α-Synuclein TransgenicDrosophilaAs a Model of Parkinson's Disease and Related Synucleinopathies

Abstract

α-Synuclein (α-Syn) is a major component of protein inclusions known as Lewy bodies, which are hallmarks of synucleinopathies such as Parkinson's disease (PD). Theα-Syn gene is one of the familial PD-causing genes and is also associated with an increased risk of sporadic PD. Numerous studies usingα-Syn expressing transgenic animals have indicated thatα-Syn plays a critical role in the common pathogenesis of synucleinopathies.Drosophila melanogasterhas several advantages for modeling human neurodegenerative diseases and is widely used for studying their pathomechanisms and therapies. In fact,Drosophilamodels expressingα-Syn have already been established and proven to replicate several features of human PD. In this paper, we review the current research on synucleinopathies usingα-SynDrosophilamodels and, moreover, explore the possibilities of these models for comprehensive genetic analyses and large-scale drug screening towards elucidating the molecular pathogenesis and developing therapies for synucleinopathies.