exercises in a public outreach event that included both children and adults. Quantitative evaluation of participant feedback suggests that these exercises 1) teach principles of animal biology, 2) help laypeople better understand why researchers study fruit flies, and 3) are effective over a wide range of age groups. Overall, this work provides a blueprint for how to use Drosophila as a vehicle for increasing public awareness and appreciation of basic research on genetically tractable insects in particular and invertebrates in general.

scholarly journals Rest is Required to Learn an Appetitively-Reinforced Operant Task in Drosophila

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Timothy D. Wiggin ◽  
Yung-Yi Hsiao ◽  
Jeffrey B. Liu ◽  
Robert Huber ◽  
Leslie C. Griffith
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Operant Conditioning ◽  
Food Reward ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Genetic Model ◽  
Fruit Fly ◽  
Model Organisms ◽  
Neural Basis ◽  
Operant Task ◽  
Insight Into

ABSTRACTMaladaptive operant conditioning contributes to development of neuropsychiatric disorders. Candidate genes have been identified that contribute to this maladaptive plasticity, but the neural basis of operant conditioning in genetic model organisms remains poorly understood. The fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster is a versatile genetic model organism that readily forms operant associations with punishment stimuli. However, operant conditioning with a food reward has not been demonstrated in flies, limiting the types of neural circuits that can be studied. Here we present the first sucrose-reinforced operant conditioning paradigm for flies. Flies of both sexes walk along a Y-shaped track with reward locations at the terminus of each hallway. When flies turn in the reinforced direction at the center of the track, sucrose is presented at the end of the hallway. Only flies that rest during training show evidence of learning the reward contingency. Flies rewarded independently of their behavior do not form a learned association but have the same amount of rest as trained flies, showing that rest is not driven by learning. Optogenetically-induced rest does not promote learning, indicating that rest is not sufficient for learning the operant task. We validated the sensitivity of this assay to detect the effect of genetic manipulations by testing the classic learning mutant dunce. Dunce flies are learning impaired in the Y-Track task, indicating a likely role for cAMP in the operant coincidence detector. This novel training paradigm will provide valuable insight into the molecular mechanisms of disease and the link between sleep and learning.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTOperant conditioning and mental health are deeply intertwined: maladaptive conditioning contributes to many pathologies, while therapeutic operant conditioning is a frequently used tool in talk therapy. Unlike drug interventions which target molecules or mechanisms, it is not known how operant conditioning changes the brain to promote wellness or distress. To gain mechanistic insight into how this form of learning works, we developed a novel operant training task for the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. We made three key discoveries. First, flies are able to learn an operant task to find food reward. Second, rest during training is necessary for learning. Third, the dunce gene is necessary for both classical and operant conditioning in flies, indicating that they may share molecular mechanisms.

scholarly journals Neuroendocrine Regulation of Reproductive Dormancy in the Fruit Fly Drosophila melanogaster: A Review of Juvenile Hormone-Dependent Regulation

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yoshitomo Kurogi ◽  
Yosuke Mizuno ◽  
Eisuke Imura ◽  
Ryusuke Niwa
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Juvenile Hormone ◽  
Environmental Conditions ◽  
Fruit Fly ◽  
Reproductive Organs ◽  
Corpus Allatum ◽  
Corpora Allata ◽  
Day Length ◽  
Control Mechanisms ◽  
Wide Range

Animals can adjust their physiology, helping them survive and reproduce under a wide range of environmental conditions. One of the strategies to endure unfavorable environmental conditions such as low temperature and limited food supplies is dormancy. In some insect species, this may manifest as reproductive dormancy, which causes their reproductive organs to be severely depleted under conditions unsuitable for reproduction. Reproductive dormancy in insects is induced by a reduction in juvenile hormones synthesized in the corpus allatum (pl. corpora allata; CA) in response to winter-specific environmental cues, such as low temperatures and short-day length. In recent years, significant progress has been made in the study of dormancy-inducing conditions dependent on CA control mechanisms in Drosophila melanogaster. This review summarizes dormancy control mechanisms in D. melanogaster and discusses the implications for future studies of insect dormancy, particularly focusing on juvenile hormone-dependent regulation.

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