Model Organism: The Fruit Fly

Groups extracted either the 18S or the Actin gene of Drosophila melanogaster. The 18S gene is located on the flies X chromosome and has a length of 488 base pairs. The Actin gene is located on chromosome 3 of the fly and it has a length of 4,760 base pairs (Adams, 2000), but we are

The goal of this study was to induce a deletion in the DMAP1 gene on chromosome two in Drosophila melanogaster through P-element mobilization. The DMAP1 gene may be an essential gene, however not much is known about it. We attempted to uncover the function of DMAP1 by creating a series of genetic crosses and selecting for brown-eyed non-stubble male flies that may have the deletion. To test whether these flies had the deletion, we produced PCR products and ran them on an agarose gel, which resulted as inconclusive. We created a balanced stock of flies homozygous for the deletion to see if the

Drosophila Melanogaster, commonly known as fruit flies, are highly important model organisms in pertaining to biological research. The logic behind their recurrent use is due to their: easy culture in the laboratory, brief generation time, and ability to produce large numbers of offspring. In this report, we created isolated virgin D. Melanogaster from the original three populations we were given and then created crosses between them. Upon observation, we noticed an unusual mutant that arose from two of the three created crosses. We suspected that this genetic mutation had previously been discovered and named.

Brennan K, Tateson R, Lewis K, Arias AM. A Functional Analysis of Notch Mutations in Drosophila. Genetics. 1997;147(1):177-188.

The Drosophila melanogaster is an ideal organism most often used to study genes and mutations. The genome of the D. melanogaster, is similar to that of humans, making it the very beneficial to study. Through the studies done on the fruit fly, we are able to get a better understanding as to the processes of modern issues such as Alzheimer’s and cancer, in order to study and develop cures. Not only is the D. melanogaster an ideal organism based on its genetic similarities to human genetics,

For more than a century Drosophila Melanogaster has been one of the most intensely studied organisms in biology. Thanks to being sexually dimorphic, having short generation periods, a high fecundity, and only four pairs of chromosomes, Drosophila Melanogaster are exceptional model organisms (Roach et al, 2008). Drosophila Melanogaster broke into the forefront of biological research in the early 20th century, when Dr. Thomas Morgan, using Drosophila, founded contemporary genetics with major discoveries concerning sex-linked inheritance and phylogenetic impact of gene mutation (Metcalfe et al, 2013). Today Drosophila Melanogaster is a staple in classrooms and laboratories alike; serving as not only as an observable means of studying classic Mendelian genetics, but also a model organism for cutting edge medical and scientific research.

S., Boyd, J. B., Carpenter, A. T. C., Green, M. M., Nguyen, T. D., Ripoll, P., Smith, P. D. 1976. Genetic controls of meiotic recombination and somatic metabolism in Drosophila melanogaster. Proceeding National Academy of Science 73(11): 4140-4144.

As a part of my Genetics minor, we were required to know how to sequence genomes, identify genetic linkages and have an extensive knowledge about the Drosophila fly. Usually a set experiment with all the steps to follow is given. For one report, no instructions were given and the only information presented was a list of genes in the Drosophila fly and the name of the gene allocated to us. From this we were required to map the position of our gene as well as the two genes located next to it. Without any prior experience, I designed my own experiment to show genetic linkage of three different genes in the fly.

In 1910, a single white-eyed mutant was found in a Drosophila melanogaster population, which usually has dark red eyes. The mutant was male. It was crossed with wild-type females and over generations led scientists to conclude that this mutation was somehow physically connected to the “factor” that determined sex. Crossing white-eyed males and red-eyed females from the second generation produced equal number of offspring with each eye color. Males have white eyes when they inherit the gene on the X chromosome from their mother. Females only show the trait if they inherit mutant genes on both X chromosomes. This can be demonstrated by using a Punnett Square to show allele frequencies with dominant and recessive

A variation among individuals must be present that is inherited and allows some of these individuals to be more successful at survival than others. The theory of its action was first fully expounded by Charles Darwin and if one trait has consistently experienced greater success, then that trait will become more prevalent over time in that population. Jacobs (1961) found that the frequency of ebony (e/e) flies dropped rapidly in the light compared to dark environments. Tan (+/+) males showed a direct advantage in light as compared with dark, thereby allowing relatively greater numbers of the heterozygote (+/e) males and homozygote ebony males to mate in dark conditions. The stabilization of the ebony gene is due to the ebony allele in the heterozygous fly, which increases sexual activity of males. The ebony (e/e) homozygotes have decreased sexual activity as compared with the wild type (+/e). While genetic drift typically behaves differently in each population, the results of natural selection are consistent from population to population.

Drosophila melanogaster commonly known as a fruit fly is an oviparous animal with a short generation time of approximately two weeks, during this time the insect hatches into a larva and goes through the developmental larval instar stages, and finally evolves into an adult fly. This species has become an important resource for biologists to better understand different organisms, such as other insects, and even humans. By understanding a simple living organism such as a fruit fly, researchers have been able to comprehend more complex organisms and their behaviors, brain processes, development and other important details. Some examples of the previous research done on this species have provided information about the sense organs in animals

The common fruit fly, also known as Drosophila melanogaster has been the tiny subject that has helped greatly in the research of DNA and other affairs. “Drosophila breed rapidly, are easy to raise, and produce many offspring in every generation” (Flinn Drosophila Guide, 2000). Because of these factors, Drosophila is a very common test subject. Drosophila has been used for the study of genetics and development since the early years of the 20th century.

The studies in Drosophila melanogaster have helped scientists to have better understand about genetic and scientifically discover the variety of human diseases from mutations. After observing under 50X magnification, the differences between the female and male unknown mutants 651 are that the shape of male’s pseudopupils are larger than female’s and the volume of bristles and hairs on male’s notum are greater than female. In addition, the larva of wild type is a little larger in length and width than the larva of unknown mutant while the color of mutant’s larva is a bit whiter than wild type’s. Most of the distinguish differences of phenotype between wild type and unknown mutant are found on the thoracic notum, which includes the arrangement,

British population geneticist, Professor John Brookfield, lectures about Evolutionary genetics at the University of Nottingham. Professor John Brookfield is well known with his interest in the process of genome evolution, the evolution of DNA sequences that control development in the Drosophila, better known as fruit flies, and the evolution of transposable elements. Genome evolution is characterized upon the accumulation of changes it goes through. Various fields analysis genomes and all their changes like sequences and/or size over time. Genome evolution involves different mechanisms, such as genes, genome duplication, polyploidy, mutation rates, transposable elements, pseudogenes, exon shuffling, genomic reduction, and gene loss. The evolution

The Drosophila melanogaster organism has been favored throughout decades as a model organism for its ability to be cultured in mass, has a short generation time, and, with a myriad of mutations to be mapped to the organism, organisms with certain mutations can be ready at hand to further study. The inception of the D. melanogaster research started in Columbia University at the hand of Thomas Hunt Morgan. Morgan’s different views in genetics led to questioning Mendel’s past research and finding faults in his inheritance patterns and ratios. Mutations in fruit flies were discovered in a small fraction of flies in 1907 by Frank Lutz who found some flies had extra venation and successfully bred them to all have extra venation over eight generations.