Drosophila models pioneer a new approach to drug discovery for Parkinson's disease.
Despite the prevalence and severity of Parkinson's disease (PD), little is known about the molecular etiology of this disease, and preventative and disease-modifying therapies remain elusive. Recently, linkage studies have begun to identify single-gene mutations that are responsible for rare, heritable forms of PD, which offer an opportunity to gain insight into the molecular mechanisms of this disorder through the creation and analysis of appropriate animal models. One model system that is tractable for these studies is the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster. Analysis of several Drosophila models of PD has revealed some surprising insights into the pathogenesis of PD and begun to highlight potential treatment strategies.
Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK. a.whitworth@sheffield.ac.uk
Alexander J
AJ
Whitworth
Paul D
PD
Wes
Leo J
LJ
Pallanck
D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000235:genetics*; D015195:Drug Design; D006801:Humans; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics*; D044767:Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases; D051844:alpha-Synuclein / Q000235:genetics
C506878:DJ-1alpha protein, Drosophila; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D051844:alpha-Synuclein; D044767:Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases; C487430:park protein, Drosophila