Tumor Allotransplantation in Drosophila melanogaster with a Programmable Auto-Nanoliter Injector

This protocol describes the allotransplantation of tumors in Drosophila melanogaster using an auto-nanoliter injection apparatus. With the use of an autoinjector apparatus, trained operators can achieve more efficient and consistent transplantation results compared to those obtained using a manual injector. Here, we cover topics in a chronological fashion: from the crossing of Drosophila lines, to the induction and dissection of the primary tumor, transplantation of the primary tumor into a new adult host and continued generational transplantation of the tumor for extended studies. As a demonstration, here we use Notch intracellular domain (NICD) overexpression induced salivary gland imaginal ring tumors for generational transplantation. These tumors can first be reliably induced in a transition-zone microenvironment within larval salivary gland imaginal rings, then allografted and cultured in vivo to study continued tumor growth, evolution, and metastasis. This allotransplantation method can be useful in potential drug screening programs, as well as for studying tumor-host interactions.