Physics

Cell

Gene

Axoplasmic transport

Anatomy

Neuroscience

Drosophila melanogaster

Biology

Genetics

Thermodynamics

Live cell imaging

Wing

Drosophila (subgenus)

Biochemistry

Nature Protocols

This protocol describes a simple and effective method for live imaging of axonal transport in adult neurons. It makes use of the translucent Drosophila wing and spinning-disk microscopy to obtain high-resolution movies of axonal cargoes in transit. There is growing interest in the link between axonal cargo transport and age-associated neuronal dysfunction. The study of axonal transport in neurons of adult animals requires intravital or ex vivo imaging approaches, which are laborious and expensive in vertebrate models. We describe simple, noninvasive procedures for imaging cargo motility within axons using sensory neurons of the translucent Drosophila wing. A key aspect is a method for mounting the intact fly that allows detailed imaging of transport in wing neurons. Coupled with existing genetic tools in Drosophila, this is a tractable system for studying axonal transport over the life span of an animal and thus for characterization of the relationship between cargo dynamics, neuronal aging and disease. Prepa...

A simple method for imaging axonal transport in aging neurons using the adult Drosophila wing