Genetic Analysis of Tissue Remodeling and Lipid Storage in Drosophila melanogaster

Abstract

Tissue remodeling has been used as a model to study cancer. It is also an important process during the development of Drosophila melanogaster. During D. melanogaster metamorphosis, which is the transition from the larva stage to the adult stage, larval fat body remodeling occurs. The larval fat body changes from a single-cell layered sheet of connected cells to individual sphere-like motile cells that supply energy to the organism. Failed or abnormal fat body remodeling can result in death during the pupal stage. In my research, I examined the abnormal larval fat body remodeling phenotype in three D. melanogaster mutant lines. All three lines were incompletely penetrant for the abnormal larval fat body remodeling phenotype. I also observed possible developmental delay in mutant lines during the head eversion process. In addition, I noticed that there are two types of remodeled larval fat bodies - whitish fat bodies and clear fat bodies in both wild type and in the mutant lines. I stained remodeled larval fat bodies to detect lipid droplets and nuclei under fluorescence. Further research should continue on staining of identified whitish and clear fat bodies to visualize lipid storage, which might give insights into the regulation of nutrient during metamorphosis.