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68
Honey Bee Section
Drosophila melanogaster commonly known as fruit
y [Figure 1] is considered as a pest by farmers as they love to
eat ripe fruits, but a friend of researchers because of its short life
cycle, inexpensive, easy to breed and produces large numbers
of offsprings. Apart from this, the chromosomes are large and
can be easily found in saliva thus can be easily observed and
studied. Drosophila genome has four pairs of chromosome,
Nobel Prize for the Fruit Fly
Figure 1: The fruit fly.
have a high rate of mutation and about more than 90% of
its homeobox domain of homeotic genes (Antennapedia,
Fushi tarazu, and Ultrabithorax) are shared by human. Due
to its small genome size, it is easy to understand and map
the genome. Max Planck Society reported that about 75% of
the genes causing disease in human are found in fruit ies.
About 90% of the fruit y genes can cause cancer in human.
Therefore, it is a very useful organism for genetic study.
Till date, ve groups have received the Nobel Prize for their
work using fruit ies as their model organism.
The studies on fruit ies dated back to the 1900s, when Thomas
Morgan [Figure 2] worked on fruit ies and established the
Figure 2: Thomas Morgan.
Figure 4: Edward B. Lewis, Christiane Nusslein Volhard and Eric F.
Wieschaus.
Figure 6: Jeffrey C. Hall, Michael Rosbash and Michael W. Young.
Figure 3: H. J. Muller.
Figure 5: Bruce Beutler, Jules Hoffmann and Ralph Steinman.
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Das: The Fruit Fly
Journal of the Practice of Cardiovascular Sciences ¦ Volume 3 ¦ Issue 2 ¦ May‑August 2017 69
chromosomal theory of inheritance further leading to the Nobel
Prize for medicine in 1933. His work with Drosophila played
an important role in fundamental discoveries of inheritance.
In 1927, Muller [Figure 3] one of the Morgans’ students studied
the hereditary characteristics of fruit ies and demonstrated
that mutations and hereditary changes can be caused by
X‑ray (Muller 1927). He also observed that higher the X‑ray
exposer higher was the frequency of mutation. This study
became the rst evidence of harmful effect of X‑ray. Later in
1946, Muller was awarded the Nobel Prize in physiology or
medicine for the same.
In the late 1970s and 1980s geneticist, embryologists and
molecular biologists started working together, and Drosophila
research became a great hit.
Edward B Lewis [Figure 4], along with Christiane Nusslein
Volhard and Eric F Wieschaus was awarded the Nobel Prize
for physiology or medicine in 1995. The study conducted
by these three scientists was on early embryo development.
Christiane Nusslein Volhard and Eric F Wieschaus were able
to identify genes that were playing an important role in the
formation of body segments and body plans in Drosophila.
Edward B Lewis studied how the genes were controlling the
development of specialized organs from these body segments.
This discovery has helped in understanding the congenital
malformation in human.[1‑8]
This tiny little y has not only revolutionized the eld of
genetics but also was a star in the eld of immunology. When
the scientists were searching an answer to the question that
how human and other organisms protect themselves from the
attack of bacteria and other organisms. Bruce Beutler [Figure 5],
Jules Hoffmann and Ralph Steinman got an answer to it while
working on Drosophila.
Jules Hoffmann found that ies with mutations in Toll gene
died when infected with bacteria and fungi due to lack of innate
defense system, thus throwing light on receptor proteins which
can recognize microorganisms and activate innate immunity.
Beutler discovered that Toll‑like receptors were also present in
mice, which shows that mammals and fruit ies have similar
kind of molecules to activate innate immunity. Ralph Steinman
discovered dendritic cells and their ability to activate T cells.
Thus the signal generated by Toll‑like receptors is sensed by
dendritic cells, which further activates T cells, therefore, it
avoids the destruction of body’s own molecule. This work
was then awarded the Nobel Prize in 2011 for physiology or
medicine.
Finally, again this small little creature has played a beautiful
role in receiving the 2017 Nobel Prize for Physiology or
Medicine. All living organisms have an internal biological
clock, which helps us to keep a day and night rhythm,
but the mechanism of its work was not known till date.
Jeffrey C [Figure 6]. Hall, Michael Rosbash and Michael W.
Young were working on fruit y and are able to explain how
the circadian rhythm is working and synchronizing with the
Earth’s revolutions.
They isolated a gene which encoded a protein during the night
but gets degraded during the day, thus maintaining the internal
biological clock. With this discovery, Juleen Zierath member of
Nobel academy stated that “The winners have raised awareness
of the importance of a proper sleep hygiene.”
In today’s world fruit y has established a very wonderful
career in the eld of research. It has played a huge role in
understanding not only genetics but also complex issues such
as immunology and biological clocks. Probably now, this small
little creature is preparing itself to receive the next Nobel Prize.
Soumi Das
Department of Cardiology, AIIMS, New Delhi, India
Address for correspondence: Dr. Soumi Das,
Department of Cardiology, AIIMS, New Delhi, India.
E‑mail: soumidas05@gmail.com
RefeRences
1. Bashyam H. Ralph steinman: Dendritic cells bring home the lasker.
J Exp Med 2007;204:2245‑8.
2. Hales KG, Korey CA, Larracuente AM, Roberts DM. Genetics on the y:
A Primer on the Drosophila model system. Genetics 2015;201:815‑42.
3. Hoffmann J. Antifungal defense in Drosophila. Nat Immunol
2007;8:543‑5.
4. Levine M, Rubin GM, Tjian R. Human DNA sequences homologous
to a protein coding region conserved between homeotic genes of
Drosophila. Cell 1984;38:667‑73.
5. Lewis EB. A gene complex controlling segmentation in Drosophila.
Nature 1978;276:565‑70.
6. Muller HJ. Articial transmutation of the gene. Science 1927;66:84‑7.
7. Nüsslein‑Volhard C, Wieschaus E. Mutations affecting segment number
and polarity in Drosophila. Nature 1980;287:795‑801.
8. Steensma DP, Shampo MA, Kyle RA. Bruce Beutler: Innate immunity
and Toll‑like receptors. Mayo Clin Proc 2014;89:e101.
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How to cite this article: Das S. Nobel prize for the fruit y. J Pract
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