Three-dimensional reconstruction of the Tau-labelled cells (Mz 699 & Mz 423 x UAS-tau)

Original images that appeared in Fig. 3 of:
Kei Ito, Heinz Sass, Joachim Urban, Alois Hofbauer and Stephan Schneuwly (1997)
GAL4-responsive UAS-tau as a tool for studying the anatomy and development of the Drosophila central nervous system
Cell and Tissue Research 290:1-10

The Tau labelling can also be visualised in the CNS whole mounts. To analyse the projections of the Tau-labelled neurones in the three-dimensional space, confocal stereographs were generated from preparations labelled with fluorescent secondary antibodies. About 160 serial optical sections were taken at 1-um intervals and reconstructed using a Sarastro 2000Z laser confocal microscope and ImageSpace software (Molecular Dynamics).

The advantages of this approach over the combination of immunohistochemistory and capillaries (see Fig. 4) are:
1: 3-D stereographs and movies of rotating objects can be made easily.
2: Taking pictures of serial sections is relatively automatic.

The disadvantages are:
1: Only the labelled structures can be observed.
2: Fluorescent labelling lasts only for a few days/weeks.
3: Even with high-powered workstations, it takes certain time to render rotated pictures, making interactive observation difficult.
4: Expensive confocal microscopes and workstations are needed.

Click each thumbnail image to see the original figure.

click here for stereo view (red / green) The frontal view of the adult brain of the GAL4 strain Mz 699 crossed to UAS-tau. The picture corresponds to Fig. 4I.

click here for stereo view (red / green) The frontal view of the adult brain of the GAL4 strain Mz 423 crossed to UAS-tau. The picture corresponds to Fig. 5I.

Methods

Notes:

Go to Index | Fig. 1 | Fig. 2 | Fig. 3 | Fig. 4 | Fig. 5

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