A GAL4-Driver Line Resource for Drosophila Neurobiology

SummaryWe established a collection of 7,000 transgenic lines of Drosophila melanogaster. Expression of GAL4 in each line is controlled by a different, defined fragment of genomic DNA that serves as a transcriptional enhancer. We used confocal microscopy of dissected nervous systems to determine the expression patterns driven by each fragment in the adult brain and ventral nerve cord. We present image data on 6,650 lines. Using both manual and machine-assisted annotation, we describe the expression patterns in the most useful lines. We illustrate the utility of these data for identifying novel neuronal cell types, revealing brain asymmetry, and describing the nature and extent of neuronal shape stereotypy. The GAL4 lines allow expression of exogenous genes in distinct, small subsets of the adult nervous system. The set of DNA fragments, each driving a documented expression pattern, will facilitate the generation of additional constructs for manipulating neuronal function.

Graphical AbstractFigure optionsDownload as PowerPoint slideHighlights
► Seven thousand GAL4 lines are made using defined enhancer fragments and integration site
► Expression patterns of 6,650 lines are imaged in the adult brain and VNC
► The fly brain displays limited left-right asymmetry
► GAL4 lines and high-resolution image data are available to the community