Fixing Embyos

Evicerate embryos, remove head and tail in cold PBS
Fix in 4% PFA on cold room nutator 1 hour
Wash 2-3 x 10 min. with cold PBS on cold room nutator
Leave in PBS on cold room nutator O/N
Replace PBS with 30% sucrose
Nutate in cold room 2 hours
Mount in O.C.T. (remove excess sucrose)
Store at -80°C

Cutting sections/Antibody staining

Cut sections and collect on labeled slides
Place slides on horizontal trays, dry ~30 min
Add 1 ml PBS to each slide to rinse off OCT
Pour off PBS
Add 0.5 ml per slide 1° antibody solution
Leave O/N in cold room
Wash slides 3 x 5 min. with PBS
Add 2° antibody solution
Cover, room temp for 2 hours
Wash 3 x 5 min. with PBS
Mount coverslip with Vectastain Mounting Media
Store at 4°C

50 ml 4% PFA 1° Ab Soln 2° Ab Soln.
25ml H2O    
2 drops 10N NaOH PBS 1 ml PBS 1 ml
  HINGS 10 µl HINGS 10 µl
-heat- 5% Triton X 20 µl Triton X 20 µl
  Ab Rab. T4 0.67 µl (1:1500) Donkey α Rab.FITC 2 µl (1:500)
Add 2 g PFA Ab GP HB9 0.25 µl (1:4000) Donkey αGP cy3 1.3 µl (1:750)
-dissolve, cool- 1 ml 1 ml
Add 25 ml 0.2M PB    
-sterile filter-    
Keep on ice    

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