Chromosome banding of mitotic chromosomes from Drosophila larval brain

The classical chromosome-banding techniques developed for mammalian chromosomes do not differentiate the euchromatic arms of Drosophila mitotic chromosomes. However, some of these techniques produce a sharp and highly reproducible banding of Drosophila heterochromatin. For example, the use of quinacrine-, Hoechst-, and N-banding differentiates Drosophila heterochromatin into 61 cytological entities, allowing precise localization of heterochromatic breakpoints. These banding techniques can also be successfully used to differentiate mitotic heterochromatin of various Drosophila and mosquito species. Here we present protocols routinely used in our laboratories for chromosome banding, including the use of Hoechst, 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI), quinacrine, and Giemsa stains.