Suppression of Neurodegenerative Symptoms via Suppressor of levy Mutation in Drosophila melanogaster

Mutation of the levy gene on chromosome 2 of Drosophila melanogaster has previously been shown to cause temperature-induced paralysis and neurodegeneration. The Suppressor of levy mutation, Su(levy), also on chromosome 2, modulates the effects of the levy mutation and partly rescues the wild-type phenotype. The goal of this research was to determine if Su(levy) mutation alleviates the effects of neurodegeneration caused by mutations associated with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases in humans. The mutant genes used were hLRRK2, α-Synuclein, DJ1-α, Pink, Parkin, and Aβ-42. To determine this, flies carrying the above-mentioned mutant genes were crossed with flies carrying Su(levy) to produce progeny carrying both mutations. The lifespan and locomotor abilities of these progeny were then tested and compared to control and mutant flies. The flies were also tested for their response to environmental toxins introduced to their diet. Our results show that in many cases the Suppressor of levy mutation plays a considerable role in alleviating neurodegenerative symptoms in Drosophila. Flies carrying Su(levy) show a significant improvement in lifespan, climbing ability, resistance to paralysis, and resistance to environmental toxins