Drosophila melanogaster: A Veritable Genetic Tool and in vivo Model for Human Alzheimer’s Disease

Abstract

The rise in the cases of neurodegenerative diseases, such as the familial forms of Alzheimer’s disease is worrisome and a burden to many societies in our ever-increasing world. Due to the complexity in the nature of the brain and spinal cord characterized by an extremely organized network of neuronal cells, there is a need to answer scientific inquiries in uncomplicated, though similar, systems. Drosophila melanogaster (fruit-fly) is a well-studied and easily managed genetic model organism used for discerning the molecular mechanisms of many human diseases. There are strong conservations of several basic biological, physiological and neurological features between D. melanogaster and mammals, as about 75% of all human disease-causing genes are considered to possess a functional homolog in the fruit-fly. The development of Drosophila models of several neurodegenerative disorders via developed transgenic technologies has presented spectacular similarities to human diseases. An advantage that the fruit-fly has over other model organisms, such as the mouse, is its comparatively brief lifespan, which allows complex inquiries about brain functions to be addressed more quickly. Furthermore, there have been steady increases in understanding the pathophysiological basis of many neurological disorders via genetic screenings with the aid of Drosophila models. This review presents a widespread summary of the fruit-fly models relevant to Alzheimer’s disease, and highlight important genetic modifiers that have been recognized using this model.