Biomaterial Database

Detection of apoptosis by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling and acridine orange in Drosophila embryos and adult male gonads. 2006

Eli Arama, and Hermann Steller

Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Strang Laboratory of Cancer Research, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, New York 10021, USA.

In Drosophila, vast numbers of cells undergo apoptosis during normal development. In addition, excessive apoptosis can be induced in response to a variety of stress or injury paradigms, including DNA damage, oxidative stress, nutrient deprivation, unfolded proteins and mechanical tissue damage. Two of the most commonly used methods to label apoptotic cells in Drosophila are terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) for fixed tissues and acridine orange (AO) staining for live embryos or tissues. Here, we describe protocols for labeling apoptotic cells in Drosophila embryos and adult male gonads. Slightly modified protocols can also be applied for other Drosophila tissues. The AO protocol is quick, simple and allows real-time imaging of doomed cells in live tissues. However, it is difficult to combine with conventional counterstains or Ab labeling. On the other hand, this functionality is readily afforded by the TUNEL protocol, which permits the detection of apoptotic cells in fixed tissues. These staining procedures can be completed in 1-2 d.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008297	Male		Males
D004330	Drosophila	A genus of small, two-winged flies containing approximately 900 described species. These organisms are the most extensively studied of all genera from the standpoint of genetics and cytology.	Fruit Fly, Drosophila,Drosophila Fruit Flies,Drosophila Fruit Fly,Drosophilas,Flies, Drosophila Fruit,Fly, Drosophila Fruit,Fruit Flies, Drosophila
D006066	Gonads	The gamete-producing glands, OVARY or TESTIS.	Gonad
D000165	Acridine Orange	A cationic cytochemical stain specific for cell nuclei, especially DNA. It is used as a supravital stain and in fluorescence cytochemistry. It may cause mutations in microorganisms.	Tetramethyl Acridine Diamine,3,6-Bis(dimethylamino)acridine,Acridine Orange Base,Basic Orange 3RN,C.I. 46005,C.I. Basic Orange 14,Euchrysine,N,N,N',N'-Tetramethyl-3,6-Acridinediamine Hydrochloride,Rhoduline Orange,Acridine Diamine, Tetramethyl,Base, Acridine Orange,Diamine, Tetramethyl Acridine,Orange 3RN, Basic,Orange Base, Acridine,Orange, Acridine,Orange, Rhoduline
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D017209	Apoptosis	A regulated cell death mechanism characterized by distinctive morphologic changes in the nucleus and cytoplasm, including the endonucleolytic cleavage of genomic DNA, at regularly spaced, internucleosomal sites, i.e., DNA FRAGMENTATION. It is genetically programmed and serves as a balance to mitosis in regulating the size of animal tissues and in mediating pathologic processes associated with tumor growth.	Apoptosis, Extrinsic Pathway,Apoptosis, Intrinsic Pathway,Caspase-Dependent Apoptosis,Classic Apoptosis,Classical Apoptosis,Programmed Cell Death,Programmed Cell Death, Type I,Apoptoses, Extrinsic Pathway,Apoptoses, Intrinsic Pathway,Apoptosis, Caspase-Dependent,Apoptosis, Classic,Apoptosis, Classical,Caspase Dependent Apoptosis,Cell Death, Programmed,Classic Apoptoses,Extrinsic Pathway Apoptoses,Extrinsic Pathway Apoptosis,Intrinsic Pathway Apoptoses,Intrinsic Pathway Apoptosis
D020287	In Situ Nick-End Labeling	An in situ method for detecting areas of DNA which are nicked during APOPTOSIS. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase is used to add labeled dUTP, in a template-independent manner, to the 3 prime OH ends of either single- or double-stranded DNA. The terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase nick end labeling, or TUNEL, assay labels apoptosis on a single-cell level, making it more sensitive than agarose gel electrophoresis for analysis of DNA FRAGMENTATION.	Nick-End Labeling, In Situ,TUNEL,In Situ Nick End Labeling,In Situ Nick End Labelling,In Situ Nick End-Labeling,In Situ Nick End-Labelling,In Situ Nick-End Labelling,Nick End-Labeling, In Situ,Nick End-Labelling, In Situ,Nick-End Labelling, In Situ,Nick End Labeling, In Situ,Nick End Labelling, In Situ