Worm Breeder's Gazette 8(1): 27

These abstracts should not be cited in bibliographies. Material contained herein should be treated as personal communication and should be cited as such only with the consent of the author.

Monoclonal Antibodies Directed Against the Drosophila Nervous System Cross React with C. elegans

H.M. Ellis, J. Yuan, B. Horvitz

We have begun to screen a collection of monoclonal antibodies that 
were generated against Drosophila embryos and stain a variety of 
Drosophila nervous tissues.  These antibodies were kindly provided by 
Lily and Yuh Nung Jan of the University of California at San Francisco.
Worms were fixed overnight at 4 C in 2% Formaldehyde, squashed, 
frozen and fractured as described by Albertson et al.  (W.B.G.  Vol.7 
No.1) and transferred through a series of alchohols (95,70,50% EtOH).  
Three out of nine monoclonal antibodies that we have tested so far 
stain C.  elegans.  20B6-B6* stains many nerve processes including 
dorsal and ventral cords, sub-lateral cords, cord commissures, amphid 
commissures and processes in the head.  It is not yet clear whether 
this antibody stains all or only some processes.  18H12-C3* stains 
processes in a manner similar to 20B6-B6* as well as sperm and muscle (
or a structure with a muscle-like staining pattern).  21A4-E4 stains 
sperm and early (pre-morphogenetic) eggs.  This staining is non-
nuclear in both sperm and eggs and appears to be symmetrically 
distributed within eggs.