We thank the Bloomington Stock Center and the Vienna Drosophila RNAi Center for fly stocks. The patent for the RING apparatus belongs to Shanghai Advanced Research institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Requests for the RflyDetection software should be made to Fu-de Huang (see author list). This work was supported by grants from National Basic Research Program of China (973 Program 2013CB945602) and National Natural Science Foundation of China (31270825 and 31171043). We thank Ho lab members for discussion and comments.

1. Fly Collection
<ol>
	<li>Maintain the flies on standard fly food at 25 &#176;C, 70% humidity, and a 12 h/12 h light/dark cycle.</li>
	<li>Collect UAS-Dicer2; DDC-GAL4 fly virginsunder carbon dioxide (CO2) anesthesia.</li>
	<li>Cross these virgins to 2 day old adult male flies carrying the following genotypes: UAS-mCD8GFP (control), auxR16182 (aux RNAi), auxGFP (aux overexpression), and auxR16182; auxGFP (rescue), with a male: female ratio of 1:2.</li>
	<li>Seperately collect newly eclosed males and females in 3 vials for each group&#160;per experiment, placing 10 flies in each regular fly vial with standard food at&#160;25 &#176;C.</li>
	<li>Depending on the experiment, keep the collected flies up to 35 days and use them for automated RING analysis at day 5, 15, 25, and 35.</li>
</ol>
2. Automated RING Assay
<ol>
	<li>Transfer 10 collected flies (unisex) per genotype into each vial, then secure the vial with a screw. Analyze control flies and flies carrying different genotypes together for each set of experiments (up to 10 vials simultaneously, 10 flies in each vial).</li>
	<li>Turn on the digital camera placed in front of the apparatus, and start recording once flies are all loaded and ready.</li>
	<li>After allowing 1 min for flies to settle in vials, turn on the step controller that controls the step driver; this drives the small electric motor to control the lever attached so that it consecutively rises and taps the apparatus 4 times in 2 s. See Figure 1.
	<ol>
		<li>After tapping, note that the flies begin to ascend the wall. Ensure that recording continues.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Repeat the synchronization as described in step 2.3 in 60-s interval for 3 to 5 consecutive trials.</li>
	<li>Repeat the experiment for 5, 15, 25, and 35 day old flies. Conduct at least 3 independent experiments for each group, each experiment with at least 30 collected flies (3 vials).</li>
</ol>
3. Data Analysis
<ol>
	<li>Import the recorded video into the computer.</li>
	<li>Take a snapshot of the video at 6 s after tapping, for each trial.</li>
	<li>Import the snapshot image into the RflyDetection software (see Figure 2), using the &#39;File&#39; menu.</li>
	<li>Set the upper and lower baselines of the vial precisely by using the baseline icon on the toolbar and then using the cursor to mark the upper and lower baselines on the image.</li>
	<li>Input the number of flies per vial (e.g., 10 here) into the &#39;Flys in rect&#39; field and vial length (e.g., 14 cm here) in the &#39;Tube Height&#39; field within the settings bar.
	<ol>
		<li>Note that the individual fly positions are detected and labeled with dots on the screen for each vial. 
		NOTE: Figure 2 indicates the positions of all menu button clicks.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Note that the software automatically determines the climbing distance for each fly and displays the averaged values from 10 flies in each vial in a table on the right-hand panel. (See Figure 2)</li>
	<li>Process the climbing number with statistical software (e.g., Prism) for further statistical analysis.</li>
	<li>Present the data as mean &#177; SEM.</li>
	<li>Calculate the p-values of significance (indicated with asterisks, * p &#60; 0.05, ** p &#60; 0.01, *** p &#60; 0.001) using one-way ANOVA with Bonferroni multiple comparison test.</li>
</ol>

<ol>
	<li>Ali, Y. O., Escala, W., Ruan, K., Zhai, R. G. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Assaying+locomotor,+learning,+and+memory+deficits+in+Drosophila+models+of+neurodegeneration.">Assaying locomotor, learning, and memory deficits in Drosophila models of neurodegeneration.</a> J Vis Exp. (49), (2011).</li><li>Nichols, C. D., Becnel, J., Pandey, U. B. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Methods+to+assay+Drosophila+behavior.">Methods to assay Drosophila behavior.</a> J Vis Exp. (61), (2012).</li><li>Madabattula, S. T., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Quantitative+Analysis+of+Climbing+Defects+in+a+Drosophila+Model+of+Neurodegenerative+Disorders.">Quantitative Analysis of Climbing Defects in a Drosophila Model of Neurodegenerative Disorders.</a> J Vis Exp. (100), e52741 (2015).</li><li>Podratz, J. L., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=An+automated+climbing+apparatus+to+measure+chemotherapy-induced+neurotoxicity+in+Drosophila+melanogaster.">An automated climbing apparatus to measure chemotherapy-induced neurotoxicity in Drosophila melanogaster.</a> Fly (Austin). 7 (3), 187-192 (2013).</li><li>Gargano, J. W., Martin, I., Bhandari, P., Grotewiel, M. S. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Rapid+iterative+negative+geotaxis+(RING):+a+new+method+for+assessing+age-related+locomotor+decline+in+Drosophila.">Rapid iterative negative geotaxis (RING): a new method for assessing age-related locomotor decline in Drosophila.</a> Exp Gerontol. 40 (5), 386-395 (2005).</li><li>Liu, H., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Automated+rapid+iterative+negative+geotaxis+assay+and+its+use+in+a+genetic+screen+for+modifiers+of+Abeta(42)-induced+locomotor+decline+in+Drosophila.">Automated rapid iterative negative geotaxis assay and its use in a genetic screen for modifiers of Abeta(42)-induced locomotor decline in Drosophila.</a> Neurosci Bull. 31 (5), 541-549 (2015).</li><li>Shen, Y., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=SH2B1+is+Involved+in+the+Accumulation+of+Amyloid-beta42+in+Alzheimer's+Disease.">SH2B1 is Involved in the Accumulation of Amyloid-beta42 in Alzheimer's Disease.</a> J Alzheimers Dis. 55 (2), 835-847 (2017).</li><li>Song, L., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Auxilin+Underlies+Progressive+Locomotor+Deficits+and+Dopaminergic+Neuron+Loss+in+a+Drosophila+Model+of+Parkinson's+Disease.">Auxilin Underlies Progressive Locomotor Deficits and Dopaminergic Neuron Loss in a Drosophila Model of Parkinson's Disease.</a> Cell Rep. 18 (5), 1132-1143 (2017).</li><li>Zhang, X., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Downregulation+of+RBO-PI4KIII&#945;+Facilitates+A&#946;42+Secretion+and+Ameliorates+Neural+Deficits+in+A&#946;42-Expressing+Drosophila.">Downregulation of RBO-PI4KIII&#945; Facilitates A&#946;42 Secretion and Ameliorates Neural Deficits in A&#946;42-Expressing Drosophila.</a> J Neurosci. 37 (19), 4928-4941 (2017).</li><li>Riemensperger, T., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=A+single+dopamine+pathway+underlies+progressive+locomotor+deficits+in+a+Drosophila+model+of+Parkinson+disease.">A single dopamine pathway underlies progressive locomotor deficits in a Drosophila model of Parkinson disease.</a> Cell Rep. 5 (4), 952-960 (2013).</li></ol>

The authors have nothing to disclose.

The automated RING assay described here enables a high-throughput analysis of fly negative geotaxis behavior for hundreds of flies simultaneously. Previously existing strategies for analyzing adult climbing involve observations of a single fly in an individual vial, and fly position is manually detected by eye. This rather tedious process might sometimes cause misreading or misinterpretation of data, as well as labor-intensive work. Our automated RING assay starts with a simple click, and the apparatus automatically sync...

A variety of protocols and methods have been developed for analyzing Drosophila adult climbing behavior. Rather laborious, the traditional analysis mostly involves putting a single fly into an individual vial and uses a manual force to tap flies down for synchronization1,2,3,4. It is tedious and time consuming, unsuitable for large high-throughput studies, and has potential variations of the manual force used to tap down the flies as well as other limitations. To improve the assay, a Rapid Iterative Negative Geotaxis (RING) assay was developed which allows high-throughput analysis over numerous flies at the same time5. However, the assay still requires a manually exerting force to synchronize fly action. Our version of the RING assay, revised upon the previous assay, includes a metal base hosting multiple fly-containing vials automatically controlled by an electric motor to drive fly synchronization6. Upon recording, the fly climbing immediately after synchronization is recorded then analyzed using a self-designed software. Our automated RING assay has eliminated the tedious and labor-intensive process in collecting data from a single fly, one at a time, and enabled the data acquisition process to be more efficient. In addition, the automated RING assay has been employed in a number of studies to elucidate the mechanism underlying Alzheimer&#39;s and Parkinson&#39;s Disease, validating the approach with high efficiency7,8,9.
In this article, we demonstrate the automated RING assay using the DDC-Gal4 driven RNAi flies. DDC-Gal4 is a Gal4 line specifically expressing in dopaminergic (DA) and serotonergic neurons, thus representing a great tool for analyzing the target gene effects associated with locomotor deficits accompanying neurodegeneration10. In addition, we incorporate UAS-Dicer2, a fly line that enhances RNAi efficiency, to generate the UAS-Dicer2; DDC-Gal4 tool line. The RNAi flies we choose to use is the auxilin (aux) RNAi v16182 (auxR16182), a gene that we have previously identified to exhibit an effect on fly locomotor activity8. auxGFP flies are also prepared for analyzing effects upon aux overexpression. We will show how to use the automated RING assay to measure fly negative geotaxis, present the results, and discuss any implications acquired from the results.

<table><tbody><tr><td>Forma Environmental Chamber</td><td>Thermo</td><td>3949</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Carbon dioxide cylinders</td><td>FuLian GAS Technology</td><td>GB/T6052</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>HDR-Camcorder</td><td>SONY</td><td>HDR-CX220E</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Binocular stereomicroscope</td><td>Xin Zhen</td><td>SMZ-168BL</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Electronic scales</td><td>MinQiao</td><td>SL1002N</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Refrigerator</td><td>Haier</td><td>SC-350</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Agar-agar powder</td><td>Sinopharm</td><td>10000561</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Glucose</td><td>Sinopharm</td><td>10010518</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Corn meal</td><td>Sinopharm</td><td>5464654</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Brown sugar</td><td>LiuCaiYuan</td><td>45467936</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Instant dry yeast</td><td>AB MAURI</td><td>20886</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>AuxR&lt;sup&gt;16182&lt;/sup&gt;</td><td>VDRC</td><td>7187</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>UAS-Dicer2</td><td>Bloomington</td><td>24650</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>UAS-mCD8GFP</td><td>Bloomington</td><td>32185</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>DDC-Gal4</td><td></td><td></td><td>A gift from Fude Huang</td></tr><tr><td>AuxGFP</td><td></td><td></td><td>A gift from Henry Chang</td></tr></tbody></table>

an automated rapid iterative negative geotaxis assay for analyzing adult climbing behavior in a drosophila model of neurodegeneration

Neurodegenerative diseases are frequently associated with a progressive loss of movement ability, reduced life span, and age-dependent neurodegeneration. To understand the mechanism of these cellular events, and their causal relationships with each other, Drosophila melanogaster, with its sophisticated genetic tools and diverse behavioral features, are used as disease models for assessing neurodegenerative phenotypes. Here we describe a high-throughput method to analyze Drosophila adult negative geotaxis behavior, as an indication for possible motor defects associated with neurodegeneration. An automated machine is designed and developed to drive fly synchronization using an initial electric impulse, later allowing the recording of negative geotaxis behavior over a course of secs to mins. Images from the digitally recorded video are then processed with the self-designed RflyDetection software for statistical data manipulation. Different from the manually controlled negative geotaxis assay based on single fly, this precise, fast, and high-throughput protocol allows data acquisition from more than hundreds of flies simultaneously, providing an efficient approach to advance our understanding in the underlying mechanism of locomotor deficits associated with neurodegeneration.

This article demonstrates the use of an automated RING assay in assessing fly negative geotaxis behavior. Unlike the previous RING assay, our assay includes an automated apparatus that provides an electric force to synchronize fly action and analyzes up to hundreds of flies simultaneously (Figure 1). Analysis of Dicer2; DDC&#62;auxR16182 flies showed an age-dependent decrease in the climbing distance in a 6-s time frame for both male and f...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about An Automated Rapid Iterative Negative Geotaxis Assay for Analyzing Adult Climbing Behavior in a Drosophila Model of Neurodegeneration at JoVE.com

An Automated Rapid Iterative Negative Geotaxis Assay for Analyzing Adult Climbing Behavior in a Drosophila Model of Neurodegeneration

This step-by-step protocol analyzes Drosophila negative geotaxis behavior using an automated multi-cylinder system that hosts hundreds of flies and synchronizes their action by an electric motor. Upon synchronization, fly negative geotaxis behavior is assayed, digitally recorded, and analyzed using the self-designed RflyDetection software.

An Automated Rapid Iterative Negative Geotaxis Assay for Analyzing Adult Climbing Behavior in a Drosophila Model of Neurodegeneration

Neurodegenerative diseases are frequently associated with a progressive loss of movement ability, reduced life span, and age-dependent neurodegeneration. ...

an-automated-rapid-iterative-negative-geotaxis-assay-for-analyzing

Research

JoVE Journal

Behavior

9.8K Views.  Tongji University School of Medicine. Dit stapsgewijze protocol analyseert Drosophila negatieve geotaxis gedrag met behulp van een geautomatiseerd systeem van meerdere cilinders die honderden vliegen en synchroniseert hun optreden door een elektromotor. Bij synchronisatie, is vliegen negatieve geotaxis gedrag vehiculumcontrolegroep, digitaal opgenomen en geanalyseerd met behulp van de zelf ontworpen RflyDetection software.

Video: An Automated Rapid Iterative Negative Geotaxis Assay for Analyzing Adult Climbing Behavior in a Drosophila Model of Neurodegeneration

Assaying Locomotor, Learning, and Memory Deficits in Drosophila Models of Neurodegeneration

Advances in genetic methods have enabled the study of genes involved in human neurodegenerative diseases using Drosophila as a model system1. Most of these diseases, including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Huntington's disease are characterized by age-dependent deterioration in learning and memory functions and movement coordination2. Here we use behavioral assays, including the negative geotaxis assay3 and the aversive phototaxic suppression assay (APS assay)4,5, to show that some of the behavior characteristics associated with human neurodegeneration can be recapitulated in flies. In the negative geotaxis assay, the natural tendency of flies to move against gravity when agitated is utilized to study genes or conditions that may hinder locomotor capacities. In the APS assay, the learning and memory functions are tested in positively-phototactic flies trained to associate light with aversive bitter taste and hence avoid this otherwise natural tendency to move toward light. Testing these trained flies 6 hours post-training is used to assess memory functions. Using these assays, the contribution of any genetic or environmental factors toward developing neurodegeneration can be easily studied in flies.

Assaying Locomotor, Learning, and Memory Deficits in Drosophila Models of Neurodegeneration

Behavior assays for measuring locomotor functions, learning, and memory abilities in Drosophila.

Advances in genetic methods have enabled the study of genes involved in human neurodegenerative diseases using Drosophila as a model system1. Most of ...

Neuroscience

The TreadWheel: Interval Training Protocol for Gently Induced Exercise in Drosophila melanogaster

The incidence of complex metabolic diseases has increased as a result of a widespread transition towards lifestyles of increased caloric intake and lowered activity levels. These multifactorial diseases arise from a combination of genetic, environmental, and behavioral factors. One such complex disease is Metabolic Syndrome (MetS), which is a cluster of metabolic disorders, including hypertension, hyperglycemia, and abdominal obesity. Exercise and dietary intervention are the primary treatments recommended by doctors to mitigate obesity and its subsequent metabolic diseases. Exercise intervention, in particular aerobic interval training, stimulates favorable changes in the common risk factors for Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM), Cardiovascular Disease (CVD), and other conditions. With the influx of evidence describing the therapeutic effect exercise has on metabolic health, establishing a system that models exercise in a controlled setting provides a valuable tool for assessing the effects of exercise in an experimental context. Drosophila melanogaster is a great tool for investigating the physiological and molecular changes that result from exercise intervention. The flies have short lifespans and similar mechanisms of metabolizing nutrients when compared to humans. To induce exercise in Drosophila, we developed a machine called the TreadWheel, which utilizes the fly&#39;s innate, negative geotaxis tendency to gently induce climbing. This enables researchers to perform experiments on large cohorts of genetically diverse flies to better understand the genotype-by-environment interactions underlying the effects of exercise on metabolic health.

The TreadWheel: Interval Training Protocol for Gently Induced Exercise in Drosophila melanogaster

The TreadWheel uses rotational motion to gently induce exercise in adult Drosophila melanogaster by exploiting flies&#39; innate, negative geotaxis. It allows for analysis of the interactions between exercise and factors, such as genotype, sex, and diet, and their effect on physiological and molecular assays to assess metabolic health.

The incidence of complex metabolic diseases has increased as a result of a widespread transition towards lifestyles of increased caloric intake and ...

Genetics

In Vivo Forward Genetic Screen to Identify Novel Neuroprotective Genes in Drosophila melanogaster

There is much to understand about the onset and progression of neurodegenerative diseases, including the underlying genes responsible. Forward genetic screening using chemical mutagens is a useful strategy for mapping mutant phenotypes to genes among Drosophila and other model organisms that share conserved cellular pathways with humans. If the mutated gene of interest is not lethal in early developmental stages of flies, a climbing assay can be conducted to screen for phenotypic indicators of decreased brain functioning, such as low climbing rates. Subsequently, secondary histological analysis of brain tissue can be performed in order to verify the neuroprotective function of the gene by scoring neurodegeneration phenotypes. Gene mapping strategies include meiotic and deficiency mapping that rely on these same assays can be followed by DNA sequencing to identify possible nucleotide changes in the gene of interest.

In Vivo Forward Genetic Screen to Identify Novel Neuroprotective Genes in Drosophila melanogaster

We present a protocol using a forward genetic approach to screen for mutants exhibiting neurodegeneration in Drosophila melanogaster. It incorporates a climbing assay, histology analysis, gene mapping and DNA sequencing to ultimately identify novel genes related to the process of neuroprotection.

There is much to understand about the onset and progression of neurodegenerative diseases, including the underlying genes responsible. Forward genetic ...

Methods to Assay Drosophila Behavior

Drosophila melanogaster, the fruit fly, has been used to study molecular mechanisms of a wide range of human diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease and various neurological diseases1. We have optimized simple and robust behavioral assays for determining larval locomotion, adult climbing ability (RING assay), and courtship behaviors of Drosophila. These behavioral assays are widely applicable for studying the role of genetic and environmental factors on fly behavior. Larval crawling ability can be reliably used for determining early stage changes in the crawling abilities of Drosophila larvae and also for examining effect of drugs or human disease genes (in transgenic flies) on their locomotion. The larval crawling assay becomes more applicable if expression or abolition of a gene causes lethality in pupal or adult stages, as these flies do not survive to adulthood where they otherwise could be assessed. This basic assay can also be used in conjunction with bright light or stress to examine additional behavioral responses in Drosophila larvae. Courtship behavior has been widely used to investigate genetic basis of sexual behavior, and can also be used to examine activity and coordination, as well as learning and memory. Drosophila courtship behavior involves the exchange of various sensory stimuli including visual, auditory, and chemosensory signals between males and females that lead to a complex series of well characterized motor behaviors culminating in successful copulation. Traditional adult climbing assays (negative geotaxis) are tedious, labor intensive, and time consuming, with significant variation between different trials2-4. The rapid iterative negative geotaxis (RING) assay5 has many advantages over more widely employed protocols, providing a reproducible, sensitive, and high throughput approach to quantify adult locomotor and negative geotaxis behaviors. In the RING assay, several genotypes or drug treatments can be tested simultaneously using large number of animals, with the high-throughput approach making it more amenable for screening experiments.

Methods to Assay Drosophila Behavior

Drosophila melanogaster is a genetically and behaviorally tractable model system that has been used to understand the molecular and cellular basis of many important biological processes for over a century 1. Drosophila has been well exploited to gain insights into the genetic basis of fly behavior.

Drosophila melanogaster, the fruit fly, has been used to study molecular mechanisms of a wide range of human diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular ...

Assessing Neurodegenerative Phenotypes in Drosophila Dopaminergic Neurons by Climbing Assays and Whole Brain Immunostaining

Drosophila melanogaster is a valuable model organism to study aging and pathological degenerative processes in the nervous system. The advantages of the fly as an experimental system include its genetic tractability, short life span and the possibility to observe and quantitatively analyze complex behaviors. The expression of disease-linked genes in specific neuronal populations of the Drosophila brain, can be used to model human neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's 5.
Dopaminergic (DA) neurons are among the most vulnerable neuronal populations in the aging human brain. In Parkinson's disease (PD), the most common neurodegenerative movement disorder, the accelerated loss of DA neurons leads to a progressive and irreversible decline in locomotor function. In addition to age and exposure to environmental toxins, loss of DA neurons is exacerbated by specific mutations in the coding or promoter regions of several genes. The identification of such PD-associated alleles provides the experimental basis for the use of Drosophila as a model to study neurodegeneration of DA neurons in vivo. For example, the expression of the PD-linked human &alpha;-synuclein gene in Drosophila DA neurons recapitulates some features of the human disease, e.g. progressive loss of DA neurons and declining locomotor function 2. Accordingly, this model has been successfully used to identify potential therapeutic targets in PD 8.
Here we describe two assays that have commonly been used to study age-dependent neurodegeneration of DA neurons in Drosophila: a climbing assay based on the startle-induced negative geotaxis response and tyrosine hydroxylase immunostaining of whole adult brain mounts to monitor the number of DA neurons at different ages. In both cases, in vivo expression of UAS transgenes specifically in DA neurons can be achieved by using a tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) promoter-Gal4 driver line 3, 10.

Assessing Neurodegenerative Phenotypes in Drosophila Dopaminergic Neurons by Climbing Assays and Whole Brain Immunostaining

Here we describe two assays that have been established to study age-dependent neurodegeneration of dopaminergic (DA) neurons in Drosophila: the climbing/startle-induced negative geotaxis assay which allows to study the functional effects of DA neurons degeneration and the tyrosine hydroxylase immunostaining which is used to identify and count DA neurons in whole brain mounts.

Drosophila melanogaster is a valuable model organism to study aging and pathological degenerative processes in the nervous system. The advantages of the ...

An Affordable and Efficient "Homemade" Platform for Drosophila Behavioral Studies, and an Accompanying Protocol for Larval Mitochondrial Respirometry

The usefulness of Drosophila as a model organism for the study of human diseases, behaviors and basic biology is unquestionable. Although practical, Drosophila research lacks popularity in developing countries, possibly due to the misinformed idea that establishing a lab and performing relevant experiments with such tiny insects is difficult and requires expensive, specialized apparatuses. Here, we describe how to build an affordable flylab to quantitatively analyze a myriad of behavioral parameters in D. melanogaster, by 3D-printing many of the necessary pieces of equipment. We provide protocols to build in-house vial racks, courtship arenas, apparatuses for locomotor assays, etc., to be used for general fly maintenance and to perform behavioral experiments using adult flies and larvae. We also provide protocols on how to use more sophisticated systems, such as a high resolution oxygraph, to measure mitochondrial oxygen consumption in larval samples, and show its association with behavioral changes in the larvae upon the xenotopic expression of the mitochondrial alternative oxidase (AOX). AOX increases larval activity and mitochondrial leak respiration, and accelerates development at low temperatures, which is consistent with a thermogenic role for the enzyme. We hope these protocols will inspire researchers, especially from developing countries, to use Drosophila to easily combine behavior and mitochondrial metabolism data, which may lead to information on genes and/or environmental conditions that may also regulate human physiology and disease states.

An Affordable and Efficient "Homemade" Platform for Drosophila Behavioral Studies, and an Accompanying Protocol for Larval Mitochondrial Respirometry

We provide protocols for anyone with a "maker culture" mind to start building a flylab for quantitative analysis of a myriad of behavioral parameters in Drosophila melanogaster, by 3D-printing many of the necessary pieces of equipment. We also describe a high resolution respirometry protocol using larvae to combine behavioral and mitochondrial metabolism data.

The usefulness of Drosophila as a model organism for the study of human diseases, behaviors and basic biology is unquestionable. Although practical, ...

Determination of the Spontaneous Locomotor Activity in Drosophila melanogaster

Drosophila melanogaster has been used as an excellent model organism to study environmental and genetic manipulations that affect behavior. One such behavior is spontaneous locomotor activity. Here we describe our protocol that utilizes Drosophila population monitors and a tracking system that allows continuous monitoring of the spontaneous locomotor activity of flies for several days at a time. This method is simple, reliable, and objective and can be used to examine the effects of aging, sex, changes in caloric content of food, addition of drugs, or genetic manipulations that mimic human diseases.

Determination of the Spontaneous Locomotor Activity in Drosophila melanogaster

Drosophila melanogaster are useful in studying genetic or environmental manipulations that affect behaviors such as spontaneous locomotor activity.&#160; Here we describe a protocol that utilizes monitors with infrared beams and data analysis software to quantify spontaneous locomotor activity.&#160;

Drosophila melanogaster has been used as an excellent model organism to study environmental and genetic manipulations that affect behavior. One such ...

A Simple Technique to Assay Locomotor Activity in Drosophila

Drosophila melanogaster is an ideal model organism for studying various diseases due to its abundance of advanced genetic manipulation techniques and diverse behavioral features. Identifying behavioral deficiency in animal models is a crucial measure of disease severity, for example, in neurodegenerative diseases where patients often experience impairments in motor function. However, with the availability of various systems to track and assess motor deficits in fly models, such as drug-treated or transgenic individuals, an economical and user-friendly system for precise evaluation from multiple angles is still lacking. A method based on the AnimalTracker application programming interface (API) is developed here, which is compatible with the Fiji image processing program, to systematically evaluate the movement activities of both adult and larval individuals from recorded video, thus allowing for the analysis of their tracking behavior. This method requires only a high-definition camera and a computer peripheral hardware integration to record and analyze behavior, making it an affordable and effective approach for screening fly models with transgenic or environmental behavioral deficiencies. Examples of behavioral tests using pharmacologically treated flies are given to show how the techniques can detect behavioral changes in both adult flies and larvae in a highly repeatable manner.

A Simple Technique to Assay Locomotor Activity in Drosophila

The present protocol assesses the locomotor activity of Drosophila by tracking and analyzing the movement of flies in a hand-made arena using open-source software Fiji, compatible with plugins to segment pixels of each frame based on high-definition video recording to calculate parameters of speed, distance, etc.

Drosophila melanogaster is an ideal model organism for studying various diseases due to its abundance of advanced genetic manipulation techniques and ...

Quantitative Analysis of Climbing Defects in a Drosophila Model of Neurodegenerative Disorders

Locomotive defects resulting from neurodegenerative disorders can be a late onset symptom of disease, following years of subclinical degeneration, and thus current therapeutic treatment strategies are not curative. Through the use of whole exome sequencing, an increasing number of genes have been identified to play a role in human locomotion. Despite identifying these genes, it is not known how these genes are crucial to normal locomotive functioning. Therefore, a reliable assay, which utilizes model organisms to elucidate the role of these genes in order to identify novel targets of therapeutic interest, is needed more than ever. We have designed a sensitized version of the negative geotaxis assay that allows for the detection of milder defects earlier and has the ability to evaluate these defects over time. The assay is performed in a glass graduated cylinder, which is sealed with a wax barrier film. By increasing the threshold distance to be climbed to 17.5 cm and increasing the experiment duration to 2 min&#160;we have observed a greater sensitivity in detecting mild mobility dysfunctions. The assay is cost effective and does not require extensive training to obtain highly reproducible results. This makes it an excellent technique for screening candidate drugs in Drosophila mutants with locomotion defects.

We present an optimized inexpensive and reliable negative geotaxis assay in Drosophila melanogaster as a model for neurodegenerative disorders. Being more sensitive to mild locomotor defects, this assay will help screen for potential genetic interactions and drug targets.

Locomotive defects resulting from neurodegenerative disorders can be a late onset symptom of disease, following years of subclinical degeneration, and ...

High-throughput Analysis of Locomotor Behavior in the Drosophila Island Assay

Advances in next-generation sequencing technologies contribute to the identification of (candidate) disease genes for movement disorders and other neurological diseases at an increasing speed. However, little is known about the molecular mechanisms that underlie these disorders. The genetic, molecular, and behavioral toolbox of Drosophila melanogaster makes this model organism particularly useful to characterize new disease genes and mechanisms in a high-throughput manner. Nevertheless, high-throughput screens require efficient and reliable assays that, ideally, are cost-effective and allow for the automatized quantification of traits relevant to these disorders. The island assay is a cost-effective and easily set-up method to evaluate Drosophila locomotor behavior. In this assay, flies are thrown onto a platform from a fixed height. This induces an innate motor response that enables the flies to escape from the platform within seconds. At present, quantitative analyses of filmed island assays are done manually, which is a laborious undertaking, particularly when performing large screens.
This manuscript describes the &#34;Drosophila Island Assay&#34; and &#34;Island Assay Analysis&#34; algorithms for&#160;high-throughput, automated data processing and quantification of island assay data. In the setup, a simple webcam connected to a laptop collects an image series of the platform while the assay is performed. The &#34;Drosophila Island Assay&#34; algorithm developed for the open-source software Fiji processes these image series and quantifies, for each experimental condition, the number of flies on the platform over time. The &#34;Island Assay Analysis&#34; script, compatible with the free software R, was developed to automatically process the obtained data and to calculate whether treatments/genotypes are statistically different. This greatly improves the efficiency of the island assay and makes it a powerful readout for basic locomotion and flight behavior. It can thus be applied to large screens investigating fly locomotor ability, Drosophila models of movement disorders, and drug efficacy.

High-throughput Analysis of Locomotor Behavior in the Drosophila Island Assay

The island assay is a relatively new, cost-effective assay that can be used to evaluate the basic locomotor behavior of Drosophila melanogaster. This manuscript describes algorithms for automatic data processing and objective quantification of island assay data, making this assay a sensitive, high-throughput readout for large genetic or pharmacological screens.

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