Spaced Out Eggs

The picture shows Drosophila oocytes at different developmental stages nested next to the fruit fly gut. Dissected preparations were labeled with antibody against the drosophila Attractin homolog (cyan color) as well as with DAPI dye to visualize all nuclei (magenta color). The mammalian transmembrane protein Attractin is a multifunctional protein with roles in oocyte maturation, energy homeostasis, appetite regulation, immune responses and pigmentation. Its loss of function has been linked to degeneration of the nervous system and testis, type 2 diabetes and sleep disorders. The overlayed images acquired with confocal microscopy reveal that, like in mammals, the fruit fly Attractin homologous protein is also expressed in oocytes and guts.