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 hemisegme...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of visualized experiments 2009-02 (24)
Main Authors: Brent, Jonathan R, Werner, Kristen M, McCabe, Brian D
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Developmental Biology
Dissection - methods
Drosophila - anatomy & histology
Drosophila - physiology
Larva
Neuromuscular Junction - anatomy & histology
Neuromuscular Junction - physiology
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Summary: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.
ISSN:1940-087X
1940-087X
DOI:10.3791/1107