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Lookup NU author(s): Professor Tiago OuteiroORCiD
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Several neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson's disease (PD), Alzheimer's disease (AD), Huntington's disease (HD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or prion diseases, are known for their intimate association with protein misfolding and aggregation. These disorders are characterized by the loss of specific neuronal populations in the brain and are highly associated with aging, suggesting a decline in proteostasis capacity may contribute to pathogenesis. Nevertheless, the precise molecular mechanisms that lead to the selective demise of neurons remain poorly understood. As a consequence, appropriate therapeutic approaches and effective treatments are largely lacking. The development of cellular and animal models that faithfully reproduce central aspects of neurodegeneration has been crucial for advancing our understanding of these diseases. Approaches involving the sequential use of different model systems, starting with simpler cellular models and ending with validation in more complex animal models, resulted in the discovery of promising therapeutic targets and small molecules with therapeutic potential. Within this framework, the simple and well-characterized eukaryote Saccharomyces cerevisiae, also known as budding yeast, is being increasingly used to study the molecular basis of several neurodegenerative disorders. Yeast provides an unprecedented toolbox for the dissection of complex biological processes and pathways. Here, we summarize how yeast models are adding to our current understanding of several neurodegenerative disorders. © 2013 International Society for Neurochemistry.
Author(s): Tenreiro S, Munder MC, Alberti S, Outeiro TF
Publication type: Review
Publication status: Published
Journal: Journal of Neurochemistry
Year: 2013
Volume: 127
Issue: 4
Pages: 438-452
Print publication date: 01/11/2013
Online publication date: 20/04/2013
ISSN (print): 0022-3042
ISSN (electronic): 1471-4159
URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/jnc.12271
DOI: 10.1111/jnc.12271
PubMed id: 23600759
