Monitoring alpha-Synuclein Proteotoxicity in Drosophila Models

Parkinson's disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disease without cure. It is characterized by alpha-synuclein accumulation and aggregation in dopaminergic and other types of neurons. Because alpha-synuclein accumulation leads to a toxic gain of function, its ectopic expression in Drosophila has been a useful in vivo model for testing modifiers of its toxicity. This chapter describes four assays: the rapid iterative negative geotaxis, rough eye phenotype, quantification of dopaminergic neuronal loss, and measurements of circadian effects.