Identification and characterization of GAL4 drivers that mark distinct cell types and regions in the Drosophila adult gut

Abstract

The gastrointestinal tract in the adult Drosophila serves as a model system for exploring the mechanisms underlying digestion, absorption and excretion, stem cell plasticity, and inter-organ communication, particularly through the gut–brain axis. It is also useful for studying the cellular and adaptive responses to dietary changes, alterations in microbiota and immunity, and systematic and endocrine signals. Despite the various cell types and distinct regions in the gastrointestinal tract, few tools are available to target and manipulate the activity of each cell type and region, and their gene expression. Here, we report 353 GAL4 lines and several split-GAL4 lines that are expressed in enteric neurons (ENs), progenitors (ISCs and EBs), enterocytes (ECs), enteroendocrine cells (EEs), or/and other cell types that are yet to be identified in distinct regions of the gut. We had initially collected approximately 600 GAL4 lines that may be expressed in the gut based on RNA sequencing data, and then crossed them to UAS-GFP to perform immunohistochemistry to identify those that are expressed selectively in the gut. The cell types and regional expression patterns that are associated with the entire set of GAL4 drivers and split-GAL4 combinations are annotated online at http://kdrc.kr/index.php (K-Gut Project). This GAL4 resource can be used to target specific populations of distinct cell types in the fly gut, and therefore, should permit a more precise investigation of gut cells that regulate important biological processes.

Keywords:

• Drosophila
• gut
• GAL4
• regional
• cell-type specificity
• resource

Acknowledgements

We also thank Dr. H. Kim (GIST Central Research Facility) for excellent technical assistance for the light-sheet microscopy and the Bloomington Drosophila Stock Center (BDSC) for providing fly lines.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

A generous funding from National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) Grant NRF-2017M3A9B8069650 (directed by Dr. Jaesang Kim) made possible for Drosophilates in South Korea to initiate this collaborative project. National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) Grant NRF-2017M3A9B8069650 (to Y.-J.K.) has enabled the initiation and continuation of this project. This work was partially supported by the Samsung Science and Technology Foundation Grant. SSTF-BA-1802–11 (to G.S.B.S), the GIST Research Institute (GRI) grant funded by the GIST in 2020 (to Y.-J.K.), the National Creative Research Initiative Program Grant 2015R1A3A2033475 (to W.-J.L.), and the NRF grants; NRF-2020R1A2C2009865 (to G.S.B.S); NRF-2020R1F1A1070665 (to J.Y.K.); NRF-2017R1A2B4007280 (to M.S.C.); NRF-2018R1D1A1B07049280 (to H.Y.); NRF-2019R1I1A1A01061499 (to J.-H.L.); NRF-2019R1I1A1A01059606 (to K.-A.L.); NRF-2020R1I1A1A01072255 (to B.K.).