We present a protocol using a forward genetic approach to screen for mutants exhibiting neurodegeneration in Drosophila melanogaster. It incorporates a climbing assay, histology analysis, gene mapping and DNA sequencing to ultimately identify novel genes related to the process of neuroprotection.
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Method Article
In Vivo Forward Genetic Screen to Identify Novel Neuroprotective Genes in Drosophila melanogaster
In This Article
Summary
Abstract
There is much to understand about the onset and progression of neurodegenerative diseases, including the underlying genes responsible. Forward genetic screening using chemical mutagens is a useful strategy for mapping mutant phenotypes to genes among Drosophila and other model organisms that share conserved cellular pathways with humans. If the mutated gene of interest is not lethal in early developmental stages of flies, a climbing assay can be conducted to screen for phenotypic indicators of decreased brain functioning, such as low climbing rates. Subsequently, secondary histological analysis of brain tissue can be performed in order to verify the neuroprotective function of the gene by scoring neurodegeneration phenotypes. Gene mapping strategies include meiotic and deficiency mapping that rely on these same assays can be followed by DNA sequencing to identify possible nucleotide changes in the gene of interest.
Introduction
Neurons are for the most part post-mitotic and incapable of dividing1,2. In most animals, neuroprotective mechanisms exist to maintain these cells throughout the organism's lifespan, especially at old age when neurons are most vulnerable to damage. Genes underlying these mechanisms can be identified in mutants exhibiting neurodegeneration, a phenotypic indicator for the loss of neuroprotection, using a forward genetic protocol. Forward genetic screens using chemical mutagens such as ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS) or N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea (ENU) are particularly useful due to the random point mutations they in....
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Protocol
1. Preparation and Aging of Flies
- Obtain or generate6 a collection of Drosophila mutants that will be used for the genetic screen. Here, ENU-mutagenized lines mapped to the second chromosome and balanced over CyO are used.
- Amplify experimental genotype lines in an incubator set at 25 °C, 12 h light/dark cycle on cornmeal-molasses medium.
- Collect around 20 homozygous progeny between 0-2 days of adult eclosion from each experimental genotype. Eliminate sex bias by consistently collecting either male or female flies.
- Age the flies on cornmeal-molasses medium as desired at 29 °C,....
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Results
In this aerticle, we present the steps used to identify the gene brain tumor (brat) as playing a role in maintenance of neuronal integrity (e.g., neuroprotection) in adult flies17; a methodology that can be used to identify genes involved in neuroprotection. We used a forward genetic approach (the strategy is outlined in Figure 1A) to screen through a collection of chemically mutagenized flies using a climbing assay (.......
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Discussion
Forward genetic screens in Drosophila have been an effective approach to identify genes involved in different biological processes, including age-dependent neuroprotection5,23,24,25. Using this strategy, we were successful in identifying brat as a novel neuroprotective gene17.
One critical step in this protocol involves the p.......
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Disclosures
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
Acknowledgements
We are particularly grateful to Dr. Barry Ganetzky, in who's lab the genetic screen was performed, allowing the identification and characterization of brat as a neuroprotective gene. We thank Dr. Steven Robinow for kindly providing the collection of ENU-mutagenized flies used in the genetic screen presented in this article. We thank the members of Ganetzky lab, Drs. Grace Boekhoff-Falk and David Wassarman for helpful discussions throughout the duration of this project, Ling Ling Ho and Bob Kreber for technical assistance, Dr. Aki Ikeda for the use of his microtome facility at the University of Wisconsin and Dr. Kim Lackey and the Optical Analysis Facility....
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Materials
| Name | Company | Catalog Number | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Major equipment | |||
| Fume hood for histology | |||
| Light Microscope | Nikon | Eclipe E100 | Preferred objective for imaging is 20x |
| Imaging software | Nikon | ||
| Microscope Camera | Nikon | ||
| Thermal cycler | Eppendorf | ||
| Fly pushing and climbing assay | |||
| VWR® Drosophila Vial, Narrow | VWR | 75813-160 | |
| VWR® General-Purpose Laboratory Labeling Tape | VWR | 89097-912 | |
| Standard mouse pad | |||
| Stereoscope | Motic | Model SMZ-168 | |
| CO2 anesthesia station (Blowgun, foot valve, Ultimate Flypad) | Genesee Scientific | 54-104, 59-121, 59-172 | Doesn’t iinclude CO2 tank |
| Fine-Tip Brushes | SOLO HORTON BRUSHES, INC. | ||
| Drosophila Incubator | VWR | 89510-750 | |
| Gene mapping | |||
| CantonS | Bloomington Drosophila Stock Center | 9517 | |
| w1118 | Bloomington Drosophila Stock Center | 5905 | |
| yw | Bloomington Drosophila Stock Center | 6599 | |
| Drosophila line used for recombination mapping | Bloomington Drosophila Stock Center | 3227 | Genotype: wg[Sp-1] J[1] L[2] Pin[1]/CyO, P{ry[+t7.2]=ftz/lacB}E3 |
| CyO/sno[Sco] | Bloomington Drosophila Stock Center | 2555 | Drosophila balancer line used for recombination mapping |
| Deficiency Kit for chromosome 2L | Bloomington Drosophila Stock Center | DK2L | Cook et al., 2012 |
| Histology analysis | |||
| Ethanol, (100%) | Thermo Fischer Scientific | A4094 | |
| Chloroform | Thermo Fischer Scientific | C298-500 | |
| Glacial Acetic Acid | Thermo Fischer Scientific | A38-500 | |
| Fisherbrand™ Premium Microcentrifuge Tubes: 1.5 mL | Thermo Fischer Scientific | 05-408-129 | |
| Histochoice clearing agent 1x | VWR Life Sciences | 97060-934 | |
| Harris Hematoxylin | VWR | 95057-858 | |
| Eosin | VWR | 95057-848 | |
| Thermo Scientific™ Richard-Allan Scientific™ Mounting Medium | Thermo Scientific™ 4112 | 22-110-610 | CyO/sna[Sco] |
| Unifrost Poly-L-Lysine microscope slides, 75 mm x 25 mm x 1 mm, EverMark Select Plus | Azer Scientific | ||
| Fisherbrand™ Cover Glasses: Rectangles | Fisherbrand | 12-545M | Dimensions: 24 mm x 60 mm |
| Traceable timer | VWR | ||
| Slide Warmer | Barnstead International | model no. 26025 | |
| Slide tray and racks | DWK Life Sciences | Rack to hold 20 slides | |
| Fisherbrand™ General-Purpose Extra-Long Forceps | Fisherbrand | 10-316A | |
| Kimwipes™ | Kimberly-Clark™ Professional | ||
| 6 inch Puritan applicators | Hardwood Products Company, Guilford, Maine | 807-12 | |
| VWR® Razor Blades | VWR | 55411-050 | |
| Tupperware or glass containers for histology liquids | 16 + 1 for running water | ||
| High Profile Coated Microtome Blades | VWR | 95057-834 | |
| Corning™ Round Ice Bucket with Lid, 4 L | Corning™ | ||
| Beaker | Or other container for ice water and cassettes | ||
| Tissue Bath | Precision Scientific Company | 66630 | |
| Microtome | Leica Biosystems | ||
| Molecular analysis | |||
| Wizard® SV Gel and PCR Clean-Up System | Promega | A9282 | |
| Ex Taq DNA polymerase | TaKaRa | 5 U/μl | |
| Invitrogen™ SYBR™ Safe™ DNA Gel Stain | Invitrogen™ | ||
| UltraPure™ Agarose | Invitrogen™ | ||
| 1 Kb Plus DNA Ladder | Invitrogen™ | ||
| ApE-A plasmid Editor software | Available for free download | ||
| Statistical analysis | |||
| R software package | |||
| Further analysis | |||
| y[1] w[*]; wg[Sp-1]/CyO; Dr[1]/TM3, Sb[1] | Bloomington Drosophila Stock Center | 59967 |
References
- Frade, J. M., Ovejero-Benito, M. C. Neuronal cell cycle: the neuron itself and its circumstances. Cell Cycle. 14 (5), 712-720 (2015).
- Aranda-Anzaldo, A. The post-mitotic state in neurons correlates with a stable nuclear higher-order structure.....
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