Abstract
The study of how mechanical forces affect biological events in living tissue is important for the understanding of a multitude of physiogical and pathophysiological phenomena. However, these investigations are often impeded by insufficient knowledge about force parameters, inadequate experimental administration of force stimuli and lack of noninvasive means to record their molecular and cellular effects. We therefore introduced a procedure to study the impact of force stimulation on adhesion G-protein-coupled receptor dissociation in mechanosensory neurons. Here, we detail a procedure to harness the mechanical force spectrum that emerges during the natural flexion-extension cycle of the femorotibial joint of adult fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster). Mechanical load generated during the joint’s motion is transmitted to specialized mechanosensory neurons residing close to the joint axis, which serve as proprioceptive sensors in the peripheral nervous system of the animal. Temporary immobilization of the joint by a restraint made of a human hair allows for the observation of transgenic mechanosensitive reporters by using fluorescent readout in the neurons before, during and after cessation of mechanical stimulation. The assay harnesses physiologically adequate stimuli for joint flexion and extension, can be conducted noninvasively in live specimens and is compatible with various transgenic reporter systems beyond the initially conceived strategy and mechanobiological hypotheses tested. The application of the protocol requires knowledge in Drosophila genetics, husbandry and fluorescence imaging and micromanipulation skills. The experimental procedure can be completed in 10 h and requires an additional 30 min in advance for fly fixation and leg immobilization. The apple agar cooking and heptane glue preparation requires a maximum of 30 min on the day before the experiment is conducted.
Key points
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This protocol describes an assay to study molecular mechanosensation, in which mechanical forces cause stimulation of mechanosensitive target molecules in proprioceptive neurons. Transgenic reporters of force stimulation or neuronal activity can be coupled to binary expression systems such as the GAL4/upstream activating sequence (UAS), LexA/lexAop and QF/Q upstream activating sequence (QUAS).
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The approach provides a noninvasive and imaging-based approach to manipulating joint motion (i.e., mechanical force generation) and measuring the molecular effects caused by this motion in vivo.
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Data availability
Source data for Figs. 1–3 are available in Figshare with the identifier https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.24024480 (ref. 24).
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Acknowledgements
This work was supported by grants from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft to N.S. and T.L. through FOR2149, project numbers 265903901 (project P01) and 265996823 (project P03) and through CRC 1423, project number 421152132 (projects A06 and B06), and by a junior research grant from the Faculty of Medicine, Leipzig University to N.S. M.B. is funded by the Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes. Stocks obtained from the Bloomington Drosophila Stock Center (NIH P40OD018537) were used in this study. The authors thank the Tomancak group at the MPI-CBG Dresden for suggestions regarding fly immobilization.
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M.B. designed, conducted and analyzed the experiments and wrote the manuscript. D.L. initiated and analyzed the experiments. N.S. initiated and designed the experiments and wrote the manuscript. T.L. initiated, designed and analyzed the experiments and wrote the manuscript.
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Scholz, N. et al. Nature 615, 945–953 (2023): https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-023-05802-5
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Buhlan, M., Ljaschenko, D., Scholz, N. et al. Experimental modulation of physiological force application on leg joint neurons in intact Drosophila melanogaster. Nat Protoc 19, 113–126 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41596-023-00907-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41596-023-00907-7
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