A GRAPHIC DIGITAL DATABASE OF DROSOPHILA EMBRYOGENESIS

Modern studies of the genetic control of development have increased th e need for an accurate and comprehensive storage and display of gene e xpression data. This can be achieved in the form of an electronic grap hic database of development. Here, we introduce the first steps toward s a database of Drosophila embryogenesis. For each morphologically def ined stage, a complete series of histological and/or optical sections are generated (optical sections are generated by laser confocal micros copy). Digitized sections are imported into a drawing program where th ey serve as templates to define the contours of organs and the positio n of individual cells. From these data, surface and point cloud models of all developmental stages are generated. Gene expression data can b e entered by translating the expression domain of a given gene into th e three-dimensional coordinate system of the database.