A Predictable Worm: Application of Caenorhabditis elegans for Mechanistic Investigation of Movement Disorders

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dc.contributor.authorDexter, Paige M.
dc.contributor.authorCaldwell, Kim A.
dc.contributor.authorCaldwell, Guy A.
dc.contributor.otherUniversity of Alabama Birmingham
dc.contributor.otherUniversity of Alabama Tuscaloosa
dc.date.accessioned2023-09-28T22:02:25Z
dc.date.available2023-09-28T22:02:25Z
dc.date.issued2012
dc.description.abstractOngoing investigations into causes and cures for human movement disorders are important toward the elucidation of diseases such as Parkinson's disease (PD) and dystonia. The use of animal model systems can provide links to susceptibility factors, as well as therapeutic interventions. In this regard, the nematode roundworm, Caenorhabditis elegans, is ideal for examining age-dependent neurodegenerative disease studies. It is genetically tractable, has a short lifespan, and a well-defined nervous system. Green fluorescent protein is readily visualized in C. elegans because it is a transparent organism, thus the nervous system and factors that alter the viability of neurons can be directly examined in vivo. Through expression of the human PD-associated protein (alpha-synuclein in the worm dopamine neurons), neurodegeneration is observed in an age-dependent manner. Furthermore, expression of the early-onset dystonia-related protein torsinA increases vulnerability to endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in C. elegans, because torsinA is located in the ER. Here we provide an overview of collaborative studies we have conducted that collectively demonstrate the usefulness of the nematode model to discern functional effectors of dopaminergic neurodegeneration and ER stress that translate to mammalian data in the fields of PD and dystonia. Taken together, the application of C. elegans toward the evaluation of genetic modifiers for movement disorders research has predictive value and serves to accelerate the path forward for therapeutic interventions.en_US
dc.format.mediumelectronic
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdf
dc.identifier.citationDexter, P. M., Caldwell, K. A., & Caldwell, G. A. (2012). A Predictable Worm: Application of Caenorhabditis elegans for Mechanistic Investigation of Movement Disorders. In Neurotherapeutics (Vol. 9, Issue 2, pp. 393–404). Springer Science and Business Media LLC. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13311-012-0109-x
dc.identifier.doi10.1007/s13311-012-0109-x
dc.identifier.orcidhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-8283-9090
dc.identifier.orcidhttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-1580-6122
dc.identifier.urihttps://ir.ua.edu/handle/123456789/12133
dc.languageEnglish
dc.language.isoen_US
dc.publisherSpringer
dc.subjectDystonia
dc.subjectTorsinA
dc.subjectEndoplasmic reticulum stress
dc.subjectParkinson's disease
dc.subjectNeurodegeneration
dc.subjectDopamine
dc.subjectDOPAMINE NEURON DEGENERATION
dc.subjectALPHA-SYNUCLEIN
dc.subjectNUCLEAR-ENVELOPE
dc.subjectANIMAL-MODELS
dc.subjectC-ELEGANS
dc.subjectPROTEIN
dc.subjectTORSINA
dc.subjectDYSTONIA
dc.subjectNEURODEGENERATION
dc.subjectPATHWAY
dc.subjectClinical Neurology
dc.subjectNeurosciences
dc.subjectPharmacology & Pharmacy
dc.titleA Predictable Worm: Application of Caenorhabditis elegans for Mechanistic Investigation of Movement Disordersen_US
dc.typeReview
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