Shared mechanisms between Drosophila peripheral nervous system development and human neurodegenerative diseases.
Signaling pathways and cellular processes that regulate neural development are used post-developmentally for proper function and maintenance of the nervous system. Genes that have been studied in the context of the development of Drosophila peripheral nervous system (PNS) and neuromuscular junction (NMJ) have been identified as players in the pathogenesis of human neurodegenerative diseases, including spinocerebellar ataxia, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and spinal muscular atrophy. Hence, by unraveling the molecular mechanisms that underlie proneural induction, cell fate determination, axonal targeting, dendritic branching, and synapse formation in Drosophila, novel features related to these disorders have been revealed. In this review, we summarize and discuss how studies of Drosophila PNS and NMJ development have provided guidance in experimental approaches for these diseases.
Program in Developmental Biology, Baylor College of Medicine (BCM), Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, BCM, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
Wu-Lin
WL
Charng
Program in Developmental Biology, Baylor College of Medicine (BCM), Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, BCM, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
Shinya
S
Yamamoto
Program in Developmental Biology, Baylor College of Medicine (BCM), Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, BCM, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Neuroscience, BCM, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Houston, TX 77030, USA. Electronic address: hbellen@bcm.edu.
Hugo J
HJ
Bellen
D000818:Animals; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004330:Drosophila; D006801:Humans; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000502:physiology; D009124:Muscle Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D019636:Neurodegenerative Diseases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009469:Neuromuscular Junction / Q000473:pathology; D017933:Peripheral Nervous System / Q000196:embryology / Q000254:growth & development*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*
D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D035683:MicroRNAs; D009124:Muscle Proteins; C470306:Smooth muscle protein, human