Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Articles 1 - 1 of 1
Full-Text Articles in Entire DC Network
Drosophila Model For Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorders: Role For The Insulin Pathway, Rachael L. French, K D. Mcclure, U Heberlein
Drosophila Model For Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorders: Role For The Insulin Pathway, Rachael L. French, K D. Mcclure, U Heberlein
Rachael L. French
Prenatal exposure to ethanol in humans results in a wide range of developmental abnormalities, including growth deficiency, developmental delay, reduced brain size, permanent neurobehavioral abnormalities and fetal death. Here we describe the use of Drosophila melanogaster as a model for exploring the effects of ethanol exposure on development and behavior. We show that developmental ethanol exposure causes reduced viability, developmental delay and reduced adult body size. We find that flies reared on ethanol-containing food have smaller brains and imaginal discs, which is due to reduced cell division rather than increased apoptosis. Additionally, we show that, as in mammals, flies reared …