Observing surface topography of Drosophila eye by Scanning Electron Microscopy

Abstract

The compound eyes of Drosophila have been widely used since the beginning of fly genetics because of convenience of identifying visible mutants that affect eye development and morphology (Hales et al., 2015). Molecular genetic studies have provided detailed understanding of the diverse cascades of signaling pathways that bring about the remarkably organized arrays of ommatidia seen in adult eyes. Since nearly 75% protein-coding genes share high similarity between fly and human genomes (Pandey, 2011), fly has become a very good model for many human diseases, including the diverse neurodegenerative disorders. The GAL4-UAS binary system (see Chapters 31, 32) directed ectopic expression of transgenes, carrying mutant alleles causing human neurodegenerative disorders, in developing eyes of Drosophila, and examination of the adult eye surface as a morphological readout for neurodegeneration have been widely used to understand the events underlying neurodegeneration