Cyclic Nucleotide Metabolism and Physiology of the Fruit Fly Drosophila melanogaster
19
Citation
75
Reference
10
Related Paper
Citation Trend
Keywords:
Model Organism
Melanogaster
genetic model
Model system
Research into aging has been galvanized by the discovery of mutations in single genes that extend life span and evolutionary conservation of their effects. An environmental intervention—dietary restriction—also extends life span in evolutionarily diverse animals. These discoveries have opened the way to using laboratory model organisms to understand human aging. Invertebrate species, budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae , the nematode worm Caenorhabditis elegans , and the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster , have a vital role in this process of discovery. Their ease of culture and handling in the laboratory and short life spans (~3 days in yeast, ~3 weeks in the worm, and ~3 months in Drosophila ) mean that much more rapid progress can be made than in the mouse, whose life spans are about 3 years. Completion of the genome sequences for the invertebrates and their closely related species, together with the development of many genetic and other resources, also make them powerful experimental systems. Each of these organisms has strengths and weaknesses for research into aging. We highlight here some of the particular strengths of Drosophila and uses to which they have been put and could be put in the future. The jaw-dropping genetics applied to a complex tissue structure approaching that of vertebrates leaves Drosophila flying at the front edge of aging research. The time has long passed when a full review of the biology of aging in the fruit fly D. melanogaster could be usefully accommodated in a single chapter. Drosophila has been an established model organism for...
Model Organism
Budding yeast
Caenorhabditis
Model system
Cite
Citations (14)
Drosophila melanogaster has been intensely studied for almost 100 years. The sophisticated array of genetic and molecular tools that have evolved for analysis of gene function in this organism are unique. Further, Drosophila is a complex multi-cellular organism in which many aspects of development and behavior parallel those in human beings. These combined advantages have permitted research in Drosophila to make seminal contributions to the understanding of fundamental biological processes and ensure that Drosophila will continue to provide unique insights in the genomic era. An overview of the genetic methodologies available in Drosophila is given here, together with examples of outstanding recent contributions of Drosophila to our understanding of cell and organismal biology. The growing contribution of Drosophila to our knowledge of gravity-related responses is addressed.
Model Organism
Genetic screen
Cite
Citations (48)
The fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster (Meigen, 1830) has been established as a cornerstone for research into a wide array of subjects including diseases, development, physiology, and genetics. Thanks to an abundance of genetic tools, publicly available fly stocks, and databases, as well as their considerable biological similarity to mammalian systems, Drosophila has been solidified as a key model organism for elucidating many aspects of human disease. Herein is presented an overview of what makes Drosophila such an appealing model organism. In Part I of this chapter, basic Drosophila biology is reviewed and the most relevant genetic tools available to Drosophila researchers are covered. Then in part II, we outline the use of Drosophila as a model organism to study a wide array of pathologies in which Drosophila has been used, along with key advances made in the specific field using the fly as a model organism.
Model Organism
Cornerstone
On the fly
Cite
Citations (8)
Model Organism
Intermediate Filament Protein
Model system
Cite
Citations (8)
The fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, is a powerful model genetic organism that has been used since the turn of the previous century in the study of complex biological problems. In the last decade, numerous researchers have focused their attention on understanding neurodegenerative diseases by utilizing this model system. Numerous Drosophila mutants have been isolated that profoundly affect neural viability and integrity of the nervous system with age. Additionally, many transgenic strains have been developed as models of human disease conditions. We review the existing Drosophila neurodegenerative mutants and transgenic disease models, and discuss the role of the fruit fly in therapeutic development for neurodegenerative diseases.
Model Organism
Model system
genetic model
Cite
Citations (58)
The fruit fly Drosophila has been an extensively important system for investigating various aspects in life science including medicinal sciences. This fly Drosophila is richly contributed to our understanding the aging pattern, neurodegenerative diseases and its use as a model organism in future, especially in the field of medicine. The utility of the Drosophila resides in two resources: its small genome which resembles more or less human genome for various diseases, and its powerful genetic tools as a model system. Here we provide a review of the genetics of diseases and medicinal system, where Drosophila can be used in the research field.
Model Organism
Model system
Cite
Citations (6)
Drosophila melanogaster has been widely used in the biological sciences as a model organism. Drosophila has a relatively short life span of 60-80 days, which makes it attractive for life span studies. Moreover, approximately 60% of the fruit fly genes are orthologs to mammals. Thus, metabolic and signal transduction pathways are highly conserved. Maintenance and reproduction of Drosophila do not require sophisticated equipment and are rather cheap. Furthermore, there are fewer ethical issues involved in experimental Drosophila research compared with studies in laboratory rodents, such as rats and mice. Drosophila is increasingly recognized as a model organism in food and nutrition research. Drosophila is often fed complex solid diets based on yeast, corn, and agar. There are also so-called holidic diets available that are defined in terms of their amino acid, fatty acid, carbohydrate, vitamin, mineral, and trace element compositions. Feed intake, body composition, locomotor activity, intestinal barrier function, microbiota, cognition, fertility, aging, and life span can be systematically determined in Drosophila in response to dietary factors. Furthermore, diet-induced pathophysiological mechanisms including inflammation and stress responses may be evaluated in the fly under defined experimental conditions. Here, we critically evaluate Drosophila melanogaster as a versatile model organism in experimental food and nutrition research, review the corresponding data in the literature, and make suggestions for future directions of research.
Model Organism
Cite
Citations (86)
Melanogaster
Sibling species
Cite
Citations (16)
In Darwin’s and Mendel’s times, researchers investigated a wealth of organisms, chosen to solve particular problems for which they seemed especially well suited. Later, a focus on a few organisms, which are accessible to systematic genetic investigations, resulted in larger repertoires of methods and applications in these few species. Genetic animal model organisms with large research communities are the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans , the fly Drosophila melanogaster , the zebrafish Danio rerio, and the mouse Mus musculus. Due to their specific strengths, these model organisms have their strongest impacts in rather different areas of biology. C. elegans is unbeatable in the analysis of cell-to-cell contacts by saturation mutagenesis, as worms can be grown very fast in very high numbers. In Drosophila , a rich pattern is generated in the embryo as well as in adults that is used to unravel the underlying mechanisms of morphogenesis. The transparent larvae of zebrafish are uniquely suited to study organ development in a vertebrate, and the superb versatility of reverse genetics in the mouse made it the model organism to study human physiology and diseases. The combination of these models allows the in-depth genetic analysis of many fundamental biological processes using a plethora of different methods, finally providing many specific approaches to combat human diseases. The plant model Arabidopsis thaliana provides an understanding of many aspects of plant biology that might ultimately be useful for breeding crops.
Model Organism
Danio
Forward genetics
Genetic screen
genetic model
Developmental Biology
Reverse Genetics
Model system
Cite
Citations (36)