Published online in yesterday's ScienceExpress, the work uses a Drosophila model of PD developed by Mel Feany (see related news item), in which expression of human α-synuclein is driven by the fly DOPA decarboxylase promoter. By 20 days of age, flies expressing the human transgene had lost up to half of their neurons in the dorsomedial and dorsolateral-1 dopaminergic clusters of the brain. Coexpression of human Hsp70 markedly protected the flies such that 20 day-old flies showed no neuronal loss.

This fly model shows a gradual increase in the number of α-synuclein-containing inclusion bodies, and this was unaltered in flies also expressing Hsp70. In addition, Drosophila Hsp70 was found in the Lewy body-like inclusions, suggesting that it may interact with human α-synuclein. Coexpression of α-synuclein with a dominant-negative mutant of Hsc4, the major Drosophila Hsp70 protein, resulted in accelerated loss of dopaminergic neurons, strengthening the case for interaction of the chaperone with the human protein. "This work is nicely done and will be of great interest to those in the field," comments Mel Feany of Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston.

Overall the results suggest that chaperone activity may be critical for the viability of dopaminergic neurons challenged by aberrant α-synuclein metabolism.-Tom Fagan.

Reference:Auluck PK et al. Chaperone suppression of a-synuclein toxicity in a Drosophila model for Parkinson's disease. ScienceExpress 20 December 2001. Abstract