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Effect of human APP gene overexpression on Drosophila melanogaster cholinergic and dopaminergic brain neurons

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Russian Journal of Genetics: Applied Research

Abstract

We investigated the effects of overexpression of the human APP gene on the populations of cholinergic and dopaminergic brain neurons in the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster. The number of cholinergic neurons in the APP expressing young flies was the same as in the control and decreased significantly with age. The number of dopaminergic neurons in the APP expressing flies was significantly lower than in the control strain by the 15th day of life. Neurodegeneration was accompanied by deficiencies in memory and cognitive abilities in the flies overexpressing full-length APP (APP-Swedish), as well as in the strains with amyloid-β peptide production.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. B.P. Konstantinov St. Petersburg Nuclear Physics Institute National Research Centre “Kurchatov Institute”, Gatchina, Russia

    O. I. Bolshakova, A. A. Zhuk, D. I. Rodin, G. A. Kislik & S. V. Sarantseva

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  1. O. I. Bolshakova
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  2. A. A. Zhuk
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  3. D. I. Rodin
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  4. G. A. Kislik
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  5. S. V. Sarantseva
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Correspondence to O. I. Bolshakova.

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Original Russian Text © O.I. Bolshakova, A.A. Zhuk, D.I. Rodin, G.A. Kislik, S.V. Sarantseva, 2013, published in Ekologicheskaya Genetika, 2013, Vol. 11, No. 1, pp. 23–31.

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Bolshakova, O.I., Zhuk, A.A., Rodin, D.I. et al. Effect of human APP gene overexpression on Drosophila melanogaster cholinergic and dopaminergic brain neurons. Russ J Genet Appl Res 4, 113–121 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1134/S2079059714020026

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S2079059714020026

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