Immunohistological Techniques for Studying the Drosophila Male Germline Stem Cell

Stem cells are undifferentiated cells that have a remarkable ability to self-renew and produce differentiated cells that support normal development and tissue homeostasis. This unique capacity makes stem cells a powerful tool for future regenerative medicine and gene therapy. Accumulative evidence suggests that stem cell self-renewal or differentiation is controlled by both intrinsic and extrinsic factors, and that deregulation of stem cell behavior results in cancer formation, tissue degeneration, and premature aging. The Drosophila testis provides an excellent in vivo model for studying and understanding the fundamental cellular and molecular mechanisms controlling stem cell behavior and the relationship between niches and stem cells. At the tip of the Drosophila testes, germline stem cells (GSCs) and somatic stem cells (SSCs) contact each other and share common niches (known as a hub) to maintain spermatogenesis. Signaling pathways, such as the Janus kinase (JAK)/signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT), bone morphogenetic protein (BMP), ras-associated protein—guanine nucleotide exchange factor for small GTPase (Rap-GEF), and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)/mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), are known to regulate self-renewal or differentiation of Drosophila male germline stem cells. We describe the detailed in vivo immunohistological protocols that mark GSCs, SSCs, and their progeny in Drosophila testes.