Techniques for Imaging Prometaphase and Metaphase of Meiosis I in Fixed Drosophila Oocytes

Summary

We present protocols for the collection, preparation, and imaging of mature Drosophila oocytes. These methods allow the visualization of chromosome behavior and spindle assembly and function during meiosis.

Abstract

Chromosome segregation in human oocytes is error prone, resulting in aneuploidy, which is the leading genetic cause of miscarriage and birth defects. The study of chromosome behavior in oocytes from model organisms holds much promise to uncover the molecular basis of the susceptibility of human oocytes to aneuploidy. Drosophila melanogaster is amenable to genetic manipulation, with over 100 years of research, community, and technique development. Visualizing chromosome behavior and spindle assembly in Drosophila oocytes has particular challenges, however, due primarily to the presence of membranes surrounding the oocyte that are impenetrable to antibodies. We describe here protocols for the collection, preparation, and imaging of meiosis I spindle assembly and chromosome behavior in Drosophila oocytes, which allow the molecular dissection of chromosome segregation in this important model organism.

Introduction

The study of meiosis is sometimes described as the "genetics of genetics". This is because the fundamental properties of chromosome inheritance and independent assortment are carried out through the segregation of chromosomes during gamete production. An important demonstration of the chromosome theory of inheritance came in 1916 from the work of Calvin Bridges in Drosophila melanogaster¹. This and other classical genetics studies in Drosophila contributed greatly to our understanding of genetics. Cytological examination of meiotic chromosomes in Drosophila oocytes, however, has been challenging. This is primarily because immunofl....

Protocol

Note: Procedures are performed at room temperature unless otherwise noted. Temperature-controlled incubators are used to maintain temperatures for fly rearing and crosses unless otherwise noted.

1. Preparations

1. Prepare Flies.
   1. Prometaphase-enriched oocyte collections.
      1. Clear adult flies from healthy, young stock or cross cultures. Age bottles for two days at 25 °C.
         ​NOTE: Generally two healthy bottles will suffice, although more may be needed for some cross cultures.
      2. After two days, collect ~100 to 300 females (who are 0 to 2 days old at this point) from the bottles. The females do not need to ....

Results

The methods we have described here will result in the collection of late-stage Drosophila oocytes representing three stages of meiosis (Figure 1). Oocytes in prophase are distinguished by the presence of the nuclear envelope, which is visible by the lack of tubulin signal in the region surrounding the karyosome (Figure 1A). Prometaphase is the period after nuclear envelope breakdown during which the spindle assembles. During prometaphase, the kar.......

Discussion

Staging Drosophila Oocytes

Although an elongated karyosome is often seen in prometaphase oocytes, using karyosome shape to distinguish prometaphase from metaphase oocytes can be problematic. During prometaphase, the karyosome begins as a round shape, elongates, and then retracts to a round shape as the oocyte approaches the metaphase arrest. This means that many prometaphase oocytes do not have an elongated karyosome. In addition, if mutant or drug-treated oocytes are.......

Materials

List of materials used in this article

Name	Company	Catalog Number	Comments
15 ml conical tubes	Various
16% formaldehyde	Ted Pella, Inc.	18505	HAZARDOUS; once opened, discard after one month
250 ml beakers	Various
5 ml tubes	Various
active dry yeast	Various		mix with water to make a paste the consistency of peanut butter
anti-α-tubulin antibody conjugated to FITC	Sigma	F2168	clone DM1A
Binucleine 2	Sigma	B1186	HAZARDOUS
blender	Various
bovine serum albumin	Sigma	A4161
calcium chloride	Various
colchicine	Sigma	C-9754	HAZARDOUS
coverslips	VWR	48366-227	No. 1 1/2
dextran sulfate	Various
DMSO	Various
EGTA	Various
ethanol	Various
forceps	Ted Pella, Inc.	5622	Dumont tweezers high precision grade style 5
formamide	Sigma	47670-250ML-F
glass slides	VWR	48312-003
glucose	Various
graduated 1.5 ml tubes	Various
HEPES	VWR	EM-5330	available from several venders
Hoechst 33342	Various
magnesium chloride	Various
methanol	Various
large mesh (~1,500 µm)	VWR	AA43657-NK	variety of formats and other suppliers, 12 or 14 mesh
small mesh (~300 µm)	Spectrum labs	146 424	variety of formats, e.g., 146 422 or 146 486
nutator	Various
Pasteur pipets	Various
potassium acetate	Various
Cacodylic acid	Sigma	C0125	HAZARDOUS; alternatively, sodium cacodylate may be substituted
potassium hydroxide	Various
sodium acetate	Various
sodium chloride	Various
sodium citrate	Various
sodium hydroxide	Various
sucrose	Various
taxol (paclitaxel)	Sigma	T1912	HAZARDOUS
Triton X-100	Fisher	PI-28314
Tween 20	Fisher	PI-28320
vortex	Various