Single-embryo RNA sequencing for continuous and sex-specific gene expression analysis on Drosophila

Exploring early embryonic gene expression is challenging due to the rate of development and the limited material available. Here, we present a protocol for ordering Drosophila embryos along a developmental pseudo-time trajectory and determining the sex of the embryos using RNA-seq data. We describe steps for sample collection, RNA isolation, RNA-seq, and RNA-seq data processing. We then detail the establishment of a continuous transcriptome dataset for assessing gene expression throughout early development and in a sex-specific manner. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Pérez-Mojica et al.¹.