| dc.description.abstract |
The compound eyes of Drosophila have been widely used since the beginning of
fly genetics because of convenience of identifying visible mutants that affect eye
development and morphology (Hales et al., 2015). Molecular genetic studies have
provided detailed understanding of the diverse cascades of signaling pathways that
bring about the remarkably organized arrays of ommatidia seen in adult eyes. Since
nearly 75% protein-coding genes share high similarity between fly and human genomes
(Pandey, 2011), fly has become a very good model for many human diseases, including
the diverse neurodegenerative disorders. The GAL4-UAS binary system (see Chapters
31, 32) directed ectopic expression of transgenes, carrying mutant alleles causing human
neurodegenerative disorders, in developing eyes of Drosophila, and examination of the
adult eye surface as a morphological readout for neurodegeneration have been widely
used to understand the events underlying neurodegeneration |
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