Generation of six4 -nlsRFP: a red somatic gonadal nuclear marker for live imaging Drosophila gonadogenesis.

Intrinsically fluorescent tissue labels are valuable to live image cell behaviors during development. Fluorescent markers of Drosophila gonadal cells have elucidated dynamic cellular interactions that shaped our conception of cell biology. Many green fluorescent protein (GFP) reagents are available to visualize cytoskeletal dynamics, extracellular matrix, and cell adhesion proteins. To facilitate use of these reagents while studying somatic gonadal development, we generated a somatic gonadal precursor (SGP) intrinsic red fluorescent nuclear marker. This tool can track SGP movement live, facilitating the study of somatic cell interactions required for gonadogenesis.