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A protocol to detect neurodegeneration in Drosophila melanogaster whole-brain mounts using advanced microscopy.

ABSTRACT: Drosophila melanogaster is an excellent model organism to study neurodegeneration. Assessing evident neurodegeneration within the fly brain involves the laborious preparation of thin-sectioned H&E-stained heads to visualize brain vacuole degeneration. Here, we present an advanced microscopy-based protocol, without the need for sectioning, to detect vacuole degeneration within whole fly brains by applying commonly used stains to reveal the brain parenchyma. This approach preserves the whole-brain architecture and enables rapid, reproducible, and quantitative analyses of vacuole-like degeneration associated with specific brain regions. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Behnke et al. (2021).

SUBMITTER: Behnke JA

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8339312 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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A protocol to detect neurodegeneration in Drosophila melanogaster whole-brain mounts using advanced microscopy.

Behnke Joseph A JA Ye Changtian C Moberg Kenneth H KH Zheng James Q JQ

STAR protocols 20210728 3

Drosophila melanogaster is an excellent model organism to study neurodegeneration. Assessing evident neurodegeneration within the fly brain involves the laborious preparation of thin-sectioned H&E-stained heads to visualize brain vacuole degeneration. Here, we present an advanced microscopy-based protocol, without the need for sectioning, to detect vacuole degeneration within whole fly brains by applying commonly used stains to reveal the brain parenchyma. This approach preserves the whol ...[more]

PMID: 34382016

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