Analysis of skeletal muscle development in Drosophila.

The Drosophila system has been invaluable in providing important insights into mesoderm specification, muscle specification, myoblast fusion, muscle differentiation, and myofibril assembly. Here, we present a series of Drosophila protocols that enable the researcher to visualize muscle precursors and differentiated muscles, at all stages of development. In doing so, we also highlight the variety of techniques that are used to create these findings.

Bithorax complex genes control alary muscle patterning along the cardiac tube of Drosophila.

Cardiac specification models are widely utilized to provide insight into the expression and function of homologous genes and structures in humans. In Drosophila, contractions of the alary muscles control hemolymph inflow and support the cardiac tube, however embryonic development of these muscles remain largely understudied. We found that alary muscles in Drosophila embryos appear as segmental pairs, attaching dorsally at the seven-up (svp) expressing pericardial cells along the cardiac dorsal vessel, and laterally to the body wall.

Sex change by gene conversion in a Caenorhabditis elegans fog-2 mutant.

Caenorhabditis elegans primarily reproduces as a hermaphrodite. Independent gene conversion events in mutant obligately outcrossing populations of C. elegans [fog-2(lf)] spontaneously repaired the loss-of-function mutation in the fog-2 locus, thereby reestablishing hermaphroditism as the primary means of reproduction for the populations.

Urban habitat evaluation for West Nile virus surveillance in mosquitoes in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

As part of an ongoing mosquito surveillance program, 27 sites in the greater metropolitan Albuquerque area (Bernalillo County, New Mexico) were trapped from May through September 2004. Each site was sampled for 1 night weekly, using a standard CO2-baited Centers for Disease Control and Prevention light trap and a gravid trap. Captured mosquitoes were catalogued by location, species, and date, and selected pools were tested for West Nile virus (WNV) by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction.

Comparison of mosquito trapping method efficacy for West Nile virus surveillance in New Mexico.

As part of the West Nile virus surveillance program for the state of New Mexico, 13 sites along the Rio Grande River were sampled for mosquitoes during spring and summer 2003. We evaluated 3 different trapping procedures for their effectiveness at capturing selected species of mosquitoes. The 3 methods used were a dry ice-baited Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) light trap set 1.

Emergence of West Nile virus in mosquito (Diptera: Culicidae) communities of the New Mexico Rio Grande Valley.

The first appearances of West Nile virus (family Flaviviridae, genus Flavivirus, WNV) in New Mexico were reported in late summer to early fall 2002. Several dead birds tested positive for WNV, and 78 equine cases were confirmed. All mosquito pools tested (n = 268) were negative.