Overview of MARCM-Related Technologies in Drosophila Neurobiological Research

Abstract

Mosaic analysis with a repressible cell marker (MARCM)–related technologies are positive genetic mosaic labeling systems that have been widely applied in studies of Drosophila brain development and neural circuit formation to identify diverse neuronal types, reconstruct neural lineages, and investigate the function of genes and molecules. Two types of MARCM-related technologies have been developed: single-colored and twin-colored. Single-colored MARCM technologies label one of two twin daughter cells in otherwise unmarked background tissues through site-specific recombination of homologous chromosomes during mitosis of progenitors. On the other hand, twin-colored genetic mosaic technologies label both twin daughter cells with two distinct colors, enabling the retrieval of useful information from both progenitor-derived cells and their subsequent clones. In this overview, we describe the principles and usage guidelines for MARCM-related technologies in order to help researchers employ these powerful genetic mosaic systems in their investigations of intricate neurobiological topics. © 2020 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.