Assessing the Structural Integrity of the Dorsal Longitudinal Muscle Neuromuscular Junctions in <em>Drosophila</em>

Source: Sidisky, J. M., et al. Visualizing Synaptic Degeneration in Adult Drosophila in Association with Neurodegeneration. J. Vis. Exp. (2020). This video demonstrates a protocol for assessing the structural integrity of neuromuscular junctions in the dorsal longitudinal muscles of Drosophila. The procedure involves staining neurons and muscles with two distinct antibodies and comparing fluorescence patterns between mutant and wild-type flies. A reduction in neuronal staining in mutant flies indicates neurodegeneration, while the muscle structure remains intact.