In Vivo Analysis of Glial Immune Responses to Axon Degeneration in Drosophila melanogaster

• Published in: Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.) Vol. 2143; p. 321
• Main Authors: Logan, Mary A, Speese, Sean D
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 2020
• Subjects: Animals; Axons - physiology; Axotomy; Central Nervous System - pathology; DNA, Complementary - genetics; Drosophila melanogaster - genetics; Drosophila melanogaster - immunology; Drosophila melanogaster - physiology; Drosophila Proteins - biosynthesis; Drosophila Proteins - genetics; Gene Expression Regulation; Genes, Reporter; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; Immunohistochemistry - instrumentation; Immunohistochemistry - methods; Intravital Microscopy; Microscopy, Confocal - methods; Nerve Tissue Proteins - biosynthesis; Nerve Tissue Proteins - genetics; Neuroglia - immunology; Neuroglia - metabolism; Phagocytosis; Polymerase Chain Reaction - methods; Wallerian Degeneration - immunology; Wallerian Degeneration - physiopathology; Axotomy; Glial immunity; Wallerian degeneration; Neurodegeneration; Drosophila; Glia; Phagocytosis
• ISSN: 1940-6029
• DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-0585-1_24

Axon degeneration elicits a range of immune responses from local glial cells, including striking changes in glial gene expression, morphology, and phagocytic activity. Here, we describe a detailed set of protocols to assess discrete components of the glial reaction to axotomy in the adult nervous system of Drosophila melanogaster. These methods allow one to visualize and quantify transcriptional, morphological, and functional responses of glia to degenerating axons in a model system that is highly amenable to genetic manipulation.