Drosophila melanogaster

Arm-Gal4 inheritance influences development and lifespan in Drosophila melanogaster

F. A. Slade and Staveley, B. E., “Arm-Gal4 inheritance influences development and lifespan in Drosophila melanogaster”, vol. 14, pp. 12788-12796, 2015.

The UAS-Gal4 ectopic expression system is a widely used and highly valued tool that allows specific gene expression in Drosophila melanogaster. Yeast transcription factor Gal4 can be directed using D. melanogaster transcriptional control elements, and is often assumed to have little effect on the organism.

Evaluation of the genotoxic activity of ethanol extract and secondary metabolites isolated from Aiouea trinervis Meisn. (Lauraceae)

Z. R. Guterres, Garcez, F. R., Garcez, W. S., Silva, L. M. G. E., Silva, A. F. G., Duarte, C. U. N. B. D., and Batista-Silva, V. F., “Evaluation of the genotoxic activity of ethanol extract and secondary metabolites isolated from Aiouea trinervis Meisn. (Lauraceae)”, vol. 13, pp. 972-979, 2014.

Aiouea trinervis Meisn. is a shrub that grows in the “Cerrado” (a savanna ecosystem) of Brazil. In this study, fractionation of ethanol extracts (EEs) from the leaves of A. trinervis led to the isolation of butanolides, namely isoobtusilactone A and obtusilactone A, as well as lignans, namely sesamin, methylpiperitol, and polyprenol-12. Their structures were determined by spectroscopic analyses.

Downregulation of hsp22 gene expression in Drosophila melanogaster from sites located near chemical plants

L. M. Magdalena, Coipan, E. C., Vladimirescu, A. F., Savu, L., Costache, M., and Gavrila, L., “Downregulation of hsp22 gene expression in Drosophila melanogaster from sites located near chemical plants”, vol. 11, pp. 739-745, 2012.

A common physiological response of organisms to environmental conditions is variation in gene expression, especially true for genes encoding for heat shock proteins. In insects, this process has been examined for induced heat or cold stress. The putative long-term imprinted/acquired heat shock protein response due to unfriendly environmental conditions has been far less studied. The Drosophila melanogaster hsp22 gene, which has been extensively reviewed as being sensitive to different changing life conditions, was examined by qRT-PCR, using carboxy-X-rhodamine.

Modulatory effect of Byrsonima verbascifolia (Malpighiaceae) against damage induced by doxorubicin in somatic cells of Drosophila melanogaster

D. M. Mendanha, Ferreira, H. D., Felício, L. P., Silva, E. M., Pereira, D. G., Nunes, W. B., and Carvalho, S., “Modulatory effect of Byrsonima verbascifolia (Malpighiaceae) against damage induced by doxorubicin in somatic cells of Drosophila melanogaster”, vol. 9, pp. 69-77, 2010.

Byrsonima verbascifolia, popularly known in Brazil as murici, is a medicinal plant widely used in the treatment of bacterial and viral infections, Chagas´s disease, diarrhea, bronchitis, cough and fever, as well as for protection of the intestinal mucosa. Since chemotherapy and radiotherapy, broadly employed in the treatment of cancer, can have undesirable side effects, such as inducing DNA damage in normal cells, it would be useful to investigate compounds that inhibit or reduce these effects.

An interspecific QTL study of Drosophila wing size and shape variation to investigate the genetic basis of morphological differences

B. P. Matta and Bitner-Mathé, B. C., “An interspecific QTL study of Drosophila wing size and shape variation to investigate the genetic basis of morphological differences”, vol. 9, pp. 2032-2049, 2010.

The Drosophila wing has been used as a model in studies of morphogenesis and evolution; the use of such models can contribute to our understanding of mechanisms that promote morphological divergence among populations and species. We mapped quantitative trait loci (QTL) affecting wing size and shape traits using highly inbred introgression lines between D. simulans and D. sechellia, two sibling species of the melanogaster subgroup. Eighteen QTL peaks that are associated with 12 wing traits were identified, including two principal components.

Mutagenic potential and modulatory effects of the medicinal plant Luehea divaricata (Malvaceae) in somatic cells of Drosophila melanogaster: SMART/wing

L. P. Felício, Silva, E. M., Ribeiro, V., Miranda, C. T., Vieira, I. L. B. F., Passos, D. C. S., Ferreira, A. K. S., Vale, C. R., Lima, D. C. S., Carvalho, S., and Nunes, W. B., “Mutagenic potential and modulatory effects of the medicinal plant Luehea divaricata (Malvaceae) in somatic cells of Drosophila melanogaster: SMART/wing”, vol. 10, pp. 16-24, 2011.

Luehea divaricata is a native plant of the Brazilian Cerrado, known as “açoita-cavalo”. It is used as a popular herbal medicine in the treatment of dysentery, bleeding, arthritis, tumors, ulcers, and gangrenous wounds. Considering that herbal medicines sometimes provoke tumors and/or may prevent mutational events, it is important to study the action of these natural drugs on DNA. Aqueous extract of the bark of L.

Expression of GFP can influence aging and climbing ability in Drosophila

R. M. S. Mawhinney and Staveley, B. E., “Expression of GFP can influence aging and climbing ability in Drosophila”, vol. 10, pp. 494-505, 2011.

Green fluorescent protein (GFP) is widely used as a reporter transgene in a variety of organisms. Some of the advantages of using GFP include non-invasive visualization of biological events and/or tissues in live specimens and its benign nature. When GFP is expressed throughout the organism, in neurons and eyes, lifespan and climbing ability of flies are significantly decreased compared to similar crosses with a lacZ reporter. Also, GFP expression can have subtle effects on eye morphology, with neural and ubiquitous expression.

Lapachol as an epithelial tumor inhibitor agent in Drosophila melanogaster heterozygote for tumor suppressor gene wts

W. F. Costa, Oliveira, A. B., and Nepomuceno, J. C., “Lapachol as an epithelial tumor inhibitor agent in Drosophila melanogaster heterozygote for tumor suppressor gene wts”, vol. 10, pp. 3236-3245, 2011.

The search for new and effective antitumor agents with fewer cytotoxic side effects on normal tissue has increasingly become important. Lapachol, a natural organic compound isolated from the lapacho tree (Tabebuia avellandedae), is chemically identified as belonging to the naphthoquinone group and is known for its anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antibiotic properties, although there are questions about its effectiveness for treating neoplasic cells. We evaluated the antitumoral effects of lapachol by testing for clones of epithelial tumors in Drosophila melanogaster.

Recombinogenic effects of the aqueous extract of pulp from pequi fruit (Caryocar brasiliense) on somatic cells of Drosophila melanogaster

A. J. S. Castro, Grisolia, C. K., de Araújo, B. C., Dias, C. D., Dutra, E. S., and Nepomuceno, J. C., “Recombinogenic effects of the aqueous extract of pulp from pequi fruit (Caryocar brasiliense) on somatic cells of Drosophila melanogaster”, vol. 7, pp. 1375-1383, 2008.

Caryocar brasiliense Camb. is a tree popularly known in Central Brazil as pequi. Its fruit contains carotenes, retinols, vitamin C, and polyphenols. These compounds possess antioxidant properties preventing excessive free radical formation and modulating the genotoxicity of physical and chemical agents in the body. However, at high concentrations these compounds can have recombinogenic and mutagenic effects, because they can act as pro-oxidants.

Effect of intracellular Wolbachia on interspecific crosses between Drosophila melanogaster and Drosophila simulans

I. N. Gazla and Carracedo, M. C., “Effect of intracellular Wolbachia on interspecific crosses between Drosophila melanogaster and Drosophila simulans”, vol. 8, pp. 861-869, 2009.

Wolbachia are bacteria that live inside the cells of a large number of invertebrate hosts and are transmitted from infected females to their offspring. Their presence is associated with cytoplasmic incompatibility in several species of Drosophila. Cytoplasmic incompatibility results when the sperm of infected males fertilize eggs of uninfected females, causing more or less intense embryonic mortality (unidirectional incompatibility).

Pages

Subscribe to Drosophila melanogaster