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Updated: May 11, 2026
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High Fat Diet Feeding and High Throughput Triacylglyceride Assay in Drosophila Melanogaster
Published on: September 13, 2017
Evidence for transgenerational metabolic programming in Drosophila.
Jessica L Buescher1, Laura P Musselman, Christina A Wilson
1Department of Pediatrics, and.
Disease Models & Mechanisms
|May 8, 2013
Summary
Maternal high-sugar diets can alter offspring body composition and promote obesity-like traits for at least two generations. This study highlights conserved nutritional programming mechanisms, using Drosophila as a model to explore genetic and epigenetic factors.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Biology
- Metabolic Research
- Epigenetics
Background:
- Prenatal nutrition influences adult disease susceptibility (obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease).
- Molecular mechanisms of metabolic programming remain unclear, potentially involving epigenetics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To establish a Drosophila model for studying metabolic programming.
- To investigate the effects of maternal caloric excess on offspring metabolism and gene expression.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a genetically tractable Drosophila model.
- Examined the impact of a high-sugar maternal diet on larval and adult offspring.
- Analyzed offspring body composition, obesity-like phenotypes, and metabolic gene expression.
Main Results:
- Maternal high-sugar diet altered larval offspring body composition for at least two generations.
- Obese-like phenotypes were augmented in adult offspring under high-calorie conditions.
- Metabolic gene expression was modified in offspring exposed to maternal caloric excess.
Conclusions:
- Nutritional programming mechanisms appear to be conserved across species.
- Drosophila is a suitable model for investigating genetic and epigenetic contributions to metabolic programming.
- Maternal diet has lasting effects on offspring metabolic health.
