title: Using GFP video to track 3D movement and conditional gene expression in free-moving flies.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In vivo imaging and quantification of fluorescent reporter molecules is increasingly useful in biomedical research. For example, tracking animal movement in 3D with simultaneous quantification of fluorescent transgenic reporters allows for correlations between behavior, aging and gene expression. However implementation has been hindered in the past by the complexity of operating the systems.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We report significant technical improvements and user-friendly software (called FluoreScore) that enables tracking of 3D movement and the dynamics of gene expression in adult Drosophila, using two cameras and recorded GFP videos. Expression of a transgenic construct encoding eGFP was induced in free-moving adult flies using the Gene-Switch system and RU486 drug feeding. The time course of induction of eGFP expression was readily quantified from internal tissues including central nervous tissue.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  FluoreScore should facilitate a variety of future studies involving quantification of movement behaviors and fluorescent molecules in free-moving animals.
authors: Molecular and Computational Biology Program, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America.
authors: Reza
authors: R
authors: Ardekani
authors: Yichuan Michelle
authors: YM
authors: Huang
authors: Prathamesh
authors: P
authors: Sancheti
authors: Ramunas
authors: R
authors: Stanciauskas
authors: Simon
authors: S
authors: Tavaré
authors: John
authors: J
authors: Tower
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D004330:Drosophila / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods*; D012160:Retina / Q000378:metabolism; D012984:Software
chemical_list: D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins