Name: drosophila larval nmj dissection
Uploaded: 2009-02-04T00:00:00
Description: Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Drosophila Larval NMJ Dissection at JoVE.com

Before you start
<ol>
<li>All cultures should be grown at 25&deg; C.</li>
<li>HL3.1 dissection buffer may be prepared in advance. Take a 50 ml aliquot of HL3.1 and keep it on ice.</li>
<li>Prepare 15 ml of fresh 3.5% Formaldehyde in HL3.1. Keep it on ice.</li>
</ol>
Larval Dissection
<ol>
<li>Put a drop of cold HL3.1 on the dissection plate. This will keep the animal from drying and stun the animal making it easier to work with.</li>
<li>Using the long forceps, select a wande...

<ol>
	<li>Jan, L. Y., Jan, Y. N. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Properties+of+the+larval+neuromuscular+junction+in+Drosophila+Melanogaster.">Properties of the larval neuromuscular junction in Drosophila Melanogaster.</a> J. Physiol. 262, 189-214 (1976).</li><li>Johansen, J., Halpern, M. E., Johansen, K. M., Keshishian, H. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Stereotypic+morphology+of+glutamatergic+synapses+on+identified+muscle+cells+of+Drosophila+larvae.">Stereotypic morphology of glutamatergic synapses on identified muscle cells of Drosophila larvae.</a> J Neurosci. 9, 710-725 (1989).</li><li>Kesheshian, H., Broadie, K., Chiba, A., Bate, M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+Drosophila+neuromuscular+junction:+a+model+system+for+studying+synaptic+development+and+function.">The Drosophila neuromuscular junction: a model system for studying synaptic development and function.</a> Annu Rev Neurosci. 19, 545-575 (1996).</li><li>Vactor, D. V., Sink, H., Fambrough, D., Tsoo, R., Goodman, C. S. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Genes+that+control+neuromuscular+specificity+in+Drosophila.">Genes that control neuromuscular specificity in Drosophila.</a> Cell. , 73-1137 (1993).</li><li>Feng, . <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=A+modified+minimal+hemolymph-like+solution,+HL3.1,+for+physiological+recordings+at+the+neuromuscular+junctions+of+normal+and+mutant+Drosophila+larvae.">A modified minimal hemolymph-like solution, HL3.1, for physiological recordings at the neuromuscular junctions of normal and mutant Drosophila larvae.</a> J Neurogenet. 18 (2), 377-402 (2004).</li></ol>

The dissection technique demonstrated in this video can be used to prepare Drosophila larvae for a variety of experimental techniques. If fluorescent protein tags are present, the larvae can be mounted and imaged immediately. Otherwise, immunostaining can be performed in order to mark specific synaptic compartments. In addition, electrophysiology can easily be performed on the dissected larvae to evaluate the functioning of neurotransmission.
The NMJ of Drosophila has gained...

<!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>Stereomicroscope &#x201C;Stemi&#x201D; 2000</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Carl Zeiss MicroImaging Inc.</td>
<td>495101-9804-000</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Light Source KL 1500 LCD</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Carl Zeiss</td>
<td>000000-1063-181</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>3mm Vannas Spring Scissors</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Fine Science Tools Inc.</td>
<td>15000-0</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Dumont SS Forceps</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Fine Science Tools Inc.</td>
<td>11200-33</td>
<td>Long forceps</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Dumont #5 Forceps</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Fine Science Tools Inc.</td>
<td>11252-20</td>
<td>Short forceps</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>SylGard 182 Silicone Elastomer Kit</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Dow Corning Corp. </td>
<td>3097358-1004</td>
<td>Used to make dissection plates</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Formaldehyde </td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Sigma-Aldrich Inc.</td>
<td>252549-25ML</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Stainless Steel Minutien Pins -0.1 MM Diameter</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Fine Science Tools Inc.</td>
<td>26002-10</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>		</tbody>
		</table>
		</div>
			<div>
			HL3 Dissection Buffer: (in mM) 70 NaCl, 5 KCl, 0.2 CaCl2, 20 MgCl2, 10 NaHCO3, 5 trehalose, 115 sucrose, and 5 HEPES, pH 7.3. 

Sylgard Dissecting Plate: Mix gently (to avoid bubbles) 10:1in a beaker. Pour mixture into Petri dish (any size). Allow SylGard to cure overnight in 37C incubator.
		</div>

drosophila larval nmj dissection

The Drosophila neuromuscular junction (NMJ) is an established model system used for the study of synaptic development and plasticity. The widespread use of the Drosophila motor system is due to its high accessibility. It can be analyzed with single-cell resolution. There are 30 muscles per hemisegment whose arrangement within the peripheral body wall are known. A total of 35 motor neurons attach to these muscles in a pattern that has high fidelity. Using molecular biology and genetics, one can create transgenic animals or mutants. Then, one can study the developmental consequences on the morphology and function of the NMJ. In order to access the NMJ for study, it is necessary to carefully dissect each larva. In this article we demonstrate how to properly dissect Drosophila larvae for study of the NMJ by removing all internal organs while leaving the body wall intact. This technique is suitable to prepare larvae for imaging, immunohistochemistry, or electrophysiology.

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Drosophila Larval NMJ Dissection at JoVE.com

Drosophila Larval NMJ Dissection

This protocol demonstrates how to dissect Drosophila larvae in preparation for immunohistochemistry and/or imaging of the neuromuscular junction.

The Drosophila neuromuscular junction (NMJ) is an established model system used for the study of synaptic development and plasticity. The widespread use ...

Research

JoVE Journal

Biology

Dissection of Drosophila Ovaries

Dissection of Larval CNS in Drosophila Melanogaster

The central nervous system (CNS) of Drosophila larvae is complex and poorly understood.  One way to investigate the CNS is to use immunohistochemistry to ...

Dissection of Imaginal Discs from 3rd Instar Drosophila Larvae

Drosophila Larval NMJ Immunohistochemistry

Drosophila Larval NMJ Immunohistochemistry

Electrophysiological Methods for Recording Synaptic Potentials from the NMJ of Drosophila Larvae

In this video, we describe the electrophysiological methods for recording synaptic transmission at the neuromuscular junction (NMJ) of Drosophila larva. ...

Monitoring Heart Function in Larval Drosophila melanogaster for Physiological Studies

Monitoring Heart Function in Larval Drosophila melanogaster for Physiological Studies

We present various methods to record cardiac function in the larval Drosophila. The approaches allow heart rate to be measured in unrestrained  and  ...

Dissection of Oenocytes from Adult Drosophila melanogaster

Dissection of Oenocytes from Adult Drosophila melanogaster

In Drosophila melanogaster, as in other insects, a waxy layer on the outer surface of the cuticle, composed primarily of hydrocarbon compounds, provides ...

Dissection and Staining of Drosophila Larval Ovaries

Dissection and Staining of Drosophila Larval Ovaries

Many organs depend on stem cells for their development during embryogenesis and for maintenance or repair during adult life. Understanding how stem cells ...

Heart Dissection in Larval, Juvenile and Adult Zebrafish, Danio rerio

Heart Dissection in Larval, Juvenile and Adult Zebrafish, Danio rerio

Zebrafish have become a beneficial and practical model organism for the study of embryonic heart development (see recent reviews1-6), however, work ...

Examination of Drosophila Larval Tracheal Terminal Cells by Light Microscopy

Examination of Drosophila Larval Tracheal Terminal Cells by Light Microscopy

Cell shape is critical for cell function. However, despite the importance of cell morphology, little is known about how individual cells generate specific ...