Essential role of Duox in stabilization of Drosophila wing.

NADPH oxidase produces reactive oxygen species (ROS). Drosophila melanogaster has two homologs of NADPH oxidase, dNox and dDuox, with functions that remain unclear in vivo. To clarify these functions, two independent transgenic fly lines expressing dsRNA targeted for different portions of dDuox mRNA were used.

A Drosophila model for the screening of bioavailable NADPH oxidase inhibitors and antioxidants.

NADPH oxidase is the major source of non-mitochondrial cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), and also is reported to be a major cause of various diseases including atherosclerosis and hypertension. In order to screen a new curative reagent that can suppress NADPH oxidase activity, we developed a Drosophila melanogaster fly that would overexpress human Dual oxidase 2 (hDuox2), a member of the NADPH oxidase family, as a screening model. These flies (GMR-GAL4/UAS-hDuox2) had a high generation of ROS in the posterior region of the eye discs along with an easily recognizable rough-eye phenotype, which is an ideal and convenient marker for further screening steps.