The GeneSwitch (GS) is a modified Gal4/UAS system, whereby transgene expression is induced in Drosophila by adding the drug RU486 to food. The GS system is routinely used in Drosophila aging and behavioral studies to avoid confounding effects related to genetic background mutations. Here, we report transcriptional and functional defects that are induced by RU486 in a stock- and tissue-dependent manner, such as defects in flight and mitochondrial gene expression. In addition to including proper controls, our findings suggest that context-specific side effects induced by RU486 should be considered in the experimental design and when interpreting the observed phenotypes.

GeneSwitch（GS）是改良的Gal4 / UAS系统，通过在食品中添加药物RU486，可在果蝇中诱导转基因表达。GS系统通常用于果蝇的衰老和行为研究，以避免与遗传背景突变相关的混杂效应。在这里，我们报告由库存和组织依赖的方式由RU486诱导的转录和功能缺陷，例如飞行和线粒体基因表达中的缺陷。除了包括适当的对照外，我们的发现还表明，在实验设计中以及解释观察到的表型时，应考虑到由RU486引起的特定于上下文的副作用。