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Drosophila melanogaster as sentinel organism for hazard identification of environmental contaminants
Summary
This review highlights how the common fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster) is being used as a model organism to study the toxic effects of environmental pollutants, including microplastics, nanomaterials, and heavy metals. Researchers found that fruit flies offer genetic tools and measurable endpoints like survival, reproduction, and behavior that make them valuable for identifying hazards and discovering biomarkers. The study underscores the fruit fly's growing role in advancing our understanding of how environmental contaminants affect living organisms.
Drosophila melanogaster is increasingly utilized in environmental risk assessment due to its genetic versatility, biological relevance, and cost-effectiveness. It plays a key role in toxicological studies of emerging environmental pollutants, including microplastics, nanomaterials, and personal pharmaceuticals. Its utility also offers insights into hazard identification of traditional pollutants, unraveling toxicological mechanisms, and identifying molecular targets for public health interventions. Here we highlight the diverse applications of Drosophila in toxicological studies of various pollutants, including heavy metals, pesticides, industrial chemicals, pharmaceuticals, nanomaterials, and microplastics, underlining its role in hazard identification, biomarker discovery, and mechanistic toxicology. By integrating findings from various domains, this article underscores the significance of Drosophila in advancing environmental toxicology and fostering effective pollution mitigation strategies. Particular attention is given to its application in evaluating phenotypic, molecular, and behavioral endpoints relevant to pollutant exposure. Hazard identification in Drosophila primarily focuses on phenotypic assessments, such as survival rates, dietary changes, lifespan, aging, sleep quality, and reproductive health, to evaluate the toxicological effects of environmental contaminants. Drosophila has proven invaluable in biomarker discovery and advancing our understanding of toxicokinetics and bioaccumulation processes for various pollutants. We also discuss emerging trends, including the integration of omics technologies and its potential in high-throughput screening. Despite its many advantages, challenges remain, such as limited translational relevance to human systems, strain-specific responses, and gaps in mechanistic understanding. Addressing these issues will be critical for maximizing the impact of Drosophila-based research in environmental health science.