Drosophila as a model for understanding genetic links to our responses to environmental toxins

A Drosophila model for toxicogenomics: Genetic variation in susceptibility to heavy metal exposure.
Shanshan Zhou, Sarah E. Luoma, Genevieve E. St. Armour, Esha Thakkar, Trudy F. C. Mackay, Robert R. H. Anholt

In PLoS Genetics 2017

From the author summary: "Although physiological effects of environmental toxins are well documented, we know little about the genetic factors that determine individual variation in susceptibility to toxins. Such information is difficult to obtain in human populations due to heterogeneity in genetic background and environmental exposure, and the diversity of symptoms and time lag with which they appear after toxic exposure. Here, we show that the fruit fly, Drosophila, can serve as a powerful genetic model system to elucidate the genetic underpinnings that contribute to individual variation in resistance to toxicity, using lead and cadmium exposure as an experimental paradigm. ... Thus, we demonstrate that based on evolutionary conservation of fundamental biological processes, we can use Drosophila as a powerful translational model for toxicogenomics studies."