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Sourcebook of Models for Biomedical Research pp 121–128Cite as

Modeling Cognitive and Neurodegenerative Disorders in Drosophila melanogaster

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Abstract

Significant conservation in cognitive and neurodevelopmental mechanisms exist between Drosophila and mammals. In addition, while mechanisms of aging are relatively well conserved, Drosophila age much faster than mammals. Thus Drosophila are an ideal organism in which to study cognitive and neurodegenerative diseases. Powerful genetic techniques exist that allow genes to be disrupted and overexpressed easily. Phenotypes observed from these mutants can then be used to screen for genetic modifiers to elucidate pathways involved in disease pathology. Here we describe recent advances obtained from Drosophila models for five diseases, neurofibromatosis 1, fragile X syndrome, Alzheimer’s disease, tauopathies, and Parkinson’s disease.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Tokyo Metropolitan Institute for Neuroscience, Tokyo, Japan

    Junjiro Horiuchi PhD & Minoru Saitoe PhD

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  1. Junjiro Horiuchi PhD
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  2. Minoru Saitoe PhD
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Oregon National Primate Research Center, Beaverton, OR

    P. Michael Conn PhD (Associate Director and Senior Scientist, Professor of Physiology and Pharmacology, Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology) (Associate Director and Senior Scientist, Professor of Physiology and Pharmacology, Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology)

  2. Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR

    P. Michael Conn PhD (Associate Director and Senior Scientist, Professor of Physiology and Pharmacology, Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology) (Associate Director and Senior Scientist, Professor of Physiology and Pharmacology, Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology)

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Horiuchi, J., Saitoe, M. (2008). Modeling Cognitive and Neurodegenerative Disorders in Drosophila melanogaster . In: Conn, P.M. (eds) Sourcebook of Models for Biomedical Research. Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59745-285-4_15

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59745-285-4_15

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