Campus Units
Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology, Roy J. Carver Department of
Document Type
Article
Publication Version
Published Version
Publication Date
2-2010
Journal or Book Title
Journal of Visualized Experiments
Issue
36
First Page
e1748
DOI
10.3791/1748
Abstract
Drosophila has long been a favorite model system for studying the relationship between chromatin structure and gene regulation due to the cytological advantages provided by the giant salivary gland polytene chromosomes of third instar larvae. In this tissue the chromosomes undergo many rounds of replication in the absence of cell division giving rise to approximately 1000 copies. The DNA remains aligned after each replicative cycle resulting in greatly enlarged chromosomes that provide a unique opportunity to correlate chromatin morphology with the localization of specific proteins. Consequently, there has been a high level of interest in defining the epigenetic modifications present at different genes and at different stages of the transcription process. An important tool for such studies is the labeling of polytene chromosomes with antibodies to the enzyme, transcription factor, or histone modification of interest. This video protocol illustrates the squash technique used in the Johansen laboratory to prepare Drosophila polytene chromosomes for antibody labeling.
Copyright Owner
Journal of Visualized Experiments
Copyright Date
2010
Language
en
File Format
application/pdf
Recommended Citation
Cai, Weili; Jin, Ye; Girton, Jack; Johansen, Jorgen; and Johansen, Kristen M., "Preparation of Drosophila Polytene Chromosome Squashes for Antibody Labeling" (2010). Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology Publications. 248.
https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/bbmb_ag_pubs/248
Comments
This article is published as Cai, W., Jin, Y., Girton, J., Johansen, J., Johansen, K.M. Preparation of Drosophila Polytene Chromosome Squashes for Antibody Labeling. J. Vis. Exp. (36), e1748, doi:10.3791/1748 (2010). Posted with permission.