Preparing cytoplasmic extracts from Drosophila embryos

INTRODUCTIONIn recent years, Drosophila has been an excellent source for biochemical quantities of proteins involved in a variety of cellular processes, such as cytoskeletal function and RNA binding. It is relatively simple to obtain a high-quality Drosophila embryonic cytoplasmic extract for protein purification or biochemistry, if population cages are used that produce at least 5 g of embryos during a 3-hour period. Smaller quantities of embryos can be used to produce extracts for in vitro biochemical assays. This protocol describes the collection and dechorionation of Drosophila embryos and the preparation of cytoplasmic extracts.