Name: assay for blood-brain barrier integrity in drosophila melanogaster
Uploaded: 2019-09-18T15:00:00
Description: Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Assay for Blood-brain Barrier Integrity in Drosophila melanogaster at JoVE.com

The authors thank Dr. F. Bryan Pickett and Dr. Rodney Dale for use of equipment for injection. This work was funded by research funding from Loyola University Chicago to M.D., D.T., and J.J.

1. Collection of Samples
<ol>
	<li>Embryo collection
	<ol>
		<li>In each embryo collection cage, use a minimum of 50 virgin females with 20&#8722;25 males for collections. Incubate these flies in a bottle with cornmeal-agar food (Table of Materials) for 1&#8722;2 days before beginning collections23. 
		NOTE: More flies can be used, but the female-to-male ratio should be kept at 2:1.</li>
		<li>Pre-warm apple juice agar plates (Table...

<ol>
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S. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Junctions+between+intimately+apposed+cell+membranes+in+the+vertebrate+brain.">Junctions between intimately apposed cell membranes in the vertebrate brain.</a> Journal of Cell Biology. 40 (3), 648-677 (1969).</li><li>Tietz, S., Engelhardt, B. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Brain+barriers:+Crosstalk+between+complex+tight+junctions+and+adherens+junctions.">Brain barriers: Crosstalk between complex tight junctions and adherens junctions.</a> Journal of Cell Biology. 209 (4), 493-506 (2015).</li><li>Hindle, S. J., Bainton, R. 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D., Heberlein, U., Gaul, U. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=GPCR+signaling+is+required+for+blood-brain+barrier+formation+in+drosophila.">GPCR signaling is required for blood-brain barrier formation in drosophila.</a> Cell. 123 (1), 133-144 (2005).</li><li>Stork, T., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Organization+and+function+of+the+blood-brain+barrier+in+Drosophila.">Organization and function of the blood-brain barrier in Drosophila.</a> Journal of Neuroscience. 28 (3), 587-597 (2008).</li><li>Unhavaithaya, Y., Orr-Weaver, T. L. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Polyploidization+of+glia+in+neural+development+links+tissue+growth+to+blood-brain+barrier+integrity.">Polyploidization of glia in neural development links tissue growth to blood-brain barrier integrity.</a> Genes &amp; Development. 26 (1), 31-36 (2012).</li><li>Schwabe, T., Li, X., Gaul, U. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Dynamic+analysis+of+the+mesenchymal-epithelial+transition+of+blood-brain+barrier+forming+glia+in+Drosophila.">Dynamic analysis of the mesenchymal-epithelial transition of blood-brain barrier forming glia in Drosophila.</a> Biology Open. 6 (2), 232-243 (2017).</li><li>Von Stetina, J. R., Frawley, L. E., Unhavaithaya, Y., Orr-Weaver, T. L. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Variant+cell+cycles+regulated+by+Notch+signaling+control+cell+size+and+ensure+a+functional+blood-brain+barrier.">Variant cell cycles regulated by Notch signaling control cell size and ensure a functional blood-brain barrier.</a> Development. 145 (3), dev157115 (2018).</li><li>von Hilchen, C. M., Beckervordersandforth, R. M., Rickert, C., Technau, G. M., Altenhein, B. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Identity,+origin,+and+migration+of+peripheral+glial+cells+in+the+Drosophila+embryo.">Identity, origin, and migration of peripheral glial cells in the Drosophila embryo.</a> Mechanisms of Development. 125 (3-4), 337-352 (2008).</li><li>Beckervordersandforth, R. M., Rickert, C., Altenhein, B., Technau, G. M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Subtypes+of+glial+cells+in+the+Drosophila+embryonic+ventral+nerve+cord+as+related+to+lineage+and+gene+expression.">Subtypes of glial cells in the Drosophila embryonic ventral nerve cord as related to lineage and gene expression.</a> Mechanisms of Development. 125 (5-6), 542-557 (2008).</li><li>Bellen, H. J., Lu, Y., Beckstead, R., Bhat, 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=Neurexin+IV,+caspr+and+paranodin--novel+members+of+the+neurexin+family:+encounters+of+axons+and+glia.">Neurexin IV, caspr and paranodin--novel members of the neurexin family: encounters of axons and glia.</a> Trends in Neurosciences. 21 (10), 444-449 (1998).</li><li>Baumgartner, S., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=A+Drosophila+neurexin+is+required+for+septate+junction+and+blood-nerve+barrier+formation+and+function.">A Drosophila neurexin is required for septate junction and blood-nerve barrier formation and function.</a> Cell. 87 (6), 1059-1068 (1996).</li><li>Banerjee, S., Pillai, A. M., Paik, R., Li, J., Bhat, M. 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A., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Axon-glia+interactions+and+the+domain+organization+of+myelinated+axons+requires+neurexin+IV/Caspr/Paranodin.">Axon-glia interactions and the domain organization of myelinated axons requires neurexin IV/Caspr/Paranodin.</a> Neuron. 30 (2), 369-383 (2001).</li><li>Faivre-Sarrailh, C., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Drosophila+contactin,+a+homolog+of+vertebrate+contactin,+is+required+for+septate+junction+organization+and+paracellular+barrier+function.">Drosophila contactin, a homolog of vertebrate contactin, is required for septate junction organization and paracellular barrier function.</a> Development. 131 (20), 4931-4942 (2004).</li><li>Salzer, J. L., Brophy, P. J., Peles, E. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Molecular+domains+of+myelinated+axons+in+the+peripheral+nervous+system.">Molecular domains of myelinated axons in the peripheral nervous system.</a> Glia. 56 (14), 1532-1540 (2008).</li><li>von Hilchen, C. M., Bustos, A. E., Giangrande, A., Technau, G. M., Altenhein, B. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Predetermined+embryonic+glial+cells+form+the+distinct+glial+sheaths+of+the+Drosophila+peripheral+nervous+system.">Predetermined embryonic glial cells form the distinct glial sheaths of the Drosophila peripheral nervous system.</a> Development. 140 (17), 3657-3668 (2013).</li><li>Matzat, T., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Axonal+wrapping+in+the+Drosophila+PNS+is+controlled+by+glia-derived+neuregulin+homolog+Vein.">Axonal wrapping in the Drosophila PNS is controlled by glia-derived neuregulin homolog Vein.</a> Development. 142 (7), 1336-1345 (2015).</li><li>Limmer, S., Weiler, A., Volkenhoff, A., Babatz, F., 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=The+Drosophila+blood-brain+barrier:+development+and+function+of+a+glial+endothelium.">The Drosophila blood-brain barrier: development and function of a glial endothelium.</a> Frontiers in Neuroscience. 8, 365 (2014).</li><li>Ho, T. Y., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Expressional+Profiling+of+Carpet+Glia+in+the+Developing+Drosophila+Eye+Reveals+Its+Molecular+Signature+of+Morphology+Regulators.">Expressional Profiling of Carpet Glia in the Developing Drosophila Eye Reveals Its Molecular Signature of Morphology Regulators.</a> Frontiers in Neuroscience. 13, 244 (2019).</li><li>DeSalvo, M. K., et al. <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+surface+glia+transcriptome:+evolutionary+conserved+blood-brain+barrier+processes.">The Drosophila surface glia transcriptome: evolutionary conserved blood-brain barrier processes.</a> Frontiers in Neuroscience. 8, 346 (2014).</li><li>. BDSC Cornmeal Food Available from: <a target="_blank" href="https://bdsc.indiana.edu/information/recipes/bloomfood.html">https://bdsc.indiana.edu/information/recipes/bloomfood.html</a> (2017)</li><li>Le, T., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=A+new+family+of+Drosophila+balancer+chromosomes+with+a+w-+dfd-GMR+yellow+fluorescent+protein+marker.">A new family of Drosophila balancer chromosomes with a w- dfd-GMR yellow fluorescent protein marker.</a> Genetics. 174 (4), 2255-2257 (2006).</li><li>Casso, D., Ramirez-Weber, F. A., Kornberg, T. B. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=GFP-tagged+balancer+chromosomes+for+Drosophila+melanogaster.">GFP-tagged balancer chromosomes for Drosophila melanogaster.</a> Mechanisms of Development. 88 (2), 229-232 (1999).</li><li>Halfon, M. S., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=New+fluorescent+protein+reporters+for+use+with+the+Drosophila+Gal4+expression+system+and+for+vital+detection+of+balancer+chromosomes.">New fluorescent protein reporters for use with the Drosophila Gal4 expression system and for vital detection of balancer chromosomes.</a> Genesis. 34 (1-2), 135-138 (2002).</li><li>Miller, D. F., Holtzman, S. L., Kaufman, T. C. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Customized+microinjection+glass+capillary+needles+for+P-element+transformations+in+Drosophila+melanogaster.">Customized microinjection glass capillary needles for P-element transformations in Drosophila melanogaster.</a> BioTechniques. 33 (2), 366-372 (2002).</li><li>Luong, D., Perez, L., Jemc, J. C. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Identification+of+raw+as+a+regulator+of+glial+development.">Identification of raw as a regulator of glial development.</a> PLoS One. 13 (5), e0198161 (2018).</li><li>Pinsonneault, R. L., Mayer, N., Mayer, F., Tegegn, N., Bainton, R. J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Novel+models+for+studying+the+blood-brain+and+blood-eye+barriers+in+Drosophila.">Novel models for studying the blood-brain and blood-eye barriers in Drosophila.</a> Methods in Molecular Biology. 686, 357-369 (2011).</li><li>Love, C. R., Dauwalder, B., Barichello, T. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Drosophila+as+a+Model+to+Study+the+Blood-Brain+Barrier.">Drosophila as a Model to Study the Blood-Brain Barrier.</a> Blood-Brain Barrier. , 175-185 (2019).</li><li>Lin, D. M., 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=Ectopic+and+increased+expression+of+Fasciclin+II+alters+motoneuron+growth+cone+guidance.">Ectopic and increased expression of Fasciclin II alters motoneuron growth cone guidance.</a> Neuron. 13 (3), 507-523 (1994).</li><li>Sepp, K. J., Schulte, J., Auld, V. 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This protocol provides a comprehensive description of the steps needed to assay for BBB integrity during the late embryonic and third instar larval stages of D. melanogaster development. Similar approaches have been described elsewhere to assay the integrity of the BBB during development, as well as in adult stages5,7,29,30. However, descriptions of procedures in materials and methods ...

During development, cell-cell communication and interactions are critical for the establishment of tissue and organ structure and function. In some cases, these cell-cell interactions seal off organs from the surrounding environment to ensure proper organ function. This is the case for the nervous system, which is insulated by the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Dysfunction of the BBB in humans has been linked to neurological disorders including epilepsy, and breakdown of the barrier has been observed in neurodegenerative diseases including multiple sclerosis and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis1. In mammals, the BBB is formed by tight junctions between endothelial cells2,3. Other animals, including the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, have a BBB composed of glial cells. These glial cells form a selectively permeable barrier to control movement of nutrients, waste products, toxins, and large molecules into and out of the nervous system4. This allows for the maintenance of the electrochemical gradient necessary to fire action potentials, allowing for mobility and coordination4. In D. melanogaster, the glia protect the nervous system from the potassium-rich, blood-like hemolymph5.
In the central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral nervous system (PNS) of D. melanogaster, two outer glial layers, the subperineurial glia and the perineurial glia, as well as an outer network of extracellular matrix, the neural lamella, form the hemolymph-brain and hemolymph-nerve barrier6, referred to as the BBB throughout this article. During development subperineurial glia become polyploid and enlarge to surround the nervous system5,6,7,8,9,10,11. The subperineurial glia form septate junctions, which provide the main diffusion barrier between the hemolymph and the nervous system5,6,12. These junctions are molecularly similar to the septate-like junctions found at the paranodes of myelinating glia in vertebrates, and they perform the same function as tight junctions in the BBB of mammals13,14,15,16,17. The perineurial glia divide, grow, and wrap around the subperineurial glia to regulate the diffusion of metabolites and large molecules6,10,18,19. BBB formation is complete by 18.5 h after egg laying (AEL) at 25 &#176;C5,8. Previous studies have identified genes that are critical regulators of BBB formation20,21,22. To better understand the exact roles of these genes, it is important to examine the effect of mutation of these potential regulators on BBB integrity. While previous studies have outlined approaches for assaying BBB integrity in embryos and larvae, a comprehensive protocol for this assay has yet to be described5,7. This step-by-step protocol describes methods for assaying BBB integrity during D. melanogaster embryonic and third instar larval stages.

<table>
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>10 kDa sulforhodamine 101 acid chloride (Texas Red) Dextran</td>
			<td>ThermoFisher Scientific</td>
			<td>D1863</td>
			<td>Dextran should be diluted in autoclaved ddH2O to a concentration of 25 mg/mL.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>20 &#956;L Gel-Loading Pipette Tips</td>
			<td>Eppendorf</td>
			<td>22351656</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>100% Ethanol (200 proof)</td>
			<td>Pharmco-Aaper</td>
			<td>11000200</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Active Dry Yeast</td>
			<td>Red Star</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Agar</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>BP1423</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Agarose</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>BP160-500</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Air Compressor</td>
			<td>DeWalt</td>
			<td>D55140</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Apple Juice</td>
			<td>Mott&#39;s Natural Apple Juice</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Bleach</td>
			<td>Household Bleach</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>1-5% Hypochlorite</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Borosilicate Glass Capillaries</td>
			<td>World Precision Instruments</td>
			<td>1B100F-4</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Bottle Plugs</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>AS-277</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Cell Strainers</td>
			<td>BD Falcon</td>
			<td>352350</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Confocal Microscope</td>
			<td>Olympus</td>
			<td>FV1000</td>
			<td>Samples imaged using 20x objective (UPlanSApo 20x/ 0.75)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Cotton-Tipped Applicator</td>
			<td>Puritan</td>
			<td>19-062614</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Double-Sided Tape 1/2&#34;</td>
			<td>Scotch</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Dumont Tweezers; Pattern #5; .05 X .01mm Tip</td>
			<td>Roboz</td>
			<td>RS-5015</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Fly Food Bottles</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>AS-355</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Fly Food Vials</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>AS-515</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Foot Pedal</td>
			<td>Treadlite II</td>
			<td>T-91-S</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Gel Caster</td>
			<td>Bio-Rad</td>
			<td>1704422</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Gel Tray</td>
			<td>Bio-Rad</td>
			<td>1704436</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Glass Pipette</td>
			<td>VWR</td>
			<td>14673-010</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Glycerol</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>BP229-1</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Granulated sugar</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td>Purchased from grocery store.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Halocarbon Oil</td>
			<td>Lab Scientific, Inc.</td>
			<td>FLY-7000</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Light Source</td>
			<td>Schott</td>
			<td>Ace I</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Manipulator Stand</td>
			<td>World Precision Instruments</td>
			<td>M10</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Micromanipulator</td>
			<td>World Precision Instruments</td>
			<td>KITE-R</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Micropipette Puller</td>
			<td>Sutter Instrument Co.</td>
			<td>P-97</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Needle Holder</td>
			<td>World Precision Instruments</td>
			<td>MPH310</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Nightsea Filter Sets</td>
			<td>Electron Microscopy Science</td>
			<td>SFA-LFS-CY</td>
			<td>For visualization of YFP</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Nightsea Full Adapter System w/ Royal Blue Color Light Head</td>
			<td>Electron Microscopy Science</td>
			<td>SFA-RB</td>
			<td>For visualization of GFP</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Paintbrush</td>
			<td>Simply Simmons</td>
			<td>Chisel Blender #6</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Pipetter</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>13-683C</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Pneumatic Pump</td>
			<td>World Precision Instruments</td>
			<td>PV830</td>
			<td>This is also referred to as a microinjector or pressure regulator. Since the model used in our study is no longer available this is one alternative.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Potassium Chloride</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>BP366-500</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Potassium Phosphate Dibasic</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>BP363-500</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Small Embryo Collection Cages</td>
			<td>Genesee Scientific</td>
			<td>59-100</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Sodium Chloride</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>BP358-212</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Sodium Phosphate Dibasic Anhydrous</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>BP332-500</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Steel Base Plate</td>
			<td>World Precision Instruments</td>
			<td>5052</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Stereomicroscope</td>
			<td>Carl Zeiss</td>
			<td>Stemi 2000</td>
			<td>Used for tissue dissection.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Stereomicroscope with transmitted light source</td>
			<td>Baytronix</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>Used for injection.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Tegosept (p-hydroxybenzoic acid, methyl ester)</td>
			<td>Genesee Scientific</td>
			<td>20-258</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Triton X-100</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>BP151-500</td>
			<td>Nonionic surfactant</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Vial Plugs</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>AS-273</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

assay for blood-brain barrier integrity in drosophila melanogaster

Proper nervous system development includes the formation of the blood-brain barrier, the diffusion barrier that tightly regulates access to the nervous system and protects neural tissue from toxins and pathogens. Defects in the formation of this barrier have been correlated with neuropathies, and the breakdown of this barrier has been observed in many neurodegenerative diseases. Therefore, it is critical to identify the genes that regulate the formation and maintenance of the blood-brain barrier to identify potential therapeutic targets. In order to understand the exact roles these genes play in neural development, it is necessary to assay the effects of altered gene expression on the integrity of the blood-brain barrier. Many of the molecules that function in the establishment of the blood-brain barrier have been found to be conserved across eukaryotic species, including the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster. Fruit flies have proven to be an excellent model system for examining the molecular mechanisms regulating nervous system development and function. This protocol describes a step-by-step procedure to assay for blood-brain barrier integrity during the embryonic and larval stages of D. melanogaster development.

The methods described here allow for the visualization of the integrity of the BBB throughout the CNS in D. melanogaster embryos and larvae (Figure 1). Upon completion of BBB formation in late embryogenesis, the BBB functions to exclude large molecules from the brain and VNC5. This protocol takes advantage of this function to assay BBB formation. When wild-type (Oregon R) late stage 17 (20&#8722;21 h old) embryos were injected with 10 kDa dextran conjugated t...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Assay for Blood-brain Barrier Integrity in Drosophila melanogaster at JoVE.com

Assay for Blood-brain Barrier Integrity in Drosophila melanogaster

Blood-brain barrier integrity is critical for nervous system function. In Drosophila melanogaster, the blood-brain barrier is formed by glial cells during late embryogenesis. This protocol describes methods to assay for blood-brain barrier formation and maintenance in D. melanogaster embryos and third instar larvae.

Assay for Blood-brain Barrier Integrity in Drosophila melanogaster

Proper nervous system development includes the formation of the blood-brain barrier, the diffusion barrier that tightly regulates access to the nervous ...

This method can help answer key questions regarding the genetic regulation of the formation and maintenance of the blood-brain barrier during multiple stages of drosophila development. This method can also be adapted to examine the permeability of other barriers, like the intestinal epithelium in a variety of organisms. The main advantage of this technique is that it allows evaluation of the blood-brain barrier function in live tissues.Visual demonstration of this method is critical, as the sample manipulations can be difficult and many steps require close attention to detail. For embryo collection place a minimum of 50 virgin females with 20 to 25 males per bottle with Corn Meal Agar food and incubate these flies for one to two days before beginning the collections. The day before the collection, warm apple juice agar plates at 25 degrees Celsius overnight.The next morning transfer the carbon dioxide anesthetized flies to a collection cage and place a pre-warmed apple juice agar plate with a small smear of yeast paste on the open end of the cage. Then secure the plate to the cage with the red sleeve. To clear older embryos, allow the flies to lay eggs on an apple juice agar plate for one hour at 25 degrees Celsius.At the end of the incubation, invert the cage mesh side down and tap the flies to the bottom of the cage. Replace the apple juice agar with a new pre-warmed apple juice agar plate with a small smear of yeast paste. Allow the flies to lay eggs on the new plate for another hour at 25 degrees Celsius.To collect late stage 17 embryos for injection, replace the apple juice agar plate with a new pre-warmed plate with a smear of yeast paste. And allow the flies to lay eggs on the plate at 25 degrees Celsius. After one hour, replace the plate and age the plate with collected embryos for 19 hours at 25 degrees Celsius so that the embryos will be 20 to 21 hours old at the time of imaging.At the end of the 19 hour incubation, remove the embryo collection plate from the incubator and cover the surface of the plate with PbTx. Use a paintbrush to loosen the embryos from the plate surface into a 70 micrometer nylon mesh strainer. And place the strainer with embryos in 50%bleach solution in a 100 millimeter Petri dish for five minutes with occasional agitation at room temperature to dechorionate them.At the end of the incubation, rinse the embryos three times by swirling the strainer in fresh PbTx, using a new Petri dish for each wash. Wash embryos to one side of the strainer with PbTx and use a glass pipette to transfer the embryos onto a 2%agarose gel slab. Remove the excess liquid with filter paper.Align six to eight embryos on the slab with the posteriors to the right and the dorsal sides facing up and firmly press a piece of double-sided tape affixed to a slide on top of the embryos. Then desiccate the embryos at room temperature for about 25 minutes before covering the specimens with Halocarbon oil. For larval collection, set up a cross with 5 to 10 virgin female flies of the desired genotype and half as many males of the desired genotype in a vial with Cornmeal Agar food.After five to seven days at 25 degrees Celsius, depending on the genotype, use forceps to gently collect wandering third instar larvae from the vial and rinse the larvae with PBS to remove any stuck food. Transfer the larvae to an apple juice agar plate for genotyping as necessary before using a paintbrush to dry the larvae on a tissue. Then use forceps to transfer six to eight larvae to a slide prepared with double-sided tape.Before the injection, use a micropipette puller to pull capillary tubes into a standard needle shape for D.Melanogaster injections and anchor the needles in clay in a Petri dish. For embryo injection, use a 20 microliter gel-loading pipette tip to load a prepared needle with 5 microliters of 10 kilodalton dextran conjugated to sulforhodamine 101 acid chloride and load the needle into a needle holder. Position the needle in a micromanipulator secured to a steel base and set the inject apparatus to 50 pounds per square inch and 5 to 10 milliseconds with a range of 10.Place the slide on the micromanipulator stage and brush the edge of the needle against the edge of the double-sided tape at a 45 degree angle to create a slightly angled tip broken just enough to allow flow of the 10 kilodalton dextran through the opening. Pump the foot pedal until the dye is at the tip of the needle. Align the needle so that it is parallel with the embryo and puncture the posterior end of the specimen.Pump the foot pedal to inject two nanoliters of dye into the specimen. Note the time of injection for incubation purposes and continue down the slide to inject additional specimens. For larval injection, make a slightly larger angled opening than that which is used for injecting embryos and angle the needle slightly downward toward the specimen before injecting the larvae with 220 nanoliters similar to as demonstrated for embryonic specimens.At the end of the 10 minute injection incubation, use a cotton tipped applicator to apply petroleum jelly on the right and left sides of the samples on the slide as a spacer. Position the cover slip on top and place the slide onto confocal microscope stage. Select the 20X objective and image the samples throughout the depth of each embryo.Then calculate the percentage of samples with a compromised blood-brain barrier according to the formula. Before beginning the dissection procedure, use nail polish to mount two cover slips spaced approximately 0.5 centimeters apart on a slide and place an injected larva into PBS on the slide at the end of the 30 minute incubation. Using one pair of forceps, grasp the larva halfway down the larval body and use a second pair of forceps to separate the anterior and posterior halves of the larva.Next, use one pair of forceps to grip the anterior region at the mouth hooks and use the second pair of forceps to invert the body wall over the tip of the first pair of forceps. The brain and ventral nerve cord will be exposed. Separate the brain and ventral nerve cord from the body wall by severing nerves if needed and remove the body wall from the slide.Cover the sample with 10 microliters of 80%glycerol. Then place a cover slip on top of the sample for imaging and image the samples to determine the percentage of samples with a compromised blood-brain barrier as demonstrated. When wild type late stage 17 embryos are injected with 10 kilodalton dextran conjugated to sulforhodamine 101 acid chloride fluorescent dye, the large dextran molecule is excluded from the ventral nerve cord, as expected.Heterozygous raw 1 mutant embryos exhibit an intact blood-brain barrier, similar to that observed in wild type control embryos. In contrast, homozygous raw 1 mutant embryos exhibit defects in the integrity of the blood-brain barrier, with the 10 kilodalton dextran flooding into the ventral nerve cord, indicating a failure of the blood-brain barrier to form. In wild type control larval samples, 10 kilodalton dextran fails to penetrate the blood-brain barrier and is excluded from the brain and ventral nerve cord.When attempting this procedure, proper aging of the embryos is critical to ensure the samples are examined at an age at which blood-brain barrier formation is expected to be complete. Following this procedure, mutants exhibiting a compromised blood-brain barrier can be furthered studied using genetics, immunohistochemistry, and microscopy to better understand gene function at the cellular level. This technique will allow researchers to identify additional genes that are critical for the establishment and maintenance of the blood-brain barrier.

Research

JoVE Journal

Developmental Biology

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Assaying Blood Cell Populations of the Drosophila melanogaster Larva

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Rearing the Fruit Fly Drosophila melanogaster Under Axenic and Gnotobiotic Conditions

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Dissection and Immunofluorescent Staining of Mushroom Body and Photoreceptor Neurons in Adult Drosophila melanogaster Brains

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An In Vivo Method to Study Mouse Blood-Testis Barrier Integrity

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Methods to Test Endocrine Disruption in Drosophila melanogaster

Methods to Test Endocrine Disruption in Drosophila melanogaster

In recent years there has been growing evidence that all organisms and the environment are exposed to hormone-like chemicals, known as endocrine disruptor ...

Generation of a Human iPSC-Based Blood-Brain Barrier Chip

The blood brain barrier (BBB) is formed by neurovascular units (NVUs) that shield the central nervous system (CNS) from a range of factors found in the ...

Whole Animal Imaging of Drosophila melanogaster using Microcomputed Tomography

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Biomedical imaging tools permit investigation of molecular mechanisms across spatial scales, from genes to organisms. Drosophila melanogaster, a ...

Imaging Live Brain Explants from Drosophila melanogaster Third Instar Larvae

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