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Updated: Oct 14, 2025
Experimental Protocol for Using Drosophila As an Invertebrate Model System for Toxicity Testing in the Laboratory
Published on: July 10, 2018
Molecular and biological effects of Cisplatin in Drosophila
Daniela Moreira Mombach1, Tiago Minuzzi Freire da Fontoura Gomes1, Mônica Medeiros Silva2
1Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
Abstract:
Cisplatin is widely used in cancer treatment and is one of the best cytostatic agents available for antitumor therapy. Drosophila melanogaster has one of the best annotated genomes and one of the best characterized sets of transposable elements (TE) sequences. This model organism is useful for analyzing the mode of action of several compounds in vivo and evaluating the behavioral consequences of treatments. The aim of our study was to increase the knowledge about the effects of Cisplatin in Drosophila by joining RNA-seq and biological assays. RNA-seq was followed by analyses of differential expression of genes (DEGs) and TEs (DETEs), and of pathways and ontology terms. DETEs were confirmed by qPCR. Cisplatin was evaluated at 50 and 100 μg/mL in Drosophila culture medium for 24 h. The fly locomotor assay, survival analysis, oviposition and development were used as biological assays. Cisplatin induced DEGs in a dose-dependent fashion, and four TEs were up-regulated. Most DEGs are related to DNA damage and detoxification processes. Cisplatin increases Drosophila locomotor activity and interrupts development. Genes and processes related to the assays were also identified. This is the first study to evaluate the effects of Cisplatin in flies using RNA-seq. Gene alteration was almost limited to drug metabolism and DNA damage, and the drug did not vastly affect Drosophila on the molecular level. Contrary to the hypothesis that stress dramatically alters TEs mobilization, only four TEs were up-regulated. Our study, together with previous knowledge, asserts Drosophila as a valuable organism in the study of chemotherapy drugs.
Insights
Cisplatin, a chemotherapy drug, was tested in Drosophila melanogaster. While it altered gene expression related to DNA damage and detoxification, it minimally impacted the fly genome, confirming Drosophila
Area of Science:
- Genomics and toxicology
- Model organism research
- Chemotherapy drug effects
Background:
- Cisplatin is a crucial chemotherapy agent for cancer treatment.
- Drosophila melanogaster offers a well-annotated genome and characterized transposable elements (TEs).
- This model organism is valuable for in vivo compound analysis and behavioral studies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the molecular and biological effects of Cisplatin in Drosophila.
- To analyze gene expression changes (DEGs) and transposable element alterations (DETEs) upon Cisplatin treatment.
- To assess Cisplatin's impact on fly behavior, development, and survival.
Main Methods:
- RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) to profile gene and TE expression.
- Quantitative PCR (qPCR) to validate differential TE expression.
- Biological assays including locomotor activity, survival, oviposition, and development tests.
Main Results:
- Cisplatin induced dose-dependent differential gene expression (DEGs), primarily in DNA damage and detoxification pathways.
- Four transposable elements (TEs) were significantly up-regulated, contrary to expectations of widespread TE mobilization.
- Cisplatin exposure increased locomotor activity and disrupted fly development.
Conclusions:
- Drosophila serves as a valuable model for studying chemotherapy drug effects.
- Cisplatin's molecular impact on Drosophila is largely confined to drug metabolism and DNA repair pathways.
- The study provides insights into Cisplatin's in vivo mechanisms and validates Drosophila as a model for chemical biology research.
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