In a new study published inCommunications Biology, researchers from the University of Tsukuba identify a method to preserveDrosophila原始生殖细胞(包括),reproductive cells and may be used to produceDrosophilaoffspring when implanted into a host.

Drosophilaare useful as a scientific model because their genome may be easily manipulated, and such genetic alterations may facilitate our understanding of how particular genes function. However, whenDrosophilapopulations are maintained by living culture over extended periods of time, unwanted genetic mutations may be inadvertently introduced into the genome. Until now,Drosophilastrains have been preserved by freezing embryos or eggs, but these processes may be labor intensive and difficult to reproduce. Therefore, the researchers sought to develop a new technique for the preservation ofDrosophilastrains that is simple and reproducible.

“我们从捐赠者治疗包括cryoprese苍蝇rvation agent and stored them in liquid nitrogen, which maintains samples at an extremely low temperature," explains senior author of the study Professor Satoru Kobayashi. "We found that cryopreserved PGCs that were thawed and transplanted into host flies were able to produce offspring with the same genetic characteristics as the donor flies."

The researchers tested this technique using frozen PGCs from severalDrosophilastrains with different genetic backgrounds and found that offspring could be effectively produced from frozen PGCs regardless of strain. The cryopreserved PGCs were still effective after up to 400 days of long-term storage.

The researchers also transplanted frozen PGCs into aDrosophilastrain that is normally unable to reproduce and found that the frozen cells were capable of inducing offspring from these hosts.

"We are very pleased with the results, and in fact, our protocol has already been implemented at KYOTO Stock Center in the Kyoto Institute of Technology (KIT)," says Professor Toshiyuki Takano-Shimizu in KIT. "We hope that this technique may be used broadly for the preservation ofDrosophilastrains."

The researchers are currently preparing a video report demonstrating their protocol to help further communicate this technique to other research teams. This method represents a simple and effective way to preserveDrosophilapopulations for future use and minimize the risk of unwanted genetic mutations.