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). The preparation of the anterior end of the body showing the brain with two pairs of longitudinal nerve cords (one lateral and one ventro-lateral) that arise from the brain and the anterior nerves (one pair of lateral nerves and one unpaired nerve). The preparation shows the musculature of the body wall and the muscle fibers that form the muscle sheath around the brain.

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

Method Description: The metacercariae 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 worms were processed for 2 hours in 0.5% 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 0.5% Triton X-100 in 0.01M PBS. After rinsing, the worms were incubated for 10 hours in antibodies to 5HT (diluted 1:400, ref. number S1542; Sigma-Aldrich), rinsed 4 times for 15 minutes in 0.5% 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 0.5% Triton X-100 in 0.01M PBS, stained for 3 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: Anterior body end of the turbellarian Monocelis fusca (Rhabditophora, Platyhelminthes) showing the serotonergic nervous system, the body-wall musculature and the muscular sheath of the brain. The series shows the brain, two pairs of longitudinal nerve cords (one lateral and one ventrolateral) that extend posteriorly from the brain, the anterior nerves (one pair of lateral nerves and one unpaired medial nerve) and the subepidermal nerve plexus.

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

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