Patrick Cafferty is supported by a postdoctoral fellowship from the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada.

Part 1: Pre-experimental set-up.
<ol>
	<li>One week in advance, mate flies to generate larva that express GFP under the control of a glial-specific promoter. For our experiment we visualized GFP tagged with a nuclear localization sequence expressed in glial cells using the reversed polarity (repo) promoter (3, 4).</li>
	<li>Prepare cover slips at least one day in advance by soaking 18 mm round cover slips for 10 minutes in 1% poly-L-lysine solution and air dry overnight.</li>
	<li>On the day before the experiment, clean a Chamlide magnetic culture chamber by soaking components overnight in 70% ethanol.</li>
	<li>On the day of the experiment, prepare culture medium by adding fetal bovine serum, penicillin-streptomycin solution, and insulin to 10 ml of Schneider&#39;s insect medium using aseptic technique. The working concentrations are: 1X fetal bovine serum; 100U/ml penicillin; 0.1mg/ml streptomycin; and 0.2 mg/ml insulin in Schneider&#8217;s insect medium (modified from (5)).</li>
	<li>Allow the culture chamber to air dry in a cell culture hood. Wash off residual ethanol from the culture chamber by rinsing with prepared culture medium.</li>
</ol>
Part 2: Dissection of the Drosophila eye-brain complex.
<ol>
	<li>Select a third-instar wandering larva from the side of a fly vial and place in a drop of chilled culture medium on a petri dish on ice for several minutes. Chilling the larva is recommended to slow peristaltic body contractions for ease of dissection.</li>
	<li>Place the chilled larva in a drop of culture medium on a Sylgard coated dish under a dissection microscope.</li>
	<li>Under the dissection microscope, use a pair of Dumont fine forceps to firmly grasp the larva approximately one third of the way from the posterior end. Wait until the larva extrudes its mouth hooks from the anterior end. Grasp the mouth hooks with a second pair of forceps upon full extension. To dissect the larva, slowly pull the two pairs of forceps in opposite directions. The eye-brain complex, along with salivary glands, fat bodies, and imaginal tissue, will pull away from the larval body. Don&#8217;t pull the mouth hooks too quickly otherwise they will tear off of the eye-brain complex.</li>
	<li>Trim away salivary glands, fat bodies, and imaginal discs using ultra-fine clipper scissors. The two hemispheres of the brain and eye-discs will be attached to the ventral nerve cord and mouth hooks.</li>
	<li>Place an 18 mm cover slip onto a glass slide. Leave one edge of the cover slip hanging off the edge of the slide in order to later pick up the cover slip. Add a drop of culture medium onto the 18 mm cover slip. Transfer the eye-brain complex into the culture medium by grasping the mouth hooks with forceps. Don&#8217;t grasp the eye-brain complex directly with the forceps or the tissue will be damaged.</li>
	<li>Using fine dissection scissors, trim off the mouth hooks from the eye-brain complex and discard. Removal of the mouth hooks is important for live imaging as the mouth hooks will continue to contract in the culture medium causing the tissue to move during microscopy.</li>
	<li>To visualize glial migration within the eye imaginal disc, carefully cut the optic stalk, the thin tissue that connects the brain and eye disc and push away or discard the brain (see figure 1A). To visualize glia within the optic stalk, leave the brain, optic stalk, and eye imaginal disc intact (see figure 1E).</li>
	<li>Pick up the coverslip using forceps and draw a circle underneath around the tissue of interest with a permanent marker. This circle will aid in locating the tissue for microscopy in Part 4.</li>
</ol>
Part 3: Mounting the eye imaginal disc in a magnetic culture chamber.
<ol>
	<li>Using forceps, grasp the hanging edge of the coverslip. Transfer the coverslip to the bottom plate of the Chamlide magnetic chamber without disturbing the tissue in culture.</li>
	<li>Place the silicone O-ring onto the main body of the Chamlide chamber. Install the main body on top of the bottom plate.</li>
	<li>Slowly add culture medium to the chamber. Don&#8217;t add the culture medium too quickly or the tissue of interest will be disturbed. Don&#8217;t completely fill the chamber to allow for gas exchange under the cover.</li>
	<li>Gently place the invisible cover on top of the Chamlide chamber.</li>
</ol>
Part 4: Visualization of migrating glial cells in the eye disc.
<ol>
	<li>Place the culture chamber on the stage of a confocal or fluorescence microscope. Locate the sample using the circle on the coverslip as a reference on low magnification.</li>
	<li>Focus on the sample using a 40x lens. Allow the tissue to settle onto the coverslip. Capture images of the eye disc or optic stalk every 10-15min over 3-4 hours. The tissue may twitch and move out of focus. Manually focusing the tissue before image capture will alleviate this problem.</li>
</ol>
Part 5: Representative results:
Performed correctly, our protocol allowed us to collect a series of images of GFP-tagged glial cells that migrated from the optic stalk into the eye imaginal disc (Figure 1 B-D). While live imaging for a 60-minute period was sufficient to observe changes in the positions of glial nuclei within a wild type eye imaginal disc, glial nuclei in a mutant for a gene necessary for glial cell migration completely failed to exit the optic stalk (arrows Figure 1 F-H).
We have cultured eye-brain complexes for periods as long as 240 minutes before observing deterioration of the cultured tissue. Following the 240-minute time-point we begin to observe GFP positive cells in the culture medium surrounding cultured eye-brain complexes (arrow Figure 2 C). In addition GFP will accumulate in diffuse spots throughout the tissues suggesting a breakdown in tissue integrity.
<img alt="" height="241" src="/files/ftp_upload/1155/1155fig1.jpg" width="589" />
Figure 1: Live imaging of GFP-tagged glial nuclei in the developing wild type and mutant visual systems. 
A, E) Images taken using differential interference contrast (DIC) microscopy of cultured wild type and mutant eye-imaginal discs (ED). In the wild type, glial cells are born in and migrate from the optic stalk (OS) into the eye-disc. The brain has been removed to facilitate flattening and imaging of the eye imaginal disc. B-D) Fluorescence microscopy of the wild type cultured eye imaginal disc in (A) at 0, 30, and 60 minute time points reveals GFP-tagged glial nuclei migrate within the eye disc.
F-H) Fluorescence microscopy of the mutant eye-brain complex in (E) at 0, 30, and 60 minute time points demonstrates a stalling of GFP-tagged glial nuclei within the optic stalk (arrow). The brain (BR) has been left attached to the optic stalk to facilitate imaging of glia within the stalk.
<img alt="" height="156" src="/files/ftp_upload/1155/1155fig2.jpg" width="600" />
Figure 2: Live imaging of GFP-tagged glial membranes in a wild type eye imaginal disc. We have successfully cultured eye-brain complexes for 240-minute periods. Tissue cultured longer than 240 minutes begins to break down. The culture medium surrounding the eye imaginal disc (ED), optic stalk (OS), and brain lobe (BR) at 0 (A) and 150 minutes (B), compared to the 300 minute time-point (C), is free of GFP-positive cells, indicated by an arrow.

<ol>
	<li>Aigouy, B., Lepelletier, L., Giangrande, A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Glial+chain+migration+requires+pioneer+cells.">Glial chain migration requires pioneer cells.</a> J. Neurosci. 28, 11635-11641 (2008).</li><li>Silies, M., Yuva, Y., Engelen, D., Aho, A., Stork, T., Klambt, C. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Glial+cell+migration+in+the+eye+disc.">Glial cell migration in the eye disc.</a> J. Neurosci. 27, 13130-13139 (2007).</li><li>Brand, A. H., Perrimon, N. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Targeted+gene+expression+as+a+means+of+altering+cell+fates+and+generating+dominant+phenotypes.">Targeted gene expression as a means of altering cell fates and generating dominant phenotypes.</a> Development. 118, 401-415 (1993).</li><li>Sepp, K. J., Auld, V. J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Conversion+of+lacZ+enhancer+trap+lines+to+GAL4+lines+using+targeted+transposition+in+Drosophila+melanogaster.">Conversion of lacZ enhancer trap lines to GAL4 lines using targeted transposition in Drosophila melanogaster.</a> Genetics. 151, 1093-1101 (1999).</li><li>Gibson, M. C., Patel, A. B., Nagpal, R., Perrimon, N. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+emergence+of+geometric+order+in+proliferating+metazoan+epitheia.">The emergence of geometric order in proliferating metazoan epitheia.</a> Nature. 442, 1038-1041 (2006).</li><li>Lee, T., Luo, L. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Mosaic+analysis+with+a+repressible+cell+marker+(MARCM)+for+Drosophila+neural+development.">Mosaic analysis with a repressible cell marker (MARCM) for Drosophila neural development.</a> Trends Neurosci. 24, 251-254 (2001).</li></ol>

The authors have nothing to disclose.

In this protocol we describe observation of glial cell migration into the eye imaginal disc using live microscopy. In our wild type example (figure 1 A-D), we used a nuclear GFP marker to observe glial cell movement in the eye disc over the course of one hour. In a mutant for a candidate gene required for glial cell migration currently under study in our laboratory, we observed a stalling of glial cell nuclei within the optic stalk during a one-hour period (figure 1 E-H). Our strategy can be adapted to visual...

<!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>Poly-L-lysine</td>
<td>Reagent</td>
<td>Sigma</td>
<td>P8920</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Schneider's Insect Media</td>
<td>Reagent</td>
<td>Sigma</td>
<td>S0146</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Penicillin-Streptomycin</td>
<td>Reagent</td>
<td>Sigma</td>
<td>P4458</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Insulin solution from bovine pancreas</td>
<td>Reagent</td>
<td>Sigma</td>
<td>I0516</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Chamlide Magnetic chamber</td>
<td>Tool</td>
<td>Live cell Instrument</td>
<td>CM-R-10</td>
<td>35 mm dish type chamber for 18 mm coverslip</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Ultra fine clipper scissors</td>
<td>Tool</td>
<td>Fine scientific tools</td>
<td>15200-00</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Dumont #5 forceps</td>
<td>Tool</td>
<td>Fine scientific tools</td>
<td>11251-20</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Fluorescent microscope</td>
<td>Microscope</td>
<td>Zeiss</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Any fluorescent imaging system that has the necessary filters and excitation for GFP can be used. </td>
</tr>		</tbody>
		</table>
		</div>

live imaging of glial cell migration in the drosophila eye imaginal disc

Glial cells of both vertebrate and invertebrate organisms must migrate to final target regions in order to ensheath and support associated neurons. While recent progress has been made to describe the live migration of glial cells in the developing pupal wing (1), studies of Drosophila glial cell migration have typically involved the examination of fixed tissue. Live microscopic analysis of motile cells offers the ability to examine cellular behavior throughout the migratory process, including determining the rate of and changes in direction of growth. Paired with use of genetic tools, live imaging can be used to determine more precise roles for specific genes in the process of development. Previous work by Silies et al. (2) has described the migration of glia originating from the optic stalk, a structure that connects the developing eye and brain, into the eye imaginal disc in fixed tissue. Here we outline a protocol for examining the live migration of glial cells into the Drosophila eye imaginal disc. We take advantage of a Drosophila line that expresses GFP in developing glia to follow glial cell progression in wild type and in mutant animals.

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Live Imaging of Glial Cell Migration in the Drosophila Eye Imaginal Disc at JoVE.com

Live Imaging of Glial Cell Migration in the Drosophila Eye Imaginal Disc

Here we describe a protocol to examine the migration of glial cells into the developing Drosophila eye using live microscopic analysis paired with GFP tagged glial cells.

Glial cells of both vertebrate and invertebrate organisms must migrate to final target regions in order to ensheath and support associated neurons.  While ...

live-imaging-glial-cell-migration-drosophila-eye-imaginal

Research

JoVE Journal

Biology

10.6K Views.  University of British Columbia - UBC. Here we describe a protocol to examine the migration of glial cells into the developing Drosophila eye using live microscopic analysis paired with GFP tagged glial cells. 

Video: Live Imaging of Glial Cell Migration in the Drosophila Eye Imaginal Disc

Dissection of Imaginal Discs from 3rd Instar Drosophila Larvae

This protocol demonstrates the dissection technique used for isolating imaginal discs from drosophila larvae at the 3rd instar stage. Methods for fixing the tissue after saying and removing the wing, leg, and eye discs are demonstrated directly on a microscope slide for subsequent visualization.

Visualizing the Live Drosophila Glial-neuromuscular Junction with Fluorescent Dyes

Our project identified GFP labeled glial structures at the developing larval fly neuromuscular synapse. To look at development of live glial-nerve-muscle synapses, we developed a larval tissue preparation that had features of live intact larvae, but also had good optical properties.  This new preparation also allowed for access of perfusates to the synapse.  We used fly larvae, immersed them in artificial hemolymph, and relaxed their normal rhythmic body contractions by chilling them. Next we dissected off the posterior segments of each animal and with a blunt insect pin pushed the mouth parts backward through the body cavity.  This everted the larval body wall, like turning a sock inside-out.  We completed the dissection with ultra-fine dissection scissors and thus exposed the visceral side of the body wall muscles. The glial structures at the NMJ expressed membrane targeted GFP under the control of glial specific promoters. The post-synaptic membrane, the SSR (Subsynaptic Reticula) in muscle expressed synaptically targeted dsRed. We needed to acutely label the motor neuron terminals, the third part of the synapse. To do this we applied primary antibodies to HRP, conjugated to a far-red emitting flurophore.  To test for dye diffusion properties into the perisynaptic space between the motor neuron terminals and the SSR, we applied a solution of large Dextran molecules conjugated to far-red emitting flurophore and collected images.

Visualizing the Live Drosophila Glial-neuromuscular Junction with Fluorescent Dyes

We described structural features of the Glia-neuromuscular synapses in a novel Inside-out tissue preparation of live fly larvae using fluorescent dyes with confocal microscopy. We labeled live neuron terminals with fluorescent primary antibodies to HRP, and also visualized the perisynaptic space with fluorescent Dextrans.

Our project identified GFP labeled glial structures at the developing larval fly neuromuscular synapse. To look at development of live glial-nerve-muscle ...

The Preparation of Drosophila Embryos for Live-Imaging Using the Hanging Drop Protocol

Green fluorescent protein (GFP)-based timelapse live-imaging is a powerful technique for studying the genetic regulation of dynamic processes such as tissue morphogenesis, cell-cell adhesion, or cell death. Drosophila embryos expressing GFP are readily imaged using either stereoscopic or confocal microscopy. A goal of any live-imaging protocol is to minimize detrimental effects such as dehydration and hypoxia. Previous protocols for preparing Drosophila embryos for live-imaging analysis have involved placing dechorionated embryos in halocarbon oil and sandwiching them between a halocarbon gas-permeable membrane and a coverslip1-3. The introduction of compression through mounting embryos in this manner represents an undesirable complication for any biomechanical-based analysis of morphogenesis. Our method, which we call the hanging drop protocol, results in excellent viability of embryos during live imaging and does not require that embryos be compressed. Briefly, the hanging drop protocol involves the placement of embryos in a drop of halocarbon oil that is suspended from a coverslip, which is, in turn, fixed in position over a humid chamber. In addition to providing gas exchange and preventing dehydration, this arrangement takes advantage of the buoyancy of embryos in halocarbon oil to prevent them from drifting out of position during timelapse acquisition. This video describes in detail how to collect and prepare Drosophila embryos for live imaging using the hanging drop protocol. This protocol is suitable for imaging dechorionated embryos using stereomicroscopy or any upright compound fluorescence microscope.

The Preparation of Drosophila Embryos for Live-Imaging Using the Hanging Drop Protocol

A simple, inexpensive, and effective method of preparing Drosophila embryos for live-imaging analysis is presented. Our protocol provides humidity and gas exchange and does not compress the Drosophila embryo. This method is suitable for GFP-based live imaging of Drosophila embryos using a stereomicroscope or upright compound microscope.

Green fluorescent protein (GFP)-based timelapse live-imaging is a powerful technique for studying the genetic regulation of dynamic processes such as ...

A Novel RFP Reporter to Aid in the Visualization of the Eye Imaginal Disc in Drosophila

The Drosophila eye is a powerful model system for studying areas such as neurogenesis, signal transduction and neurodegeneration. Many of the discoveries made using this system have taken advantage of the spatiotemporal nature of photoreceptor differentiation in the developing eye imaginal disc. To use this system it is first necessary for the researcher to learn to identify and dissect the eye disc. We describe a novel RFP reporter to aid in the identification of the eye disc and the visualization of specific cell types in the developing eye. We detail a methodology for dissection of the eye imaginal disc from third instar larvae and describe how the eye-RFP reporter can aid in this dissection. This eye-RFP reporter is only expressed in the eye and can be visualized using fluorescence microscopy either in live tissue or after fixation without the need for signal amplification. We also show how this reporter can be used to identify specific cells types within the eye disc. This protocol and the use of the eye-RFP reporter will aid researchers using the Drosophila eye to address fundamentally important biological questions.

A Novel RFP Reporter to Aid in the Visualization of the Eye Imaginal Disc in Drosophila

We describe a novel red fluorescent protein (RFP) reporter that is expressed specifically in the Drosophila eye. We detail a methodology for dissection of the eye imaginal disc and how this reporter can be used to aid in the dissection and identification of specific cell types in the developing eye.

The Drosophila eye is a powerful model system for studying areas such as neurogenesis, signal transduction and neurodegeneration. Many of the discoveries ...

Live Imaging Of Drosophila melanogaster Embryonic Hemocyte Migrations

Many studies address cell migration using in vitro methods, whereas the physiologically relevant environment is that of the organism itself. Here we present a protocol for the mounting of Drosophila melanogaster embryos and subsequent live imaging of fluorescently labeled hemocytes, the embryonic macrophages of this organism. Using the Gal4-uas system1 we drive the expression of a variety of genetically encoded, fluorescently tagged markers in hemocytes to follow their developmental dispersal throughout the embryo. Following collection of embryos at the desired stage of development, the outer chorion is removed and the embryos are then mounted in halocarbon oil between a hydrophobic, gas-permeable membrane and a glass coverslip for live imaging. In addition to gross migratory parameters such as speed and directionality, higher resolution imaging coupled with the use of fluorescent reporters of F-actin and microtubules can provide more detailed information concerning the dynamics of these cytoskeletal components.

Live Imaging Of Drosophila melanogaster Embryonic Hemocyte Migrations

Drosophila hemocytes disperse over the entirety of the developing embryo. This protocol demonstrates how to mount and image these migrations using embryos with fluorescently labelled hemocytes.

Many studies address cell migration using in vitro methods, whereas the physiologically relevant environment is that of the organism itself. Here we ...

Imaging Cell Shape Change in Living Drosophila Embryos

The developing Drosophila melanogaster embryo undergoes a number of cell shape changes that are highly amenable to live confocal imaging. Cell shape changes in the fly are analogous to those in higher organisms, and they drive tissue morphogenesis. So, in many cases, their study has direct implications for understanding human disease (Table 1)1-5. On the sub-cellular scale, these cell shape changes are the product of activities ranging from gene expression to signal transduction, cell polarity, cytoskeletal remodeling and membrane trafficking. Thus, the Drosophila embryo provides not only the context to evaluate cell shape changes as they relate to tissue morphogenesis, but also offers a completely physiological environment to study the sub-cellular activities that shape cells.
The protocol described here is designed to image a specific cell shape change called cellularization. Cellularization is a process of dramatic plasma membrane growth, and it ultimately converts the syncytial embryo into the cellular blastoderm. That is, at interphase of mitotic cycle 14, the plasma membrane simultaneously invaginates around each of ~6000 cortically anchored nuclei to generate a sheet of primary epithelial cells. Counter to previous suggestions, cellularization is not driven by Myosin-2 contractility6, but is instead fueled largely by exocytosis of membrane from internal stores7. Thus, cellularization is an excellent system for studying membrane trafficking during cell shape changes that require plasma membrane invagination or expansion, such as cytokinesis or transverse-tubule (T-tubule) morphogenesis in muscle.
Note that this protocol is easily applied to the imaging of other cell shape changes in the fly embryo, and only requires slight adaptations such as changing the stage of embryo collection, or using "embryo glue" to mount the embryo in a specific orientation (Table 1)8-19. In all cases, the workflow is basically the same (Figure 1). Standard methods for cloning and Drosophila transgenesis are used to prepare stable fly stocks that express a protein of interest, fused to Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) or its variants, and these flies provide a renewable source of embryos. Alternatively, fluorescent proteins/probes are directly introduced into fly embryos via straightforward micro-injection techniques9-10. Then, depending on the developmental event and cell shape change to be imaged, embryos are collected and staged by morphology on a dissecting microscope, and finally positioned and mounted for time-lapse imaging on a confocal microscope.

Imaging Cell Shape Change in Living Drosophila Embryos

Early development of the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, is characterized by a number of cell shape changes that are well suited for imaging approaches. This article will describe basic tools and methods required for live confocal imaging of Drosophila embryos, and will focus on a cell shape change called cellularization.

The developing Drosophila melanogaster embryo undergoes a number of cell shape changes that are highly amenable to live confocal imaging.  Cell shape ...

Live Imaging of GFP-labeled Proteins in Drosophila Oocytes

The Drosophila oocyte has been established as a versatile system for investigating fundamental questions such as cytoskeletal function, cell organization, and organelle structure and function. The availability of various GFP-tagged proteins means that many cellular processes can be monitored in living cells over the course of minutes or hours, and using this technique, processes such as RNP transport, epithelial morphogenesis, and tissue remodeling have been described in great detail in Drosophila oocytes1,2.
The ability to perform video imaging combined with a rich repertoire of mutants allows an enormous variety of genes and processes to be examined in incredible detail. One such example is the process of ooplasmic streaming, which initiates at mid-oogenesis3,4. This vigorous movement of cytoplasmic vesicles is microtubule and kinesin-dependent5 and provides a useful system for investigating cytoskeleton function at these stages.
Here I present a protocol for time lapse imaging of living oocytes using virtually any confocal microscopy setup.

Live Imaging of GFP-labeled Proteins in Drosophila Oocytes

A protocol for live imaging of GFP-tagged proteins or autofluorescent structures in individual Drosophila oocytes is described.

The  Drosophila oocyte has been established as a versatile system for investigating  fundamental questions such as cytoskeletal function, cell ...

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.

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

The Tomato/GFP-FLP/FRT Method for Live Imaging of Mosaic Adult Drosophila Photoreceptor Cells

The Drosophila eye is widely used as a model for studies of development and neuronal degeneration. With the powerful mitotic recombination technique, elegant genetic screens based on clonal analysis have led to the identification of signaling pathways involved in eye development and photoreceptor (PR) differentiation at larval stages. We describe here the Tomato/GFP-FLP/FRT method, which can be used for rapid clonal analysis in the eye of living adult Drosophila. Fluorescent photoreceptor cells are imaged with the cornea neutralization technique, on retinas with mosaic clones generated by flipase-mediated recombination. This method has several major advantages over classical histological sectioning of the retina: it can be used for high-throughput screening and has proved an effective method for identifying the factors regulating PR survival and function. It can be used for kinetic analyses of PR degeneration in the same living animal over several weeks, to demonstrate the requirement for specific genes for PR survival or function in the adult fly. This method is also useful for addressing cell autonomy issues in developmental mutants, such as those in which the establishment of planar cell polarity is affected.

The Tomato/GFP-FLP/FRT Method for Live Imaging of Mosaic Adult Drosophila Photoreceptor Cells

The Tomato/GFP-FLP/FRT method involves visualizing mosaic photoreceptor cells in living Drosophila. It can be used to follow individual photoreceptor cell fates in the retina for days or weeks. This method is ideal for studies of retinal degeneration and neurodegenerative diseases or photoreceptor cell development.

The Drosophila eye is widely used as a model  for studies of development and neuronal degeneration. With the powerful mitotic  recombination technique, ...

Dissection and Mounting of Drosophila Pupal Eye Discs

The Drosophila melanogaster eye disc is a powerful system that can be used to study many different biological processes. It contains approximately 800 separate eye units, termed ommatidia1. Each ommatidium contains eight neuronal photoreceptors that develop from undifferentiated cells following the passage of the morphogenetic furrow in the third larval instar2. Following the sequential differentiation of the photoreceptors, non-neuronal cells develop, including cone and pigment cells, along with mechanosensory bristle cells3. Final differentiation processes, including the structured arrangement of all the ommatidial cell types, programmed cell death of undifferentiated cell types and rhodopsin expression, occurs through the pupal phase4-7. This technique focuses on manipulating the pupal eye disc, providing insight and instruction on how to dissect the eye disc during the pupal phase, which is inherently more difficult to perform than the commonly dissected third instar eye disc. This technique also provides details on immunostaining to allow the visualization of various proteins and other cell components.

Dissection and Mounting of Drosophila Pupal Eye Discs

The goal of this technique is to enable researchers to perform dissection, immunostaining and mounting of pupal eye discs from Drosophila melanogaster of any age.

The Drosophila melanogaster eye disc is a powerful system that can be used to study many different biological processes.  It contains approximately 800 ...