Este trabajo fue apoyado por una subvención del NIH de investigación, una beca de Fundación de la Epilepsia y una beca de la Fundación McKnight a la experimentación con MT en moscas de la fruta Drosophila se realizaron de acuerdo con las directrices y regulaciones establecidas por el Comité de la Universidad de Berkeley el uso de animales.

Preparación de las muestras: La noche antes del experimento, las moscas macho de genotipo deseado son anestesiados y colocados en un frasco con un tapón de nylon suave. Una bola de algodón también funcionaría. Después de anestesia, el umbral de convulsión se altera, por lo que las moscas lo mejor es dejar por lo menos 6 horas, aunque durante la noche es ideal. En el día del experimento, las moscas se montan uno a la vez a las diapositivas de cristal con una capa de cera dental, por un lado. Una sola mosca es recogido por la cabeza utilizando una aguja de calibre 23 (con la punta afilada de corte) conectado a una línea de vacío. La mosca, fijada a la cera en la diapositiva empujando las patas y las alas en la cera. Una vez que la marcha se inmoviliza, la cera se empuja hacia arriba alrededor del cuello y los ojos para inmovilizar totalmente la cabeza. Electrofisiología: La mosca, que ya está montado y listo para funcionar se coloca en la electrofisiología establecido. El conjunto de electrofisiología consiste de tres series de micromanipulador, cada uno con uno o dos electrodos de tungsteno afilada adjunto. El voltaje es proporcionado por un estimulador que se conecta a una unidad de aislamiento conectado a los electrodos de estimulación. El electrodo de registro está conectado a un pre-amplificador que a su vez está conectado a un osciloscopio de almacenamiento digital. Si bien no es esencial, es útil disponer de un altavoz conectado al osciloscopio para que las respuestas se pueden hacer audible. Un electrodo de masa se introduce en el abdomen de la mosca. El electrodo de registro se inserta en uno de los músculos dorsales longitudinales en el tórax de la mosca. Los electrodos de estimulación se insertan en la cabeza. Uno al lado de cada ojo. El estimulador debe tener las siguientes opciones para comenzar: intervalo de pulso continuo con 2 segundos entre cada pulso. No debe haber ningún retraso del pulso. El ancho de pulso debe ser 0,2 ms. El osciloscopio debe tener la característica de almacenamiento de encendido y tienen los siguientes valores: Tiempo / DIV se debe establecer en 1ms/DIV. Volts / DIV debe fijarse en cualquiera de 0.1V/DIV o 50 mV / DIV. El umbral de fibra gigante se determina mediante la entrega de los pulsos individuales y teniendo en cuenta la tensión mínima necesaria para obtener una respuesta. Esta tensión es típicamente alrededor de 2 V. Una vez que el umbral de fibra gigante se ha determinado, dejar de pulsar la marcha y cambiar la configuración en el osciloscopio para: 0.2 S / DIV Los ajustes en el estimulador debe ser cambiado a: El intervalo de pulso se debe establecer en una sola. El tren debe estar encendido y configurado en 3 segundos. Los parámetros de forma de onda son: 0,5 ms pulsos a 200 Hz para 300 ms. La tensión se cambia a la configuración deseada y un tren de alta frecuencia de los pulsos se entrega al cerebro de la mosca. Si un ataque no es inducida, el osciloscopio mostrará una línea plana después de que el tren. Si la configuración es configurar rápidamente a la configuración inicial, los pulsos de un solo causará una respuesta en el sistema de fibra gigante. Si un ataque es inducida, el osciloscopio muestra la actividad convulsiva después de que el tren. Si la configuración es rápidamente cambió de nuevo a la configuración original, los pulsos de un solo dejará de activar una respuesta en el sistema de fibra gigante. Las moscas tienen un periodo refractario después de una wavetrain estímulo de alta frecuencia en la que convulsivos como la actividad no puede ser inducida. Si no hay convulsión de las moscas son refractarios a unos 7 minutos. Si un ataque es inducida, las moscas tienen un periodo refractario de aproximadamente 17 minutos. Cuando se determina el umbral, más estímulos de alta frecuencia puede ser entregado a la mosca de la misma (desde el momento apropiado para el período refractario) hasta que el umbral está determinado o hasta que la respuesta de fibra gigante es demasiado débil para verlo. Después de que el experimento se ha completado, la mosca se elimina de la electrofisiología creado, liberado de la cera, y se eliminan.

<ol>
	<li>Kuebler, D., Tanouye, M. A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Modifications+of+seizure+susceptibility+in+Drosophila.">Modifications of seizure susceptibility in Drosophila.</a> J Neurophysiol. 83, 998-1009 (2000).</li><li>Kuebler, D., Zhang, H., Ren, X., Tanouye, M. A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Genetic+suppression+of+seizure+susceptibility+in+Drosophila.">Genetic suppression of seizure susceptibility in Drosophila.</a> J Neurophysiol. 86, 1211-1225 (2001).</li><li>Song, J., Tanouye, M. A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Seizure+suppression+by+shakB2,+a+gap+junction+mutation+in+Drosophila.">Seizure suppression by shakB2, a gap junction mutation in Drosophila.</a> J Neurophysiol. 95, 627-635 (2006).</li></ol>

Este vídeo ha demostrado los pasos básicos para determinar el umbral convulsivo de un individuo mosca Drosophila. En lugar de utilizar el osciloscopio digital, un digitalizador computarizada también se puede utilizar. Esta técnica es útil para determinar los efectos de una droga o la alteración genética en el umbral de las convulsiones de una mosca.

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">	
		
		<div>
		<table border="1">
		<thead>
		<tr>
		<th>Material Name</th>
		<th>Type</th>
		<th>Company</th>
		<th>Catalogue Number</th>
		<th>Comment</th>
		</tr>
		</thead>
		<tbody>
		
<tr>
<td>Digital oscilloscope</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Hitachi</td>
<td>VC-6523</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Stimulator</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Cornerstone</td>
<td>S-900</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Preamplifier</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>World Precision Instruments</td>
<td>Electro 705</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Micromanipulators</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Narishige</td>
<td>various</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>		</tbody>
		</table>
		</div>

neurocircuit assays for seizures in epilepsy mutants of drosophila

Drosophila melanogaster es una herramienta útil para el estudio de secuestro como actividad. Una variedad de mutantes en los que las convulsiones pueden ser inducidas a través de cualquiera de choque físico o estimulación eléctrica está disponible para el estudio de diversos aspectos de la actividad convulsiva y el comportamiento. Todas las moscas, incluso de tipo salvaje, se someterá a actividades similares a convulsiones si se estimula a un voltaje suficientemente alto. Convulsivos como la actividad es una respuesta de todo o nada y cada genotipo tiene un umbral de convulsiones específicas. El umbral de las convulsiones de un genotipo específico de la mosca puede ser alterado, ya sea por tratamiento con un fármaco o por la supresión o mejora genética. El umbral se mide fácilmente por electrofisiología. Actividades similares a convulsiones pueden ser inducidas a través de la estimulación eléctrica de alta frecuencia entregados directamente al cerebro y grabado a través de los músculos dorsales longitudinales (DLMS) en el tórax. El DLMS son inervados por parte del sistema de fibra gigante. A partir de la estimulación de baja tensión, alta frecuencia, y, posteriormente, elevar la tensión en incrementos pequeños, el umbral de las convulsiones de una sola mosca puede ser medido.

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Neurocircuit Assays for Seizures in Epilepsy Mutants of Drosophila at JoVE.com

Neurocircuit Assays for Seizures in Epilepsy Mutants of Drosophila

Uso de alta frecuencia de estimulación eléctrica, actividades similares a convulsiones pueden ser inducidos en<em&gt; Drosophila</em&gt;. Esta actividad es fácilmente grabado desde el sistema de fibra gigante.

Neurocircuit ensayos para las convulsiones en la epilepsia de los mutantes Drosophila</em

Drosophila melanogaster is a useful tool for studying seizure like activity. A variety of mutants in which seizures can be induced through either physical ...

neurocircuit-assays-for-seizures-in-epilepsy-mutants-of-drosophila

Research

JoVE Journal

Biology

Neurocircuit Assays for Seizures in Epilepsy Mutants of Drosophila

10.4K vistas.  University of California, Berkeley. Uso de alta frecuencia de estimulación eléctrica, actividades similares a convulsiones pueden ser inducidos en Drosophila. Esta actividad es fácilmente grabado desde el sistema de fibra gigante.

Video: Neurocircuit Assays for Seizures in Epilepsy Mutants of Drosophila

Paradigms for Pharmacological Characterization of C. elegans Synaptic Transmission Mutants

The nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans, has become an expedient model for studying neurotransmission. C. elegans is unique among animal models, as the anatomy and connectivity of its nervous system has been determined from electron micrographs and refined by pharmacological assays. In this video, we describe how two complementary neural stimulants, an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor, called aldicarb, and a gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor antagonist, called pentylenetetrazole (PTZ), may be employed to specifically characterize signaling at C. elegans neuromuscular junctions (NMJs) and facilitate our understanding of antagonistic neural circuits.
Of 302 C. elegans neurons, nineteen GABAergic D-type motor neurons innervate body wall muscles (BWMs), while four GABAergic neurons, called RMEs, innervate head muscles. Conversely, thirty-nine motor neurons express the excitatory neurotransmitter, acetylcholine (ACh), and antagonize GABA transmission at BWMs to coordinate locomotion. The antagonistic nature of GABAergic and cholinergic motor neurons at body wall NMJs was initially determined by laser ablation and later buttressed by aldicarb exposure. Acute aldicarb exposure results in a time-course or dose-responsive paralysis in wild-type worms. Yet, loss of excitatory ACh transmission confers resistance to aldicarb, as less ACh accumulates at worm NMJs, leading to less stimulation of BWMs. Resistance to aldicarb may be observed with ACh-specific or general synaptic function mutants. Consistent with antagonistic GABA and ACh transmission, loss of GABA transmission, or a failure to negatively regulate ACh release, confers hypersensitivity to aldicarb. Although aldicarb exposure has led to the isolation of numerous worm homologs of neurotransmission genes, aldicarb exposure alone cannot efficiently determine prevailing roles for genes and pathways in specific C. elegans motor neurons. For this purpose, we have introduced a complementary experimental approach, which uses PTZ.
Neurotransmission mutants display clear phenotypes, distinct from aldicarb-induced paralysis, in response to PTZ. Wild-type worms, as well as mutants with specific inabilities to release or receive ACh, do not show apparent sensitivity to PTZ. However, GABA mutants, as well as general synaptic function mutants, display anterior convulsions in a time-course or dose-responsive manner. Mutants that cannot negatively regulate general neurotransmitter release and, thus, secrete excessive amounts of ACh onto BWMs, become paralyzed on PTZ. The PTZ-induced phenotypes of discrete mutant classes indicate that a complementary approach with aldicarb and PTZ exposure paradigms in C. elegans may accelerate our understanding of neurotransmission. Moreover, videos demonstrating how we perform pharmacological assays should establish consistent methods for C. elegans research.

This video demonstrates how to employ two neural stimulants, aldicarb and pentylenetetrazole (PTZ), in complementary ways to study synaptic function in the nematode, C. elegans. This complementary approach may also be used to shed light on evolutionarily conserved mechanisms for modulating neuronal synchrony and has implications for epilepsy and seizures.

Paradigmas para la caracterización farmacológica de C. elegans mutantes transmisión sináptica

The nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans, has become an expedient model for studying neurotransmission. C. elegans is unique among animal models, as the ...

Investigación

Biología

Lens Transplantation in Zebrafish and its Application in the Analysis of Eye Mutants

The lens plays an important role in the development of the optic cup[1,2]. Using the zebrafish as a model organism, questions regarding lens development can be addressed. The zebrafish is useful for genetic studies due to several advantageous characteristics, including small size, high fecundity, short lifecycle, and ease of care. Lens development occurs rapidly in zebrafish. By 72 hpf, the zebrafish lens is functionally mature [3]. Abundant genetic and molecular resources are available to support research in zebrafish. In addition, the similarity of the zebrafish eye to those of other vertebrates provides basis for its use as an excellent animal model of human defects[4-7]. Several zebrafish mutants exhibit lens abnormalities, including high levels of cell death, which in some cases leads to a complete degeneration of lens tissues [8]. To determine whether lens abnormalities are due to intrinsic causes or to defective interactions with the surrounding tissues, transplantation of a mutant lens into a wild-type eye is performed. Using fire-polished metal needles, mutant or wild-type lenses are carefully dissected from the donor animal, and transferred into the host. To distinguish wild-type and mutant tissues, a transgenic line is used as the donor. This line expresses membrane-bound GFP in all tissues, including the lens. This transplantation technique is an essential tool in the studies of zebrafish lens mutants.

Lens development involves interactions with other tissues. Several zebrafish eye mutants are characterized by an abnormally small lens size. Here we demonstrate a lens transplantation experiment to determine whether this phenotype is due to intrinsic causes or defective interactions with tissues that surround the lens.

Trasplante de lentes en el pez cebra y su aplicación en el análisis de mutantes de ojos

The lens plays an important role in the development of the optic cup[1,2]. Using the zebrafish as a model organism, questions regarding lens development ...

Preparation of embryos for Electron Microscopy of the Drosophila embryonic heart tube

The morphogenesis of the Drosophila embryonic heart tube has emerged as a valuable model system for studying cell migration, cell-cell adhesion and cell shape changes during embryonic development. One of the challenges faced in studying this structure is that the lumen of the heart tube, as well as the membrane features that are crucial to heart tube formation, are difficult to visualize in whole mount embryos, due to the small size of the heart tube and intra-lumenal space relative to the embryo. The use of transmission electron microscopy allows for higher magnification of these structures and gives the advantage of examining the embryos in cross section, which easily reveals the size and shape of the lumen. In this video, we detail the process for reliable fixation, embedding, and sectioning of late stage Drosophila embryos in order to visualize the heart tube lumen as well as important cellular structures including cell-cell junctions and the basement membrane.

Preparation of embryos for Electron Microscopy of the Drosophila embryonic heart tube

We describe a process for fixation, embedding, sectioning, and imaging of late stage Drosophila embryos for Trasmission Electron Microscopy of the embryonic heart tube. This technique allows for the visualization of the heart tube lumen as well as the basement membrane, which lines the lumen of the heart.

Preparación de embriones para Microscopía Electrónica de la Drosophila Tubo cardíaco embrionario

The morphogenesis of the Drosophila  embryonic heart tube has emerged as a valuable model system for studying cell migration, cell-cell adhesion and cell ...

Analysis of Schwann-astrocyte Interactions Using In Vitro Assays

Schwann cells are one of the commonly used cells in repair strategies following spinal cord injuries. Schwann cells are capable of supporting axonal regeneration and sprouting by secreting growth factors 1,2 and providing growth promoting adhesion molecules 3 and extracellular matrix molecules 4. In addition they myelinate the demyelinated axons at the site of injury 5.
However following transplantation, Schwann cells do not migrate from the site of implant and do not intermingle with the host astrocytes 6,7. This results in formation of a sharp boundary between the Schwann cells and astrocytes, creating an obstacle for growing axons trying to exit the graft back into the host tissue proximally and distally. Astrocytes in contact with Schwann cells also undergo hypertrophy and up-regulate the inhibitory molecules 8-13.
In vitro assays have been used to model Schwann cell-astrocyte interactions and have been important in understanding the mechanism underlying the cellular behaviour.
These in vitro assays include boundary assay, where a co-culture is made using two different cells with each cell type occupying different territories with only a small gap separating the two cell fronts. As the cells divide and migrate, the two cellular fronts get closer to each other and finally collide. This allows the behaviour of the two cellular populations to be analyzed at the boundary. Another variation of the same technique is to mix the two cellular populations in culture and over time the two cell types segregate with Schwann cells clumped together as islands in between astrocytes together creating multiple Schwann-astrocyte boundaries.
The second assay used in studying the interaction of two cell types is the migration assay where cellular movement can be tracked on the surface of the other cell type monolayer 14,15. This assay is commonly known as inverted coverslip assay. Schwann cells are cultured on small glass fragments and they are inverted face down onto the surface of astrocyte monolayers and migration is assessed from the edge of coverslip.
Both assays have been instrumental in studying the underlying mechanisms involved in the cellular exclusion and boundary formation. Some of the molecules identified using these techniques include N-Cadherins 15, Chondroitin Sulphate proteoglycans(CSPGs) 16,17, FGF/Heparin 18, Eph/Ephrins19.
This article intends to describe boundary assay and migration assay in stepwise fashion and elucidate the possible technical problems that might occur.

Analysis of Schwann-astrocyte Interactions Using In Vitro Assays

This article intends to describe in stepwise fashion the commonly used in vitro assays used in studying Schwann cell-asrtocyte interactions.

El análisis de Schwann-astrocito interacciones utilizando In Vitro Ensayos

Schwann cells are one of the commonly used cells in repair strategies following spinal cord injuries. Schwann cells are capable of supporting axonal ...

Endurance Training Protocol and Longitudinal Performance Assays for Drosophila melanogaster

One of the most pressing problems facing modern medical researchers is the surging levels of obesity, with the consequent increase in associated disorders such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease 1-3. An important topic of research into these associated health problems involves the role of endurance exercise as a beneficial intervention.
Exercise training is an inexpensive, non-invasive intervention with several beneficial results, including reduction in excess body fat 4, increased insulin sensitivity in skeletal muscle 5, increased anti-inflammatory and antioxidative responses 6, and improved contractile capacity in cardiomyocytes 7. Low intensity exercise is known to increase mitochondrial activity and biogenesis in humans 8 and mice, with the transcriptional coactivator PGC1-&alpha; as an important intermediate 9,10. 
Despite the importance of exercise as a tool for combating several important age-related diseases, extensive longitudinal genetic studies have been impeded by the lack of an endurance training protocol for a short-lived genetic model species. The variety of genetic tools available for use with Drosophila, together with its short lifespan and inexpensive maintenance, make it an appealing model for further study of these genetic mechanisms. With this in mind we have developed a novel apparatus, known as the Power Tower, for large scale exercise-training in Drosophila melanogaster 11. The Power Tower utilizes the flies' instinctive negative geotaxis behavior to repetitively induce rapid climbing. Each time the machine lifts, then drops, the platform of flies, the flies are induced to climb. Flies continue to respond as long as the machine is in operation or until they become too fatigued to respond. Thus, the researcher can use this machine to provide simultaneous training to large numbers of age-matched and genetically identical flies. Additionally, we describe associated assays useful to track longitudinal progress of fly cohorts during training.

Endurance Training Protocol and Longitudinal Performance Assays for Drosophila melanogaster

We describe the first endurance training protocol for an important genetic model species, Drosophila melanogaster, and outline several assays to chart improvements in mobility following training.

Protocolo de entrenamiento de resistencia y ensayos de funcionamiento de los longitudinales de Drosophila melanogaster

One of the most pressing problems facing modern medical researchers is the surging levels of obesity, with the consequent increase in associated disorders ...

Live Imaging of Apoptotic Cell Clearance during Drosophila Embryogenesis

The proper elimination of unwanted or aberrant cells through apoptosis and subsequent phagocytosis (apoptotic cell clearance) is crucial for normal development in all metazoan organisms. Apoptotic cell clearance is a highly dynamic process intimately associated with cell death; unengulfed apoptotic cells are barely seen in vivo under normal conditions. In order to understand the different steps of apoptotic cell clearance and to compare 'professional' phagocytes - macrophages and dendritic cells to 'non-professional' - tissue-resident neighboring cells, in vivo live imaging of the process is extremely valuable. Here we describe a protocol for studying apoptotic cell clearance in live Drosophila embryos. To follow the dynamics of different steps in phagocytosis we use specific markers for apoptotic cells and phagocytes. In addition, we can monitor two phagocyte systems in parallel: 'professional' macrophages and 'semi-professional' glia in the developing central nervous system (CNS). The method described here employs the Drosophila embryo as an excellent model for real time studies of apoptotic cell clearance.

Live Imaging of Apoptotic Cell Clearance during Drosophila Embryogenesis

Here we describe an effective method for studying dynamics of apoptotic cell clearance in vivo. This method employs live Drosophila embryos as a powerful model for monitoring phagocytosis of apoptotic cells using specific labeling of apoptotic cells and phagocytes.

Imágenes de Apoptotic Liquidación de células vivas durante<em&gt; Drosophila</em&gt; Embriogénesis

The  proper elimination of unwanted or aberrant cells through apoptosis and  subsequent phagocytosis (apoptotic cell clearance) is crucial for normal  ...

Coupled Assays for Monitoring Protein Refolding in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Proteostasis, defined as the combined processes of protein folding/biogenesis, refolding/repair, and degradation, is a delicate cellular balance that must be maintained to avoid deleterious consequences 1. External or internal factors that disrupt this balance can lead to protein aggregation, toxicity and cell death. In humans this is a major contributing factor to the symptoms associated with neurodegenerative disorders such as Huntington's, Parkinson's, and Alzheimer's diseases 10. It is therefore essential that the proteins involved in maintenance of proteostasis be identified in order to develop treatments for these debilitating diseases. This article describes techniques for monitoring in vivo protein folding at near-real time resolution using the model protein firefly luciferase fused to green fluorescent protein (FFL-GFP). FFL-GFP is a unique model chimeric protein as the FFL moiety is extremely sensitive to stress-induced misfolding and aggregation, which inactivates the enzyme 12. Luciferase activity is monitored using an enzymatic assay, and the GFP moiety provides a method of visualizing soluble or aggregated FFL using automated microscopy. These coupled methods incorporate two parallel and technically independent approaches to analyze both refolding and functional reactivation of an enzyme after stress. Activity recovery can be directly correlated with kinetics of disaggregation and re-solubilization to better understand how protein quality control factors such as protein chaperones collaborate to perform these functions. In addition, gene deletions or mutations can be used to test contributions of specific proteins or protein subunits to this process. In this article we examine the contributions of the protein disaggregase Hsp104 13, known to partner with the Hsp40/70/nucleotide exchange factor (NEF) refolding system 5, to protein refolding to validate this approach.

Coupled Assays for Monitoring Protein Refolding in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

This article describes the use of a firefly luciferase-GFP fusion protein to investigate in vivo protein folding in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Using this reagent, refolding of a model heat-denatured protein can be monitored simultaneously by fluorescence microscopy and an enzymatic assay to probe the roles of proteostasis network components in protein quality control.

Los ensayos acoplados para Monitoreo replegamiento de proteínas en<em&gt; Saccharomyces cerevisiae</em

Proteostasis, defined as the combined processes of protein folding/biogenesis, refolding/repair, and degradation, is a delicate cellular balance that must ...

Viability Assays for Cells in Culture

Manual cell counts on a microscope are a sensitive means of assessing cellular viability but are time-consuming and therefore expensive. Computerized viability assays are expensive in terms of equipment but can be faster and more objective than manual cell counts. The present report describes the use of three such viability assays. Two of these assays are infrared and one is luminescent. Both infrared assays rely on a 16&#160;bit Odyssey Imager. One infrared assay uses the DRAQ5 stain for nuclei combined with the Sapphire stain for cytosol and is visualized in the 700 nm channel. The other infrared assay, an In-Cell Western, uses antibodies against cytoskeletal proteins (&#945;-tubulin or microtubule associated protein 2) and labels them in the 800 nm channel. The third viability assay is a commonly used luminescent assay for ATP, but we use a quarter of the recommended volume to save on cost. These measurements are all linear and correlate with the number of cells plated, but vary in sensitivity. All three assays circumvent time-consuming microscopy and sample the entire well, thereby reducing sampling error. Finally, all of the assays can easily be completed within one day of the end of the experiment, allowing greater numbers of experiments to be performed within short timeframes. However, they all rely on the assumption that cell numbers remain in proportion to signal strength after treatments, an assumption that is sometimes not met, especially for cellular ATP. Furthermore, if cells increase or decrease in size after treatment, this might affect signal strength without affecting cell number. We conclude that all viability assays, including manual counts, suffer from a number of caveats, but that computerized viability assays are well worth the initial investment. Using all three assays together yields a comprehensive view of cellular structure and function.

Therapeutic compounds are often first examined in vitro with viability assays. Blind cell counts by a human observer can be highly sensitive to small changes in cell number but do not assess function. Computerized viability assays, as described here, can assess both structure and function in an objective manner.

Los ensayos de viabilidad de las células en cultivo

Manual cell counts on a microscope are a sensitive means of assessing cellular viability but are time-consuming and therefore expensive. Computerized ...

A Method of Permeabilization of Drosophila Embryos for Assays of Small Molecule Activity

The Drosophila embryo has long been a powerful laboratory model for elucidating molecular and genetic mechanisms that control development. The ease of genetic manipulations with this model has supplanted pharmacological approaches that are commonplace in other animal models and cell-based assays. Here we describe recent advances in a protocol that enables application of small molecules to the developing fruit fly embryo. The method details steps to overcome the impermeability of the eggshell while maintaining embryo viability. Eggshell permeabilization across a broad range of developmental stages is achieved by application of a previously described d-limonene embryo permeabilization solvent (EPS1) and by aging embryos at reduced temperature (18 &#176;C) prior to treatments. In addition, use of a far-red dye (CY5) as a permeabilization indicator is described, which is compatible with downstream applications involving standard red and green fluorescent dyes in live and fixed preparations. This protocol is applicable to studies using bioactive compounds to probe developmental mechanisms as well as for studies aimed at evaluating teratogenic or pharmacologic activity of uncharacterized small molecules.

A Method of Permeabilization of Drosophila Embryos for Assays of Small Molecule Activity

Introduction of small molecules to the developing Drosophila embryo offers great potential for characterizing biological activity of novel compounds, drugs, and toxins as well as for probing fundamental developmental pathways. Methods described herein outline steps that overcome natural barriers to this approach, expanding the utility of the Drosophila embryo model.

Un método de permeabilización de<em&gt; Drosophila</em&gt; Los embriones para ensayos de moléculas pequeñas Actividad

The Drosophila embryo has long been a powerful laboratory model for elucidating molecular and genetic mechanisms that control development. The ease of ...

Generation of Marked and Markerless Mutants in Model Cyanobacterial Species

Cyanobacteria are ecologically important organisms and potential platforms for production of biofuels and useful industrial products. Genetic manipulation of cyanobacteria, especially model organisms such as Synechocystis sp. PCC6803 and Synechococcus sp. PCC7002, is a key tool for both basic and applied research. Generation of unmarked mutants, whereby chromosomal alterations are introduced into a strain via insertion of an antibiotic resistance cassette (a manipulatable fragment of DNA containing one or more genes), followed by subsequent removal of this cassette using a negative selectable marker, is a particularly powerful technique. Unmarked mutants can be repeatedly genetically manipulated, allowing as many alterations to be introduced into a strain as desired. In addition, the absence of genes encoding antibiotic resistance proteins in the mutated strain is desirable, as it avoids the possibility of 'escape' of antibiotic resistant organisms into the environment. However, detailed methods for repeated rounds of genetic manipulation of cyanobacteria are not well described in the scientific literature. Here we provide a comprehensive description of this technique, which we have successfully used to generate mutants with multiple deletions, single point mutations within a gene of interest and insertion of novel gene cassettes.

Introducing multiple genomic alterations into cyanobacteria is an essential tool in the development of strains for industrial and basic research purposes. We describe a system for generating unmarked mutants in the model cyanobacterial species Synechocystis sp. PCC6803 and marked mutants in Synechococcus sp. PCC7002.

Generación de mutantes sin marcadores marcados y en el modelo de especies de cianobacterias

Cyanobacteria are ecologically important organisms and potential platforms for production of biofuels and useful industrial products. Genetic manipulation ...