Cellular Responses in Drosophila melanogaster Following Teratogen Exposure

Abstract

Studies focusing on the teratogenicity of a series of new chemicals that are produced in a daily basis represent an important focus in toxicological/pharmaceutical research, particularly due to the risks arising from occupational exposure of the subjects. However, the complex mating procedures, scheduling of treatments, requirements for trained personnel, and elevated costs of traditional teratological assays with mammals hamper this type of assessments. Accordingly, the use of Drosophila melanogaster as a model for teratological studies has received considerable attention. Here some general protocols about Drosophila exposure-at different stages of their life cycle-to any chemical with putative teratological activity are presented. Importantly, some details about D. melanogaster embryonic, larval, pupal, or adult endpoints, that can be used to assess teratogenicity using flies as a model organism, are presented.

Drosophila melanogaster as an indispensable model to decipher the mode of action of neurotoxic compounds

“…The developmental cycle of D. melanogaster is used widely to check the toxic effect of a neurotoxicant or teratogen (Bianchini et al, 2018;Li and Bi, 2018). Many developmental time points like the hatching of eggs to larva, a transition of larvae to pupae, pupation time, hatching of pupae to eclosion of adult flies, and their survivability or life span are already known (Fig.…”

“…Developmental time points are noted after the exposure of neurotoxicants and compared with the control flies. Alteration in the time point of any of these stages is considered a defect caused due to neurotoxicants (Bianchini et al, 2018). Besides time, the number of animals affected at the developmental stages due to the effect of a neurotoxicant is also calculated (Figs.…”

“…3C). The dead embryos can be imaged under light and scanning electron microscope to identify the phenotypic defect (Bianchini et al, 2018;Rand et al, 2014). Similarly, if the death occurs during the larval stage, then the dead larvae (Fig.…”

“…Those embryos later have a defective nervous system. (Bianchini et al, 2018;Rand et al, 2010). A functional nervous system makes the fly respond toward light (Hardie, 2012), odors (Montell, 2009), sound, tastants (Montell, 2009;Weiss et al, 2011), humidity (Liu et al, 2007), temperature (McKemy, 2007), and gravity (Inagaki et al, 2010;Kamikouchi et al, 2009).…”

“…The height climbed by the untreated and treated larvae is calculated. Larvae with defective motor neurons are unable to climb high either due to defects in the morphology or in the signaling molecule (Bianchini et al, 2018;Lozinsky et al, 2012;Lozinsky et al, 2013). Thus a defect in the sensory organ can be screened.…”