RNAi Interference by dsRNA Injection into Drosophila Embryos
Summary
RNA interference has been proven very effective to analyze gene function in Drosophila tracheal development. A detailed protocol used by Jiang lab to inject dsRNA into fly embryos to knockdown gene expression is illustrated. This technique has the potential for screening genes required for tissue and organ development in Drosophila.
Abstract
Genetic screening is one of the most powerful methods available for gaining insights into complex biological process 1. Over the years many improvements and tools for genetic manipulation have become available in Drosophila 2. Soon after the initial discovery by Frie and Mello 3 that double stranded RNA can be used to knockdown the activity of individual genes in Caenorhabditis elegans, RNA interference (RNAi) was shown to provide a powerful reverse genetic approach to analyze gene functions in Drosophila organ development 4, 5.
Many organs, including lung, kidney, liver, and vascular system, are composed of branched tubular networks that transport vital fluids or gases 6, 7. The analysis of Drosophila tracheal formation provides an excellent model system to study the morphogenesis of other tubular organs 8. The Berkeley Drosophila genome project has revealed hundreds of genes that are expressed in the tracheal system. To study the molecular and cellular mechanism of tube formation, the challenge is to understand the roles of these genes in tracheal development. Here, we described a detailed method of dsRNA injection into Drosophila embryo to knockdown individual gene expression. We successfully knocked down endogenous dysfusion(dys) gene expression by dsRNA injection. Dys is a bHLH-PAS protein expressed in tracheal fusion cells, and it is required for tracheal branch fusion 9, 10. dys-RNAi completely eliminated dys expression and resulted in tracheal fusion defect. This relatively simple method provides a tool to identify genes requried for tissure and organ development in Drosophila.
Protocol
Discussion
The dsRNA injection method present here enables a very sensitive and rapid analysis of gene function in Drosophila tracheal development. This method can potentially be applied to analyze gene function for other tissue and organ development.
Disclosures
The authors have nothing to disclose.
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank Stephen Crews for dysfusion cDNA, Dys antibody and w1118 flies.
Materials
| Material Name | Type | Company | Catalogue Number | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Halocarbon oil 700 | Sigma-Aldrich | H8898 | ||
| Picospritzer III picopump | Parker Precision Fluidics | 051-0500-900 | ||
| Micro-pipettes | Fisher | 21170M | ||
| Microloaders | Eppendorf | 930001007 |
References
- St Johnston, D., Nusslein-Volhard, C. The origin of pattern and polarity in the Drosophila embryo. Cell. 68, 201-219 (1992).
- Venken, K. J., Bellen, H. J. Emerging technologies for gene manipulation in Drosophila melanogaster. Nat. Rev. Genet. 6, 167-178 (2005).
- Fire, A. Potent and specific genetic interference by double-stranded RNA in Caenorhabditis elegans. Nature. 391, 806-811 (1998).
- Kennerdell, J. R., Carthew, R. W. Use of dsRNA-mediated genetic interference to demonstrate that frizzled and frizzled 2 act in the wingless pathway. Cell. 95, 1017-1026 (1998).
- Misquitta, L., Paterson, B. M. Targeted disruption of gene function in Drosophila by RNA interference (RNA-i): a role for nautilus in embryonic somatic muscle formation. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 96, 1451-1456 (1999).
- Horowitz, A., Simons, M. Branching morphogenesis. Circ. Res. 103, 784-795 (2008).
- Hogan, B. L., Kolodziej, P. A. Organogenesis: molecular mechanisms of tubulogenesis. Nat. Rev. Genet. 3, 513-523 (2002).
- Ghabrial, A., Luschnig, S., Metzstein, M. M., Krasnow, M. A. Branching morphogenesis of the Drosophila tracheal system. Annu. Rev. Cell Dev. Biol. 19, 623-647 (2003).
- Jiang, L., Crews, S. T. Dysfusion transcriptional control of Drosophila tracheal migration, adhesion, and fusion. Mol. Cell. Biol. 26, 6547-6556 (2006).
- Jiang, L., Crews, S. T. The Drosophila dysfusion basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH)-PAS gene controls tracheal fusion and levels of the trachealess bHLH-PAS protein. Mol. Cell. Biol. 23, 5625-5637 (2003).
