Drosophila models of human neurodegenerative disease

Drosophila has provided a powerful genetic system in which to elucidate fun damental cellular pathways in the context of a developing and functioning n ervous system. Recently, Drosophila has been applied toward elucidating mec hanisms of human neurodegenerative disease, including Alzheimer's, Parkinso n's and Huntington's diseases. Drosophila allows study of the normal functi on of disease proteins, as well as study of effects of familial mutations u pon targeted expression of human mutant forms in the fly. These studies hav e revealed new insight into the normal functions of such disease proteins, as well as provided models in Drosophila that will allow genetic approaches to be applied toward elucidating ways to prevent or delay toxic effects of such disease proteins. These, and studies to come that follow from the rec ently completed sequence of the Drosophila genome, underscore the contribut ions that Drosophila as a model genetic system stands to contribute toward the understanding of human neurodegenerative disease.