Many of these techniques add to the cadre of experimental tools available for the use of the fly as a model organism for studying carbohydrate and lipid homeostasis. The world of Drosophila research has not only a rich history of developing techniques for exquisite genetic manipulation, but also continues to develop genetic methodologies at an exciting rate. From conserved circulating hormones to key enzymes, the fly is host to a variety of homologous, metabolically active signaling mechanisms. For example, it has proven possible to generate obese and diabetic Drosophila conversely, genetic manipulation can also generate lean and hypoglycemic phenotypes. Recent work has highlighted that these conserved molecular pathways have the potential to give rise to similar phenotypes. Importantly, many metabolic pathways are conserved in both man and the fly. In this review, the utility of Drosophila melanogaster as a model organism for research in metabolism will be demonstrated.
