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Imaging Cell Shape Change in Living Drosophila Embryos
Published on: March 30, 2011
Imaging cell shape change in living Drosophila embryos
Lauren Figard1, Anna Marie Sokac
1Program in Cell & Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine (BCM), USA.
Journal of Visualized Experiments : Jove
|April 15, 2011
Summary
The developing Drosophila embryo provides a model for studying cell shape changes and tissue morphogenesis, relevant to human diseases. Cellularization, a key process, is driven by membrane trafficking, not muscle contraction.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Biology
- Cell Biology
- Genetics
Background:
- Cell shape changes drive tissue morphogenesis in organisms, including humans.
- The Drosophila melanogaster embryo offers a model for studying these dynamic processes.
- Understanding sub-cellular activities is crucial for cell shape regulation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe a protocol for imaging cell shape changes in the Drosophila embryo.
- To investigate the process of cellularization, a key event in early development.
- To highlight the role of membrane trafficking in cellularization.
Main Methods:
- Live confocal imaging of Drosophila melanogaster embryos.
- Utilizing transgenic fly stocks expressing fluorescent proteins.
- Micro-injection of fluorescent probes into embryos.
- Staging and mounting embryos for time-lapse microscopy.
Main Results:
- Cellularization involves dramatic plasma membrane growth, converting a syncytium to epithelial cells.
- This process is primarily driven by exocytosis of membrane, not Myosin-2 contractility.
- The protocol is adaptable for imaging various cell shape changes.
Conclusions:
- The Drosophila embryo is a powerful system for studying cell shape changes and membrane trafficking.
- Cellularization provides insights into membrane dynamics relevant to human conditions like T-tubule morphogenesis.
- The described imaging protocol facilitates research in developmental and cell biology.
