Differentiation markers in the Drosophila ovary.

A library of monoclonal antibodies, raised against imaginal discs of Drosophila melanogaster, was screened for binding to differentiation antigens in the adult ovary by immunofluorescence. Several lectins were similarly assayed. Two antibodies, DOV 1 and DOV 2, and wheat germ agglutinin exhibited binding which was restricted to particular stages of ovarian cell differentiation. DOV 2 also showed a marked preferential binding to the cell surface of germ line cells in the ovary. A differentiation of the portion of the tunica propria covering the anterior part of the germarium was revealed by the monoclonal antibody DOV 3. Another monoclonal antibody, DOV 4, identified a molecular specialization of the chorion at the tip of the micropyle. These markers should provide tools for the molecular analysis of oogenesis.