Mounting Drosophila pupae for laser ablation and live imaging of the dorsal thorax.

This protocol describes the preparation of pupae for laser ablation and live imaging of the notum (dorsal thorax). Because the pupa is stationary, it can be continuously live imaged for multiple days if desired, making it ideal for studying wound signaling and repair, from before laser ablation through wound closure. In this protocol, we demonstrate the processes of staging, partially dissecting, mounting, wounding, and live imaging the pupal notum, with the wounding occurring during the live imaging process. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to O'Connor et al. (2021b).