Effects on Dopaminergic Neurons Are Secondary in COX-Deficient Locomotor Dysfunction in Drosophila.

ABSTRACT: Dopaminergic (DA) neurons have been implicated as key targets in neurological disorders, notably those involving locomotor impairment, and are considered to be highly vulnerable to mitochondrial dysfunction, a common feature of such diseases. Here we investigated a Drosophila model of locomotor disorders in which functional impairment is brought about by pan-neuronal RNAi knockdown of subunit COX7A of cytochrome oxidase (COX). Despite minimal neuronal loss by apoptosis, the expression and activity of tyrosine hydroxylase was decreased by half. Surprisingly, COX7A knockdown specifically targeted to DA neurons did not produce locomotor defect. Instead, using various drivers, we found that COX7A knockdown in specific groups of cholinergic and glutamatergic neurons underlay the phenotype. Base

SUBMITTER: Yalgin C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7394922 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature