We thank Professor Li Xiangdong and photographer Mr. Cheng Jing for helpful discussions and suggestions. This work was supported by the Exploratory Project (20200101) of the Life Science Experimental Teaching Demonstration Center of China Agricultural University.

1. Construction of the observing/documenting system
NOTE: The materials needed to construct the fly behavior observing/documenting system are shown in Figure 1, and the completed system is shown in Figure 2. The protocol to construct the system and how to use it are described below.
<ol>
	<li>Make a fly behavior observation chamber (FBOC).
	<ol>
		<li>Obtain a small, translucent (not transparent) container to make an FBOC of size diameter (&#216;) 15 mm x 20 mm. Use a translucent plastic bottle cap of size ~&#216;17 mm x 22 mm to make an FBOC, or cut a section of ~17 mm from the thick end of a 5 mL pipette tip to make an FBOC.</li>
		<li>Pour 1% agar into the FBOC to adjust its depth. If food needs to be placed in the FBOC (see for the preparation method of the food), pour the agar to obtain a depth of 12 mm. If food does not need to be placed in the FBOC, pour the agar to a depth of 5 mm to track the whereabouts of fruit flies more easily.</li>
		<li>If using a pipette tip to make an FBOC, place the cut-off pipette tip section in a &#216;35 mm or a &#216;60 mm Petri dish. Pour the 1% agar gel into the Petri dish to a thickness of ~5 mm, wait for the agar to solidify, and seal the bottom of the FBOC. Then, pour the agar gel into the FBOC to the desired thickness.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Make an FBOC base by boring a ~10 mm-deep hole in the center of a piece of a 60 mm x 60 mm x 15 mm ethylamine foam sheet with the same diameter as the FBOC. Insert the FBOC into the hole. 
	NOTE: The FBOC base keeps the FBOC stable and prevents it from tipping over and facilitates the movement of the FBOC to track the flies during observation and videography.</li>
	<li>Make fly food, if necessary, with yeast medium2, artificial diet3, or pure sucrose/glucose (use 1% agar as gelling agent), depending on the purpose of observation.
	<ol>
		<li>To visually determine whether flies are feeding and increase the contrast between flies and their environment, add food dyes (see the Table of Materials) to the food to a final concentration of 12.5 mg/100mL. 
		NOTE: The abdomens of the flies change color immediately after feeding.</li>
		<li>Pour the prepared food into a Petri dish to a height of 8 mm. After solidification, use a razor blade to cut out a piece of food of size 8 mm x 4 mm x 8 mm, and place it on a piece of plastic (such as candy wrapper).</li>
		<li>Cut the food into a quadrangular pyramid or quadrangular frustum pyramid, as shown in Figure 3, to allow observation and recording of fly behavior from different angles as the flies land on the food randomly. Use the plastic under the food is to prevent the dye in the food from diffusing into the agar in the FBOC. Use tweezers to place the food in the center of the FBOC.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>In some behavioral observations, ensure that the flies are starved in advance. Pour 1% agar gel (1 g agar/100 mL water, 600 &#181;L of propionic acid) into a clean empty bottle to a thickness of 1-2 cm, and place at room temperature for 1-2 h. Transfer flies to the bottle and place at 25 &#176;C for &#8805;36 h. 
	NOTE: Flies can absorb water from the agar gel, so there is no need to add water from time to time4,5.</li>
	<li>Transfer one or more flies into the FBOC using an aspirator. If using an aspirator is difficult, chill and inactivate the flies in crushed ice, sort them on an ice pack, and transfer them to the FBOC as described previously6. 
	NOTE: The use of freezing greatly facilitates the transfer of flies; the chilled flies can regain consciousness within 1 min, much faster than those anesthetized with CO2. Although chilling could have detrimental effects on the behavior of flies, e.g., increased copulation latency of flies from 5 min7 to 40 min8, it does not change fly behavior (such as courtship behavior). Hence, the chilling method may be used to transfer flies for general observation (such as teaching experiments) and videography. However, if the observations are to be used in a scientific report, it is strongly recommended to not expose the flies to any anesthesia.</li>
	<li>After transferring the flies to the FBOC, cover it with a 30-40 mm UV/clear filter for the camera to form an FBOC complex (Figure 4). Place the FBOC complex under the stereomicroscope for observation. 
	NOTE: To obtain clear and sharp images, it is strongly recommended to use high-quality UV/clear filter with high light transmittance (&#62;98%) and reduced flare. Refer to some suggestions described previously9,10; although there is no need to buy expensive filters, avoid covering the FBOC with glass such as the lid of a Petri dish.</li>
	<li>Illuminate the FBOC. Mount mini LED video lights to flash hot shoe mount stands and place them on the left and right sides of the FBOC (Figure 2). Turn on the LED lights, and set the brightness to 100% and the color temperature to 5000-5600 K. 
	NOTE: The mini LED video lights with dimmable light, 5600 K color temperature can provide uniform, bright, nearly shadow-free illumination. Using the top light source that comes with the stereo microscope, the LED Ring Light illuminator, or fiber optic illuminator did not yield satisfactory results. It is best to use continuous power supply (transformers) for LED video lights.</li>
	<li>Observation and videography of fly behavior
	<ol>
		<li>Turn on the LED video lights, and adjust the stereo zoom microscope until the edge of the FBOC can be clearly seen with the naked eye. Move the FBOC to the center of the field of view.</li>
		<li>Attach the clamp of the universal telescope digital camera adapter to an eyepiece of the stereo microscope, and then attach a compact digital camera to the adapter securely by alternately turning the camera mounting screw and camera fixing screw (Figure 2).</li>
		<li>Turn on the digital camera, and turn the horizontal/vertical fine-tuning knobs until the FBOC edge clearly appears in the center of the bright circular field of view on the camera&#39;s LCD screen. Rotate the mode dial to Aperture-priority auto Mode, press focus on the multi selector, choose Macro close-up, and then press the OK button. Move the zoom switch from the wide-angle end to the telephoto end, and zoom into the circular image until its central portion fills the full LCD screen.&#160;Press the Movie-record button to start recording (press the button again to end recording). 
		NOTE: If the image is too dark or too bright, press the side of the control dial close to the exposure compensation icon (Figure 1), and rotate the dial to alter the exposure value (EV) suggested by the camera to achieve the desired effect. Positive EVs make the image brighter, and negative EVs make the image darker. The image must be uniform, bright, without vignetting.</li>
		<li>Turn the focus knob of the microscope until the flies in the FBOC are clearly visible. Choose the fly behavior of interest for observation or video recording. Turn the zoom knob to zoom in and out to achieve the desired magnification for observation or video recording. 
		&#8203;NOTE: This method of taking images under the microscope through the eyepieces is applicable to any microscope with eyepieces. To take photographs of experimental results, use a camera that can shoot in RAW format, as RAW image files are preferable to JPEGs. Use the camera&#39;s LCD screen as a display to observe the behavior of fruit flies, and ensure that the stereo zoom microscope has at least 5-50x zoom.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
</ol>
2. Protocols for observation and videography of fly behavior
<ol>
	<li>Preparing the flies
	<ol>
		<li>Culture the flies on cornmeal medium at 25 &#176;C with 60% humidity and a 12 h light/dark cycle. Collect flies within 6 days of hatching for observation (except courtship and fighting behavior). 
		NOTE: Here, the medium was composed of 1000 mL of water, 105 g of cornmeal flour, 75 g of sucrose, 15 g of agar, 40 g of yeast powder, 28 mL of 10% methyl paraben (w/v in 95% ethanol), and 6.25 mL of propionic acid.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Regaining consciousness from anesthesia by chilling
	<ol>
		<li>Chill the flies as described previously.6 Transfer the Drosophila from the ice box to the FBOC using tweezers. Record the fly&#39;s process from inactivity to normal posture on video.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Fly sleep, feeding, excretion, and social behavior
	<ol>
		<li>Starve flies for 36 h. Transfer 4-6 fruit flies to the FBOC with stained food. Observe and record fly behavior on video. 
		NOTE: Flies that remain motionless for more than 5 min display sleep behavior11. Drosophila can sleep on food or on a vertical FBOC wall (the body is perpendicular to the observation chamber wall). Although the body does not move when sleeping, the abdomen can be seen to be undulating. Feeding behavior is manifested when the fly stretches out its proboscis, moves on the food while constantly sucking, and its abdomen turns blue. During group feeding or other activities, fruit flies stretch their feet to touch the bodies of other fruit flies in a friendly manner. This is a social behavior.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Fly grooming behavior
	<ol>
		<li>Chill the flies as described6. Throw the frozen flies into agar powder, and roll to cover them with agar powder. Transfer the flies to the FBOC. Observe and record grooming behavior. 
		NOTE: When the fruit fly regains consciousness from the freezing, it will quickly shake off the agar powder from its body and clean every part of its body with its legs12,13. Grooming behavior can also be seen during feeding, courtship, and other behaviors.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Fly courtship and fighting behavior
	<ol>
		<li>Collect female and male flies as described previously7. To observe the courtship behavior of flies, place a female fly and a male fly into the FBOC to observe and record 6 courtship (successful and failed) behaviors.</li>
		<li>To observe the fighting behavior of flies, place two males in the FBOC. Observe and record their behavior of pushing and shoving each other.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Fly egg-laying behavior
	<ol>
		<li>Prepare female flies as described previously5. Transfer 4 female flies into FBOC with food.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
</ol>

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<li>Yang, D. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=((Carnivory+in+the+larvae+of+Drosophila+melanogaster+and+other+Drosophila+species%5BTitle%5D)+AND+%22Scientific+Reports%22%5BJournal%5D)">Carnivory in the larvae of Drosophila melanogaster and other Drosophila species.</a> Scientific Reports. 8, 15484(2018).</li>
<li>Piper, M. D., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=((A+holidic+medium+for+Drosophila+melanogaster%5BTitle%5D)+AND+%22Nature+Methods%22%5BJournal%5D)">A holidic medium for Drosophila melanogaster.</a> Nature Methods. 11, 100-105 (2014).</li>
<li>Shiraiwa, T., Carlson, J. R. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=((Proboscis+extension+response+%28PER%29+assay+in+Drosophila%5BTitle%5D)+AND+%22Journal+of+visualized+experiments+%3A+JoVE%22%5BJournal%5D)">Proboscis extension response (PER) assay in Drosophila.</a> Journal of visualized experiments : JoVE. (3), e193(2007).</li>
<li>Yang, C. -H., Belawat, P., Hafen, E., Jan, L. Y., Jan, Y. -N. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=((Drosophila+egg-laying+site+selection+as+a+system+to+study+simple+decision-making+processes%5BTitle%5D)+AND+%22Science%22%5BJournal%5D)">Drosophila egg-laying site selection as a system to study simple decision-making processes.</a> Science. 319 (5870), 1679-1683 (2008).</li>
<li>Yang, D. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=((Simple+homemade+tools+to+handle+fruit+flies-Drosophila+melanogaster%5BTitle%5D)+AND+%22Journal+Of+Visualized+Experiments%3A+JoVE%22%5BJournal%5D)">Simple homemade tools to handle fruit flies-Drosophila melanogaster.</a> Journal Of Visualized Experiments: JoVE. (149), e59613(2019).</li>
<li>Nichols, C. D., Becnel, J., Pandey, U. B. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=((Methods+to+assay+Drosophila+behavior%5BTitle%5D)+AND+%22Journal+of+Visualized+Experiments%3A+JoVE%22%5BJournal%5D)">Methods to assay Drosophila behavior.</a> Journal of Visualized Experiments: JoVE. (61), e3795(2012).</li>
<li>Barron, A. B. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=((Anesthetizing+Drosophila+for+behavioural+studies%5BTitle%5D)+AND+%22Journal+of+Insect+Physiology%22%5BJournal%5D)">Anesthetizing Drosophila for behavioural studies.</a> Journal of Insect Physiology. 46 (4), 439-442 (2000).</li>
<li>Cicala, R. My not quite complete protective filter article. , Available from: 
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<li>Carnathan, B. UV and clear lens protection filters review. , Available from: 
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<li>Barradale, F., Sinha, K., Lebestky, T. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=((Quantification+of+Drosophila+grooming+behavior%5BTitle%5D)+AND+%22Journal+of+Visualized+Experiments%3A+JoVE%22%5BJournal%5D)">Quantification of Drosophila grooming behavior.</a> Journal of Visualized Experiments: JoVE. (125), e55231(2017).</li>
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The authors have nothing to disclose.

Light is at the very heart of photography and videography and is the decisive factor for obtaining high-quality images16. Here, two LED video lights with adjustable brightness and color temperature were used as illuminators, and a translucent material was selected to make the FBOC. The LED light panels on both sides provided enough brightness, and the translucent material softened and scattered light, eventually producing uniform, soft, and bright light to illuminate the flies in the FBOC, without...

Drosophila melanogaster is an outstanding model in biological research; however, it is a bad model for photography or videography, as it is too small for a camera or a camcorder and too large for a compound microscope1. Despite excellent research described in the literature, most studies have only provided blurred, unclear images, rather than clear and sharp photographs with clear detail that illustrate the fly behavior being described. Moreover, although fly behaviors have been extensively studied (e.g., courtship and fighting), most of these papers have used illustrations to explain their research to readers.
This paper describes a simple and economical approach. Using this method, not only the various behaviors of Drosophila can be observed, but also all the details that can be observed under a stereo zoom microscope can be recorded clearly and sharply. Of course, this method can also be used to record the morphology of flies, as when they enter a sleep or semi-sleep state, the stationary model allows the user to take a photograph or a stack of photographs with different focal planes to get an extended depth of field photo. These methods can be realized without complicated technology and expensive equipment or even superb manual skills.
The video component of this article shows videos of several typical behaviors of flies. The purpose of showing these videos is twofold: one is to let audiences know what can be captured and present the image quality obtained by using this method; the other is to let new students who are interested in Drosophila, but thus far have not had the opportunity to actually observe the behavior of flies understand the behavior of flies (such as courtship, fighting) through these clear videos rather than illustrations or blurred images.
Supplemental Video: Fruit Fly Behavior: <a href="https://www.jove.com/files/ftp_upload/62533/fly behavior.mp4" target="_blank">Please click here to download this file.</a>

<table><tbody><tr><td>compact camera, Nikon P310</td><td>Nikon</td><td></td><td>3-5x optical zoom, cam record 1080 P HD video</td></tr><tr><td>ethylamine foam</td><td></td><td></td><td>60 mm x 60 mm x 15 mm</td></tr><tr><td>Food Blue No 1</td><td></td><td>CAS 3844-45-9</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>mini LED lights and transformer</td><td>GODOX</td><td>LED-P120</td><td>have 5000-5600 K color temperature</td></tr><tr><td>small container (e.g. bottle cap)</td><td></td><td></td><td>about &amp;Oslash; 15 mm x 20 mm</td></tr><tr><td>UV / Clear filter</td><td></td><td></td><td>high-quality UV/Clear filter with high transmittance, 30-40 mm</td></tr><tr><td>zoom stereo microscope</td><td></td><td></td><td>5-50x zoom</td></tr></tbody></table>

an adjustable high-definition imaging system for behavioral studies of drosophila adults

Drosophila melanogaster is a very powerful model in biological research, but a bad model for photography or videography. This paper describes a simple but effective method to observe and document the behavior or morphology of flies. Flies were placed in a translucent observation chamber c.a. &#216;15 x 5mm (no food inside) or &#216;15 x 12 mm (with an 8 mm-high piece of food inside). After covering with an ultraviolet (UV)/clear filter with high light transmittance, the chamber was placed under a 5-50x zoom stereo microscope, and mini light-emitting diode (LED) video lights were placed on both sides of the microscope to illuminate the chamber to obtain uniform, soft, bright, and nearly shadow-free light. Then, a compact digital camera with 3-5x optical zoom, which can record 1080 P high-definition or higher resolution video (at a frame rate of &#8805;30 fps), was connected to the eyepiece of microscope through a bracket, and photographs or videos were taken through the eyepiece. By adjusting the zoom knob of the zoom stereo microscope, it was very easy to track the flies and take panoramic or detailed close-up images as needed, while the camera recorded everything under the microscope. Because the flies can stay at any position in the chamber, they can be observed and recorded from all directions. The photographs or videos taken are of good image quality. This method can be used both for scientific research and teaching.

Shoot through a UV filter for clear and sharp images 
Perform a simple experiment to observe the difference between a UV filter and ordinary glass in the laboratory. Take a fly culture vial, remove the stopper, place it under a stereo dissecting microscope, and cover it (alternately) with a UV filter and a Petri dish lid. The photographs taken in these two cases are shown in Figure 5. The photograph taken through the UV filter is clear and sharp, very similar to the pho...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about An Adjustable High-Definition Imaging System for Behavioral Studies of Drosophila Adults at JoVE.com

An Adjustable High-Definition Imaging System for Behavioral Studies of Drosophila Adults

This protocol describes how to make a simple adult Drosophila behavior observation chamber, and how to take high-definition photographs/videos of the morphology or behavior of different types of fruit flies in the observation chamber through relatively simple and affordable methods.

An Adjustable High-Definition Imaging System for Behavioral Studies of Drosophila Adults

Drosophila melanogaster is a very powerful model in biological research, but a bad model for photography or videography. This paper describes a simple but ...

an-adjustable-high-definition-imaging-system-for-behavioral-studies

Research

JoVE Journal

Behavior

2.6K Views.  China Agricultural University. This protocol describes how to make a simple adult Drosophila behavior observation chamber, and how to take high-definition photographs/videos of the morphology or behavior of different types of fruit flies in the observation chamber through relatively simple and affordable methods.

Video: An Adjustable High-Definition Imaging System for Behavioral Studies of Drosophila Adults

Live-imaging of the Drosophila Pupal Eye

Inherent processes of Drosophila pupal development can shift and distort the eye epithelium in ways that make individual cell behavior difficult to track during live cell imaging. These processes include: retinal rotation, cell growth and organismal movement. Additionally, irregularities in the topology of the epithelium, including subtle bumps and folds often introduced as the pupa is prepared for imaging, make it challenging to acquire in-focus images of more than a few ommatidia in a single focal plane. The workflow outlined here remedies these issues, allowing easy analysis of cellular processes during Drosophila pupal eye development. Appropriately-staged pupae are arranged in an imaging rig that can be easily assembled in most laboratories. Ubiquitin-DE-Cadherin:GFP and GMR-GAL4&#8211;driven UAS-&#945;-catenin:GFP are used to visualize cell boundaries in the eye epithelium 1-3. After deconvolution is applied to fluorescent images captured at multiple focal planes, maximum projection images are generated for each time point and enhanced using image editing software. Alignment algorithms are used to quickly stabilize superfluous motion, making individual cell behavior easier to track.

Live-imaging of the Drosophila Pupal Eye

This protocol presents an efficient method for imaging the live Drosophila pupal eye neuroepithelium. This method compensates for tissue movement and uneven topology, enhances visualization of cell boundaries through the use of multiple GFP-tagged junction proteins, and uses an easily-assembled imaging rig.

Inherent processes of Drosophila pupal development can shift and distort the eye epithelium in ways that make individual cell behavior difficult to track ...

Developmental Biology

High-Resolution Video Tracking of Locomotion in Adult Drosophila Melanogaster

Flies provide an important model for studying complex behavior due to the plethora of genetic tools available to researchers in this field. Studying locomotor behavior in Drosophila melanogaster relies on the ability to be able to quantify changes in motion during or in response to a given task. For this reason, a high-resolution video tracking system, such as the one we describe in this paper, is a valuable tool for measuring locomotion in real-time. Our protocol involves the use of an initial air pulse to break the flies momentum, followed by a thirty second filming period in a square chamber. A tracking program is then used to calculate the instantaneous speed of each fly within the chamber in 10 msec increments. Analysis software then compiles this data, and outputs a variety of parameters such as average speed, max speed, time spent in motion, acceleration, etc. This protocol will discuss proper feeding and management of flies for behavioral tasks, handling flies without anesthetization or immobilization, setting up a controlled environment, and running the assay from start to finish.

The study of complex locomotor behavior in Drosophila melanogaster is dependent upon the ability to quantify changes in a given fly's movement. This article demonstrates how to do this using a high-resolution tracking system.

Flies provide an important model for studying complex behavior due to the plethora of genetic tools available to researchers in this field.  Studying ...

Biology

Preparation of Developing and Adult Drosophila Brains and Retinae for Live Imaging

The Drosophila brain and visual system are widely utilized model systems to study neuronal development, function and degeneration. Here we show three preparations of the brain and visual system that cover the range from the developing eye disc-brain complex in the developing pupae to individual eye and brain dissection from adult flies. All protocols are optimized for the live culture of the preparations. However, we also present the conditions for fixed tissue immunohistochemistry where applicable. Finally, we show live imaging conditions for these preparations using conventional and resonant 4D confocal live imaging in a perfusion chamber. Together, these protocols provide a basis for live imaging on different time scales ranging from functional intracellular assays on the scale of minutes to developmental or degenerative processes on the scale of many hours.

Preparation of Developing and Adult Drosophila Brains and Retinae for Live Imaging

This protocol describes three Drosophila preparations: 1) adult brain dissection, 2) adult retina dissection and 3) developing eye disc- brain complexes dissection. Emphasis is laid on special preparation techniques and conditions for live imaging, although all preparations can be used for fixed tissue immunohistochemistry.

The Drosophila brain and visual system are widely utilized model systems to study neuronal development, function and degeneration. Here we show three ...

Acquisition of High-Quality Digital Video of Drosophila Larval and Adult Behaviors from a Lateral Perspective

Drosophila melanogaster is a powerful experimental model system for studying the function of the nervous system. Gene mutations that cause dysfunction of the nervous system often produce viable larvae and adults that have locomotion defective phenotypes that are difficult to adequately describe with text or completely represent with a single photographic image. Current modes of scientific publishing, however, support the submission of digital video media as supplemental material to accompany a manuscript. Here we describe a simple and widely accessible microscopy technique for acquiring high-quality digital video of both Drosophila larval and adult phenotypes from a lateral perspective. Video of larval and adult locomotion from a side-view is advantageous because it allows the observation and analysis of subtle distinctions and variations in aberrant locomotive behaviors. We have successfully used the technique to visualize and quantify aberrant crawling behaviors in third instar larvae, in addition to adult mutant phenotypes and behaviors including grooming.

Acquisition of High-Quality Digital Video of Drosophila Larval and Adult Behaviors from a Lateral Perspective

Here we describe a simple and widely accessible microscopy technique to acquire high-quality digital video of Drosophila adult and larval mutant phenotypes from a lateral perspective.

Drosophila melanogaster is a powerful experimental model system for studying the function of the nervous system. Gene mutations that cause dysfunction of ...

Neuroscience

Whole Animal Imaging of Drosophila melanogaster using Microcomputed Tomography

Biomedical imaging tools permit investigation of molecular mechanisms across spatial scales, from genes to organisms. Drosophila melanogaster, a well-characterized model organism, has benefited from the use of light and electron microscopy to understand gene function at the level of cells and tissues. The application of imaging platforms that allow for an understanding of gene function at the level of the entire intact organism would further enhance our knowledge of genetic mechanisms. Here a whole animal imaging method is presented that outlines the steps needed to visualize Drosophila at any developmental stage using microcomputed tomography (&#181;-CT). The advantages of &#181;-CT include commercially available instrumentation and minimal hands-on time to produce accurate 3D information at micron-level resolution without the need for tissue dissection or clearing methods. Paired with software that accelerate image analysis and 3D rendering, detailed morphometric analysis of any tissue or organ system can be performed to better understand mechanisms of development, physiology, and anatomy for both descriptive and hypothesis testing studies. By utilizing an imaging workflow that incorporates the use of electron microscopy, light microscopy, and &#181;-CT, a thorough evaluation of gene function can be performed, thus furthering the usefulness of this powerful model organism.

Whole Animal Imaging of Drosophila melanogaster using Microcomputed Tomography

A protocol is presented that allows for the visualization of intact Drosophila melanogaster at any stage of development using microcomputed tomography.

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

High-resolution Quantification of Odor-guided Behavior in Drosophila melanogaster Using the Flywalk Paradigm

In their natural environment, insects such as the vinegar fly Drosophila melanogaster are bombarded with a huge amount of chemically distinct odorants. To complicate matters even further, the odors detected by the insect nervous system usually are not single compounds but mixtures whose composition and concentration ratios vary. This leads to an almost infinite amount of different olfactory stimuli which have to be evaluated by the nervous system.
To understand which aspects of an odor stimulus determine its evaluation by the fly, it is therefore desirable to efficiently examine odor-guided behavior towards many odorants and odor mixtures. To directly correlate behavior to neuronal activity, behavior should be quantified in a comparable time frame and under identical stimulus conditions as in neurophysiological experiments. However, many currently used olfactory bioassays in Drosophila neuroethology are rather specialized either towards efficiency or towards resolution.
Flywalk, an automated odor delivery and tracking system, bridges the gap between efficiency and resolution. It allows the determination of exactly when an odor packet stimulated a freely walking fly, and to determine the animal&#180;s dynamic behavioral reaction.

High-resolution Quantification of Odor-guided Behavior in Drosophila melanogaster Using the Flywalk Paradigm

The automated tracking system Flywalk is used for high-resolution quantification of odor-guided behavior in Drosophila melanogaster.

In their natural environment, insects such as the vinegar fly Drosophila melanogaster are bombarded with a huge amount of chemically distinct odorants. To ...

Single-cell Resolution Fluorescence Live Imaging of Drosophila Circadian Clocks in Larval Brain Culture

The circadian pacemaker circuit orchestrates rhythmic behavioral and physiological outputs coordinated with environmental cues, such as day/night cycles. The molecular clock within each pacemaker neuron generates circadian rhythms in gene expression, which underlie the rhythmic neuronal functions essential to the operation of the circuit. Investigation of the properties of the individual molecular oscillators in different subclasses of pacemaker neurons and their interaction with neuronal signaling yields a better understanding of the circadian pacemaker circuit. Here, we present a time-lapse fluorescent microscopy approach developed to monitor the molecular clockwork in clock neurons of cultured Drosophila larval brain. This method allows the multi-day recording of the rhythms of genetically encoded fluorescent circadian reporters at single-cell resolution. This setup can be combined with pharmacological manipulations to closely analyze real-time response of the molecular clock to various compounds. Beyond circadian rhythms, this multipurpose method in combination with powerful Drosophila genetic techniques offers the possibility to study diverse neuronal or molecular processes in live brain tissue.

Single-cell Resolution Fluorescence Live Imaging of Drosophila Circadian Clocks in Larval Brain Culture

The goal of this protocol is to establish ex vivo Drosophila larval brain culture optimized to monitor circadian molecular rhythms with long-term fluorescence time-lapse imaging. The application of this method to pharmacological assays is also discussed.

The circadian pacemaker circuit orchestrates rhythmic behavioral and physiological outputs coordinated with environmental cues, such as day/night cycles. ...

An Improved Method for Accurate and Rapid Measurement of Flight Performance in Drosophila

Drosophila has proven to be a useful model system for analysis of behavior, including flight. The initial flight tester involved dropping flies into an oil-coated graduated cylinder; landing height provided a measure of flight performance by assessing how far flies will fall before producing enough thrust to make contact with the wall of the cylinder. Here we describe an updated version of the flight tester with four major improvements. First, we added a &#34;drop tube&#34; to ensure that all flies enter the flight cylinder at a similar velocity between trials, eliminating variability between users. Second, we replaced the oil coating with removable plastic sheets coated in Tangle-Trap, an adhesive designed to capture live insects. Third, we use a longer cylinder to enable more accurate discrimination of flight ability. Fourth we use a digital camera and imaging software to automate the scoring of flight performance. These improvements allow for the rapid, quantitative assessment of flight behavior, useful for large datasets and large-scale genetic screens.

An Improved Method for Accurate and Rapid Measurement of Flight Performance in Drosophila

Here we describe a method for rapid and accurate measurement of flight performance in Drosophila, enabling high-throughput screening.

Drosophila has proven to be a useful model system for analysis of behavior, including flight. The initial flight tester involved dropping flies into an ...

Preparing Adult Drosophila melanogaster for Whole Brain Imaging during Behavior and Stimuli Responses

We present a method developed specifically to image the whole Drosophila brain during ongoing behavior such as walking. Head fixation and dissection are optimized to minimize their impact on behavior. This is first achieved by using a holder that minimizes movement hindrances. The back of the fly&#8217;s head is glued to this holder at an angle that allows optical access to the whole brain while retaining the fly&#8217;s ability to walk, groom, smell, taste and see. The back of the head is dissected to remove tissues in the optical path and muscles responsible for head movement artefacts. The fly brain can subsequently be imaged to record brain activity, for instance using calcium or voltage indicators, during specific behaviors such as walking or grooming, and in response to different stimuli. Once the challenging dissection, which requires considerable practice, has been mastered, this technique allows to record rich data sets relating whole brain activity to behavior and stimulus responses.

Preparing Adult Drosophila melanogaster for Whole Brain Imaging during Behavior and Stimuli Responses

We present a method specifically tailored to image the whole brain of adult Drosophila during behavior and in response to stimuli. The head is positioned to allow optical access to the whole brain, while the fly can move its legs and the antennae, the tip of the proboscis, and the eyes can receive sensory stimuli.

We present a method developed specifically to image the whole Drosophila brain during ongoing behavior such as walking. Head fixation and dissection are ...

High-Resolution Imaging and Analysis of Drosophila Eye Defects

A Rapid, Simple Workflow for Quantification of External Adult Drosophila Structures

The Drosophila compound eye is a precisely patterned tissue that has revealed molecular mechanisms and biological processes that drive morphogenesis. It is a simple structure of repeating unit eyes, termed ommatidia, that is used to characterize genetic interactions and gene functions. Mutations that affect eye architecture can be easily detected and analyzed; hence, this system is frequently used in under-resourced institutions. Further phenotypic analysis often includes a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) to generate high-magnification images suitable for quantitative analysis. However, SEMs are expensive and require costly reagents; sample preparation spans days; and, often, they need full-time staff for sample preparation and instrument maintenance. This limits their utility at under-resourced institutions or during budgetary austerity. In entomology, the use of high-resolution digital imaging technology is a common practice for the identification and characterization of species. This paper describes a method that combines strategies and allows for high-resolution digital imaging of adult Drosophila structures and quantitative analysis using the open software ImageJ. The workflow is a rapid and student-friendly alternative that remedies the limitations of underfunded and under-resourced research facilities with a cost-effective and rapid approach to quantitative phenotypic analysis.

Here, we present a rapid, low-cost, workflow for high-resolution imaging of adult Drosophila eyes to quantify patterning and growth defects. We describe our protocol for sample preparation by point-mounting, high-resolution image acquisition, and image analysis.

The Drosophila compound eye is a precisely patterned tissue that has revealed molecular mechanisms and biological processes that drive morphogenesis. It ...

An Adjustable High-Definition Imaging System for Behavioral Studies of Drosophila Adults

Summary

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Preparing Adult Drosophila melanogaster for Whole Brain Imaging during Behavior and Stimuli Responses

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