RNAi in Drosophila S2 cells as a tool for studying cell cycle progression

Genetic studies on model organisms, particularly yeasts and Drosophila melanogaster, have proven powerful in identifying the cell cycle machinery and its regulatory mechanisms. In more recent years RNAi has been used in a variety of genome-wide screens and single molecule studies to elucidate the mechanisms of cell cycle progression. In Drosophila cultured cells, RNAi is extremely simple, and a strong effect can be observed by adding the dsRNA to the cultured cells, with few complications of off-target effects. Functions in cell cycle progression can be followed by a variety of assays. One of the advantages of these cells is that they allow high-resolution spatiotemporal observations to be made by microscopy, with no particular complexity in terms of media and temperature. Here we discuss protocols for RNAi in Drosophila S2 culture cells, followed by the study of mitotic progression, through immunocytochemistry, live imaging, and flow cytometry analysis.