Antibodies to horseradish peroxidase as specific neuronal markers in Drosophila and in grasshopper embryos.

TLDR

Antibodies to horseradish peroxidase recognize an early nervous‑system antigen that appears during differentiation. These antibodies label neuronal membranes, marking sensory neurons, peripheral nerves, and central nervous system fiber tracks in Drosophila and grasshopper embryos, larvae, and adults, allowing visualization of CNS development and demonstrating that segmentation mutations alter embryonic nervous‑system organization.

Abstract

Antibodies specific for horseradish peroxidase (HRPeroxase) bind to neuronal membranes in Drosophila and serve as a specific neuronal marker. Immunocytochemical staining with these antibodies marks sensory neurons, peripheral nerves, and fiber tracks in the central nervous system of embryos, larvae, and adult flies. Similar patterns of staining also were seen in embryos of the grasshopper. It appears that an antigen associated with the nervous system and appearing early in differentiation is recognized by antibodies to HRPeroxase. Using this staining method, we followed embryogenesis of the central nervous system in Drosophila and found that the organization of central fiber tracks resembled that in the previously well-characterized grasshopper. We have used the anti-HRPeroxase antibodies to show that mutations affecting segmentation in Drosophila affect the organization of the embryonic nervous system.