Protocol for ex vivo incubation of Drosophila primary post-embryonic haemocytes for real-time analyses.

The cellular branch of the Drosophila larval innate immune system consists of three immunosurveillance (haemocyte) cell types: plasmatocytes, crystal cells, and lamellocytes. In order to examine haemocyte cytoskeletal dynamics or migration, most researchers use embryos or in vitro cell culture systems, but very little is known about the behaviour of post-embryonic haemocytes. The current method employs an ex vivo system, in which post-embryonic haemocytes are isolated for short-term analysis, in order to investigate various aspects of their behaviour during events requiring cytoskeleton dynamics and Rho GTPase signalling.