Drosophila Genetics: The Power of Genetic Mosaic Approaches

Drosophila melanogaster has been a central player in the discovery of the Hippo pathway and in understanding its in vivo functions. From a technique standpoint, the Flp-FRT system for the generation of genetic mosaics has been a principle tool. It has broadly been used in the discovery of Hippo pathway members in mutagenesis screens, in the analysis of target gene expression, and in genetic epistasis. Here we briefly introduce this tool, summarize its use in the Hippo pathway field, and provide a protocol for the generation of Flp-FRT clones in imaginal discs with dissection and staining for reporter gene expression to characterize candidate Hippo pathway genes.