Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Correspondence
  • Published:

A Drosophila RNAi collection is subject to dominant phenotypic effects

Nature Methods volume 11, pages 222–223 (2014)Cite this article

Subjects

To the Editor:

The transgenic RNA interference (RNAi)-inducing lines from the Vienna Drosophila RNAi Center's (VDRC) libraries1 have been used to elucidate gene function in both candidate gene experiments and a number of high-profile whole-genome reverse genetics screens. The first 'GD' library was generated by P element–mediated transformation of short hairpin RNA (shRNA) constructs into the fly genome, a technique susceptible to both false positive results (through insertional mutagenesis) and false negative results (including insertion into transcriptionally silent genomic regions). The VDRC's newer 'KK' collection of 10,740 lines instead used a two-step transformation in which flies were first transformed with vector pKC43 to generate a 'target' line (VDRC stock 60100, site VIE260B). Gene-specific shRNA sequences within the pKC26 vector could then be integrated into this pKC43 target using attP/B site, phiC31–mediated integration2. This strategy is thought to eliminate the risk of insertional mutagenesis, and the genetic homogeneity among lines makes the KK collection particularly appropriate for screens of complex or subtle phenotypes such as behavior.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Relevant articles

Open Access articles citing this article.

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1: Eye color of VDRC 'KK' lines with differing site occupancy.

References

  1. Dietzl, G. et al. Nature 448, 151–156 (2007).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Groth, A.C., Fish, M., Nusse, R. & Calos, M.P. Genetics 166, 1775–1782 (2004).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Denholm, B. et al. Development 140, 1100–1110 (2013).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We are grateful to E. Spana for comments and advice on Drosophila transgenesis. E.W.G. was supported by grants from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) (BB/J005169/1) to C.P.K. and the Cure Huntington's Disease Initiative (CHDI) Foundation (A-3267) to F.G. G.F. was supported by a grant from the Electromagnetic Field (EMF) Biological Research Trust (BRT 10/38) to C.P.K. This research used the Special Computational Teaching and Research Environment (SPECTRE) High Performance Computing Facility at the University of Leicester.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Genetics, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK

    Edward W Green, Giorgio Fedele, Flaviano Giorgini & Charalambos P Kyriacou

Authors
  1. Edward W Green
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Giorgio Fedele
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Flaviano Giorgini
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Charalambos P Kyriacou
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Charalambos P Kyriacou.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The authors declare no competing financial interests.

Supplementary information

Supplementary Figures, Table and Methods

Supplementary Figures 1–3, Supplementary Table 1 and Supplementary Methods (PDF 1251 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Green, E., Fedele, G., Giorgini, F. et al. A Drosophila RNAi collection is subject to dominant phenotypic effects. Nat Methods 11, 222–223 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1038/nmeth.2856

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nmeth.2856

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing: Translational Research

Sign up for the Nature Briefing: Translational Research newsletter — top stories in biotechnology, drug discovery and pharma.

Get what matters in translational research, free to your inbox weekly. Sign up for Nature Briefing: Translational Research