Dissection and Mounting of Fruit Fly Larval Brain Explants
Transcription
Begin with the larvae of Drosophila, a fruit fly, in a physiological saline solution inside a dish. The solution prevents the larvae from dehydrating.
Under a dissection microscope, locate the anterior end of the larvae with the mouth hooks.
The anterior end contains the eye disks and the central nervous system, or CNS, which comprises the brain lobes and a ventral nerve cord.
Hold the posterior end of the larva using forceps. With another pair of forceps, pull the anterior end to extract the internal organs.
Remove the gut and attached muscles to isolate the CNS attached to the eye disks.
To mount the brain explant, transfer the extracted tissue onto the saline solution enclosed within a grease barrier on a glass slide.
Ensure that the dorsal side of the explant is facing up, and seal the tissue with a coverslip. The brain explant is ready for analysis.
