Toxic effects of GAL80 and RNAi against fluorescent proteins on motor performance in Drosophila

Abstract

Transgenic regulators and reporter controls such as GAL80 and RNA interference (RNAi) constructs targeting fluorescent proteins are invaluable tools in Drosophila research. During experiments designed to temporally regulate gene expression, we observed unexpected flight defects in aged flies with constitutive expression of temperature-sensitive GAL80TS. Furthermore, ubiquitous expression of RNAi targeting EGFP or mCherry induced survival and motor impairments, even in the absence of corresponding fluorescent reporters. These findings suggest that genetic tools commonly assumed to be physiologically inert can have measurable effects on motor behaviour. Researchers employing these tools should therefore interpret behavioural data with caution and include appropriate controls.