How Heat Stress Effects Drosophila Melanogaster
Faculty Mentor
Theodore Brummel
Area of Research
Biology
Major
Biology
Description
Alzheimer's Disease is the most common neurodegenerative disorder that causes cognitive decline, affecting more than 6 million people aged 65 and older. Alzheimer’s pathology is associated with the buildup of Amyloid-Beta plaques and Tau Proteins in the brain. Heat shock proteins, which are induced in response to heat stress have been proposed to prevent protein aggregation. The hypothesis being examined is that the induction of a heat stress response will prevent Alzheimer's-like symptoms in the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster. In this study, Alzheimer’s disease is modeled by using strains of flies that overexpress a 42 amino acid peptide of the Amyloid protein which produce symptoms consistent with Alzheimer’s Disease. Wild type and Alzheimer’s flies will be examined under conditions of heat stress or standard culture and the longevity and neuromuscular fitness will be compared. In this experiment the environmental temperatures the flies are exposed to will be raised, we assume this will lessen cognitive decline in the AD flies.
How Heat Stress Effects Drosophila Melanogaster
Alzheimer's Disease is the most common neurodegenerative disorder that causes cognitive decline, affecting more than 6 million people aged 65 and older. Alzheimer’s pathology is associated with the buildup of Amyloid-Beta plaques and Tau Proteins in the brain. Heat shock proteins, which are induced in response to heat stress have been proposed to prevent protein aggregation. The hypothesis being examined is that the induction of a heat stress response will prevent Alzheimer's-like symptoms in the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster. In this study, Alzheimer’s disease is modeled by using strains of flies that overexpress a 42 amino acid peptide of the Amyloid protein which produce symptoms consistent with Alzheimer’s Disease. Wild type and Alzheimer’s flies will be examined under conditions of heat stress or standard culture and the longevity and neuromuscular fitness will be compared. In this experiment the environmental temperatures the flies are exposed to will be raised, we assume this will lessen cognitive decline in the AD flies.