About 150 Drosophila cell lines from a variety of tissues sources exist in a community resource.
•
Extensive genomic and transcriptional data are available for many of these lines.
•
We review basic techniques for culture, transformation, and storage of cell lines.
•
We survey the wide range of applications for which Drosophila lines have been successfully used.
Abstract
We review the properties and uses of cell lines in Drosophila research, emphasizing the variety of lines, the large body of genomic and transcriptional data available for many of the lines, and the variety of ways the lines have been used to provide tools for and insights into the developmental, molecular, and cell biology of Drosophila and mammals.