Kakanj, P; Eming, SA; Partridge, L; Leptin, M; (2020) Long-term in vivo imaging of Drosophila larvae. Nature Protocols , 15 pp. 1158-1185. 10.1038/s41596-019-0282-z.

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Abstract

The Drosophila larva has been used to investigate many processes in cell biology, including morphogenesis, physiology and responses to drugs and new therapeutic compounds. Despite its enormous potential as a model system, longer-term live imaging has been technically challenging because of a lack of efficient methods for immobilizing larvae for extended periods. We describe here a simple procedure for anesthetization and uninterrupted long-term in vivo imaging of the epidermis and other larval organs, including gut, imaginal discs, neurons, fat body, tracheae, muscles and hemocytes, for up to 8 h. We also include a procedure for probing cell properties by laser ablation. We provide a survey of the effects of different anesthetics, demonstrating that short exposure to diethyl ether is the most effective for long-term immobilization of larvae. This protocol does not require specific expertise beyond basic Drosophila genetics and husbandry, and confocal microscopy. It enables high-resolution studies of many systemic and subcellular processes in larvae.

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