Neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD), share a common pathogenic feature where there is an accumulation of brain protein aggregates. In AD, tau accumulation is a key indicator of disease progression, with some characteristics of these protein aggregates resembling those seen in prion diseases. Rapid analysis of processes like tau protein trafficking is essential for studying disease progression. However, the lack of experimental models to study the toxic protein spread has made it challenging to understand the driving mechanisms. A study in Disease Models & Mechanisms introduces a new transgenic Drosophila model to monitor tau trafficking and spread in the brain. Using this model, the team identified specific genetic alterations, including knockdown of GSK-3β that impacted tau trafficking and reduced its spread. These results show that Drosophila is an appropriate model to study tau protein spread and a potentially useful tool to better understand the mechanisms behind it and identify disease therapies.

Original reference: Bankapalli, K. et al. Dis. Model. Mech. 17, dmm050858 (2024)

神经退行性疾病，如阿尔茨海默病 （AD），具有共同的致病特征，即脑蛋白聚集体积累。在 AD 中，tau 积累是疾病进展的关键指标，这些蛋白质聚集体的一些特征类似于朊病毒病中的特征。快速分析 tau 蛋白运输等过程对于研究疾病进展至关重要。然而，缺乏研究有毒蛋白质传播的实验模型使得理解驱动机制变得具有挑战性。在疾病模型与机制中的一项研究引入了一种新的转基因果蝇模型来监测tau蛋白在大脑中的运输和传播。使用该模型，该团队确定了特定的遗传改变，包括敲低影响 tau 运输并减少其传播的 GSK-3β。这些结果表明，果蝇是研究 tau 蛋白传播的合适模型，也是更好地了解其背后的机制和确定疾病疗法的潜在有用工具。

原始参考资料：Bankapalli， K. et al. Dis. 模型。机甲。17、DMM050858 （2024）