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C. elegans as a Model for Synucleinopathies and Other Neurodegenerative Diseases: Tools and Techniques

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Alpha-Synuclein

Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Biology ((MIMB,volume 1948))

Abstract

Caenorhabditis elegans is widely used to investigate biological processes related to health and disease. Multiple C. elegans models for human neurodegenerative diseases do exist, including those expressing human α-synuclein. Even though these models do not feature all pathological and molecular hallmarks of the disease they mimic, they allow for the identification and dissection of molecular pathways that are involved. In line with this, genetic screens have yielded multiple modifiers of proteotoxicity in C. elegans models for neurodegenerative diseases. Here, we describe a set of common screening approaches and tools that can be used to study synucleinopathies and other neurodegenerative diseases in C. elegans. RNA interference and mutagenesis screens can be used to find genes that affect proteotoxicity, while relatively simple molecular, cellular (fractionation studies), metabolic (respiration studies), and behavioral (thrashing and crawling) readouts can be used to study the effects of disease proteins and modifiers more closely.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, European Research Institute for the Biology of Aging, Groningen, The Netherlands

    Mandy Koopman, Renée I. Seinstra & Ellen A. A. Nollen

Authors
  1. Mandy Koopman
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  2. Renée I. Seinstra
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  3. Ellen A. A. Nollen
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ellen A. A. Nollen .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dementia Research Institute, University College London, London, UK

    Tim Bartels

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Koopman, M., Seinstra, R.I., Nollen, E.A.A. (2019). C. elegans as a Model for Synucleinopathies and Other Neurodegenerative Diseases: Tools and Techniques. In: Bartels, T. (eds) Alpha-Synuclein. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 1948. Humana Press, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-9124-2_9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-9124-2_9

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  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4939-9123-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4939-9124-2

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