title: Live imaging of GFP-labeled proteins in Drosophila oocytes.
abstract: The Drosophila oocyte has been established as a versatile system for investigating fundamental questions such as cytoskeletal function, cell organization, and organelle structure and function. The availability of various GFP-tagged proteins means that many cellular processes can be monitored in living cells over the course of minutes or hours, and using this technique, processes such as RNP transport, epithelial morphogenesis, and tissue remodeling have been described in great detail in Drosophila oocytes. The ability to perform video imaging combined with a rich repertoire of mutants allows an enormous variety of genes and processes to be examined in incredible detail. One such example is the process of ooplasmic streaming, which initiates at mid-oogenesis. This vigorous movement of cytoplasmic vesicles is microtubule and kinesin-dependent and provides a useful system for investigating cytoskeleton function at these stages. Here I present a protocol for time lapse imaging of living oocytes using virtually any confocal microscopy setup.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Vassar College.
authors.forename: Nancy Jo
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Pokrywka
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D057054:Molecular Imaging / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D009865:Oocytes / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins