Fat body driver expression report across Drosophila melanogaster tissues and sex

Abstract

Drosophila melanogaster serves as a valuable model system for advancing our understanding of adipose tissue given its analogous organ systems, conserved metabolic, endocrine, and nutrient-sensing functions, and well-established genetic tools. Among the most widely used genetic tools is the Gal4/UAS system. Several Gal4 driver lines are reported to control expression in the D. melanogaster fat body, but secondary expression sites and responses to physiological changes have not been fully characterized. In this report, we describe fluorescent reporter expression for 31 fat body Gal4 transgenic lines in larvae and adults, males and females, and in multiple tissues, brain, indirect flight muscle, gut, ovary, testis, and fat body. This screen highlights expression differences with respect to level, sex, and stage. Moreover, we find that several lines drive expression in tissues that had not been previously described. Together, we present a comprehensive expression atlas of fat body driver lines, serving as a resource to advance adipose tissue research.