title: Preparation and orcein staining of mitotic chromosomes from Drosophila larval brain.
abstract: In this protocol, larval brains from Drosophila are incubated in vitro with colchicine, treated with hypotonic solution, fixed, and squashed in aceto-orcein. This procedure provides a large number of well-spread metaphase figures (200-400 per brain) that can be analyzed for chromosome morphology, the presence of chromosome aberrations, and the degree of ploidy.
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pimpinelli
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bonaccorsi
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fanti
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gatti
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000166:cytology; D002875:Chromosomes; D004330:Drosophila / Q000166:cytology*; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D007814:Larva / Q000166:cytology; D008938:Mitosis; D010078:Oxazines; D013194:Staining and Labeling / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D010078:Oxazines; C002313:PAcein