Влияние нарушения синтеза кинуренинов на память у дрозофилы

Abstract

Such issues as life expectancy and medical care for the elderly are gaining momentum all over the world, including Russia. With an increase in life expectancy, neurodegenerative diseases (NDD) are on the rise in developed countries. One of the reasons for neurodegenerative changes in the brain is a disturbance of the kynurenine tryptophan metabolism pathway (KTMP). Drosophila KTMP mutants are suitable models for the experimental study of neurokynurenines that change brain functions resulting in learning and memory impairments. There are several mutant stocks of D. melanogaster with defects in the kynurenine pathway of tryptophan metabolism, including vermilion (v1, a block at the level of the tryptophan oxygenase enzyme that stops the production of kynurenines and leads to the accumulation of tryptophan). The mutant v1 has been shown to maintain normal learning ability, both in medium- and long-term memory formation. No defects in medium-term memory formation were detected. In contrast, the mutant showed the disturbances of long-term memory. The absence of eight-day long-term memory in the KTMP-suppressed mutant v1 may be a consequence of kynurenine imbalance.