Histological assessment of developmental cell death in Drosophila pupae

This protocol describes the embedding and processing of Drosophila pupae in paraffin to monitor tissue changes during development. Although multiple methods are available to evaluate developmental changes in Drosophila em-bryos, imaging detailed changes during metamorphosis is challenging as the animal is enclosed in the cuticle, rendering it inaccessible to whole mount imag-ing. Here, we present a protocol that focuses on developmental clearance of the larval salivary glands in Drosophila pupae that can be extended to examine other tissues/stages for similar purposes. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Velentzas et al. (2018).

Automated summary

This protocol outlines the embedding and processing of Drosophila pupae in paraffin to monitor tissue changes during development. By focusing on developmental clearance of larval salivary glands, detailed changes during metamorphosis can be observed.