Species: Monocelis fusca Örsted, 1843    Turbellaria

Preparation Type: whole mount

Prepared: A.A. Petrov

Description: Serotonergic nervous system and the musculature of the turbellarian Monocelis fusca (Rhabditophora, Platyhelminthes) in the aea of the brain showing serotonergic elements in the brain neuropil, the somata of brain neurons, two pairs of longitudinal nerve cords (one lateral and one ventro-lateral) running posteriorly from the brain, the anterior nerves (one pair of lateral nerves and one unpaired medial nerve) and the nervous elements of the subepidermal plexus. The preparation also shows a pair of neurites extending from the brain to the statocyst (which is visible as a dark spot at the anterior end of the brain). Also visible are the body-wall musculature, the muscle sheath around the brain and the muscle fibers passing through the brain.

Method: F-actin in muscle fibers (Phalloidin), serotonin

Method Description: The worms were fixed for 8 hours with 4% formaldehyde in 0.01M PBS and were kept at 6°С in 0.1% sodium azide in 0.01М PBS. All subsequent procedures were performed at room temperature. Before staining, the turbellarians were processed for 2 hours in 0.25% Triton X-100 in 0.01M PBS, incubated for 1 hour in a blocking solution (Image-iT® FX Signal Enhancer), and rinsed 3 times for 15 minutes in 0.25% Triton X-100 in 0.01M PBS. After rinsing, the worms were incubated for 10 hours in antibodies to 5HT (diluted 1:600, ref. number S5545; Sigma-Aldrich), rinsed 4 times for 15 minutes in 0.25% Triton X-100 in 0.01M PBS and then incubated for 5 hours in secondary antibodies (diluted 1: 300, Alexa Fluor 488, ref. number A-11008; Thermo Fisher Scientific). After incubation in antibodies, the worms were rinsed for 15 minutes in 0.25% Triton X-100 in 0.01M PBS, stained for 2 hours in phalloidin-TRITC (diluted 1:150, Sigma-Aldrich, ref. number P1951; Sigma-Aldrich), rinsed for 15 minutes in 0.01M PBS and mounted in Vectashield (Vector Laboratories Inc.).

Institution: Zoological Institute RAS

Description: Serotonergic nervous system and the musculature of the turbellarian Monocelis fusca (Rhabditophora, Platyhelminthes) in the region of the brain showing serotonergic elements in the brain neuropil, cell bodies of brain neurons, two pairs of londitudinal nerve cords (one lateral and one ventro-lateral) that extend forward from the brain and the nervous elements of the subepidermal plexus. The series also shows a pair of neurites extending from the brain to the statocyst (which is visible as a dark spot at the anterior end of the brain). Also visible are the body-wall musculature, the muscle sheath around the brain and the muscle fibers passing through the brain.

Organs: сentral nervous system, cerebral brain or its part, nerve, neuron(s), musculature innervation / musculature

Methods: Immunohistochemistry - serotonin,
Histochemistry - F-actin in muscle fibers (Phalloidin)