Drosophila melanogaster



General information about Drosophila

melanogaster



Physical appearance



Drosophila melanogaster as a model

organism in genetics

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Genetic markers and its examples

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Genome

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Similarity to humans

General information



Drosophila melanogaster is a species of

Diptera, or the order of flies, in the family
Drosophilidae



Drosophila melanogaster = fruit fly =

vinegar fly

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This species is a model organism that is

widely used for biological research in
studies of genetics, physiology, microbial
pathogenesis and life history evolution



It is typically used because it is an animal

species that is easy to care for, breeds
quickly, and lays many eggs

General information



Drosophila melanogaster was among the

first organisms used for genetic analysis,
and today it is one of the most widely used
and genetically best-known of all
eukaryotic organisms



All organisms use common genetic

systems. Comprehending processes such
as transcription and replication in fruit flies
helps in understanding these processes in
other eukaryotes, including humans

Physical appearance

Model organism in

genetics

Drosophila melanogaster is one of the most
studied organisms in biological research,
particularly in genetics and developmental
biology. There are several reasons:



Its care and culture requires little

equipment and uses little space even when
using large cultures, and the overall cost is
low

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It is small and easy to grow in the

laboratory

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It has a short generation time

Model organism in

genetics

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It has a high fecundity

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Males and females are readily distinguished

and virgin females are easily isolated,
facilitating genetic crossing

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It has only four pairs of chromosomes

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Males do not show meiotic recombination,

facilitating genetic studies



Its complete genome was sequenced and

first published in 2000

Genetic markers



Genetic markers are commonly used in Drosophila
research and most phenotypes are easily identifiable
either with the naked eye or under a microscope



Drosophila genes are traditionally named after the
phenotype they cause when mutated

Examples of common

markers



w1: white

Eyes lack
pigmentation and
appear white

Examples of common

markers



y1: yellow

Body pigmentation
and wings appear
yellow. This is the fly
analog of albinism

Examples of common

markers



e1: ebony

Black body and
wings

Examples of common

markers



Cy1: Curly

The wings curve away from the body, flight
may be somewhat impaired

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Sb1: stubble

Bristles are shorter and thicker than wild
type

Genome



The genome of Drosophila melanogaster

contains four pairs of chromosomes: an X/Y
pair, and three autosomes labeled 2, 3, and
4



Its sequenced genome of 139.5 million

base pairs has been annotated and
contains approximately 15,016 genes



More than 60% of the genome appears to

be functional non-protein-coding
DNA involved in gene expression control

Genome



Determination of sex in Drosophila occurs

by the ratio of X chromosomes to
autosomes, not because of the presence of
a Y chromosome as in human sex
determination. Although the Y chromosome
is entirely heterochromatic, it
contains at least 16 genes, many of which
are thought to have male-related functions

Similarity to humans



About 75% of known human disease genes

have a recognizable match in the genome
of fruit flies and 50% of fly protein
sequences have mammalian homologs



Drosophila is being used as a genetic

model for several human diseases including
the neurodegenerative disorders
Parkinson's, Huntington's, spinocerebellar
ataxia and Alzheimer's disease



The fly is also being used to study

mechanisms underlying aging and
oxidative stress, immunity, diabetes, and
cancer, as well as drug abuse

The end