title: Functional characterisation of human synaptic genes expressed in the Drosophila brain.
abstract: Drosophila melanogaster is an established and versatile model organism. Here we describe and make available a collection of transgenic Drosophila strains expressing human synaptic genes. The collection can be used to study and characterise human synaptic genes and their interactions and as controls for mutant studies. It was generated in a way that allows the easy addition of new strains, as well as their combination. In order to highlight the potential value of the collection for the characterisation of human synaptic genes we also use two assays, investigating any gain-of-function motor and/or cognitive phenotypes in the strains in this collection. Using these assays we show that among the strains made there are both types of gain-of-function phenotypes investigated. As an example, we focus on the three strains expressing human tyrosine protein kinase Fyn, the small GTPase Rap1a and human Arc, respectively. Of the three, the first shows a cognitive gain-of-function phenotype while the second a motor gain-of-function phenotype. By contrast, Arc, which has no Drosophila ortholog, shows no gain-of-function phenotype.
authors.affiliation: Brainwave-Discovery Ltd., Hugh Robson Building, 15 George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9XD, UK Parkure Ltd., Hugh Robson Building, 15 George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9XD, UK.
authors.forename: Lysimachos
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zografos
authors.affiliation: Brainwave-Discovery Ltd., Hugh Robson Building, 15 George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9XD, UK.
authors.forename: Joanne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: Neuroproteomics, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Robert-Rössle-Straße 10, 13125 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Franziska
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hesse
authors.affiliation: Neuroproteomics, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Robert-Rössle-Straße 10, 13125 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Erich E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Wanker
authors.affiliation: Dept. Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Ka Wan
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Dept. Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: August B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Smit
authors.affiliation: Brainwave-Discovery Ltd., Hugh Robson Building, 15 George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9XD, UK Institute of Adaptive and Neural Computation, School of Informatics, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9AB, UK.
authors.forename: R Wayne
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Davies
authors.affiliation: Brainwave-Discovery Ltd., Hugh Robson Building, 15 George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9XD, UK Institute of Adaptive and Neural Computation, School of Informatics, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9AB, UK douglas.armstrong@ed.ac.uk.
authors.forename: J Douglas
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Armstrong
keywords: Characterisation; Climbing; Courtship; Drosophila melanogaster; Fruit fly; Human; Mental illness; Synapse; Synaptic; Synaptic proteome; Synaptopathy