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Dissection and Immunofluorescent Staining of Mushroom Body and Photoreceptor Neurons in Adult Drosophila melanogaster Brains
Published on: November 6, 2017
The Drosophila melanogaster Cajal body
Ji-Long Liu1, Christine Murphy, Michael Buszczak
1Department of Embryology, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA.
The Journal of Cell Biology
|March 15, 2006
Summary
Researchers identified Cajal bodies (CBs) in Drosophila melanogaster using non-coilin markers. They discovered CB components are split between two distinct nuclear bodies, enabling new research avenues.
Area of Science:
- Cell Biology
- Molecular Biology
- Genetics
Background:
- Cajal bodies (CBs) are nuclear organelles typically identified by the p80-coilin protein.
- No coilin orthologue exists in Drosophila melanogaster, complicating CB identification in this model organism.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify and characterize Cajal bodies (CBs) in Drosophila melanogaster.
- To investigate the distribution of canonical CB components in D. melanogaster nuclear bodies.
Main Methods:
- Utilized probes for U85 small CB-specific RNA, U2 small nuclear RNA, survival of motor neurons protein, and fibrillarin to identify D. melanogaster CBs.
- Examined the localization of D. melanogaster U7 small nuclear RNP in relation to the histone gene locus.
Main Results:
- Identified a nuclear body in D. melanogaster containing U85 RNA, U2 RNA, survival of motor neurons protein, and fibrillarin, designated as the D. melanogaster CB.
- Discovered that the D. melanogaster U7 small nuclear RNP localizes to a separate nuclear body, the histone locus body (HLB), which is associated with the histone gene locus.
- Demonstrated that canonical CB components are segregated into at least two distinct nuclear bodies in D. melanogaster.
Conclusions:
- Canonical Cajal body components are distributed into at least two distinct nuclear bodies in Drosophila melanogaster: the CB and the histone locus body (HLB).
- The identification of these nuclear bodies in a genetically tractable organism opens new avenues for studying CB structure and function.
