Drosophila models of human neurodegenerative disease

• Published in: Cell death and differentiation Vol. 7; no. 11; pp. 1075 - 1080
• Main Authors: Chan, H Y, Bonini, N M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Nature Publishing Group 01.11.2000
• Subjects: Alzheimer's disease; Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor - genetics; Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor - metabolism; Animals; Animals, Genetically Modified; Cell death; Cloning; Disease; Disease Models, Animal; Drosophila; Drosophila melanogaster - genetics; Drosophila Proteins; Genes; Genes, Insect; Humans; Insects; Membrane Proteins - genetics; Membrane Proteins - metabolism; Mutation; Nervous system; Neurodegenerative Diseases - genetics; Neurodegenerative Diseases - physiopathology; Parkinson's disease; Presenilins; Proteins; Transgenes; United States > US; Pennsylvania
• ISSN: 1350-9047; 1476-5403
• DOI: 10.1038/sj.cdd.4400757

Drosophila has provided a powerful genetic system in which to elucidate fundamental cellular pathways in the context of a developing and functioning nervous system. Recently, Drosophila has been applied toward elucidating mechanisms of human neurodegenerative disease, including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Huntington's diseases. Drosophila allows study of the normal function of disease proteins, as well as study of effects of familial mutations upon targeted expression of human mutant forms in the fly. These studies have revealed new insight into the normal functions of such disease proteins, as well as provided models in Drosophila that will allow genetic approaches to be applied toward elucidating ways to prevent or delay toxic effects of such disease proteins. These, and studies to come that follow from the recently completed sequence of the Drosophila genome, underscore the contributions that Drosophila as a model genetic system stands to contribute toward the understanding of human neurodegenerative disease.