Bilal R Malik and Terrence M Trinca
Exposure to various genotoxic and oxidative stresses can induce changes in the internal state of a cell leading to cell death. Ionizing radiation is routinely used in clinics to treat various types of cancers, with secondary effects sometimes damaging internal organs particularly the gut. Drosophila melanogaster has become one of the most trusted model organisms to study human disease and various biological pathways. Here we have used gamma radiation to determine for the first time whether they have an effect on autophagy in two different tissues in Drosophila; the gut and the brain. We find that in both tissues exposure to radiation leads to an increase in autophagy.