Characterisation of seizure-suppressor genes in Drosophila

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The mammalian central nervous system is composed of many different types of nerve cells. These cells differ in the target that they contact, the signalling chemicals (neurotransmitters) they release, and the way in which they are able to fire electrical action potentials that trigger release of their neurotransmitter(s). Abnormalities in any of these aspects of neuron function have the possibility to result in neurological disorders including, but not limited to, schizophrenia, depression and epilepsy. It is implicit, therefore, that in order to design better and more effective treatments for neurological disorders, the underlying causes need to be fully understood. Epilepsy is a case in point. Currently only about 70% of sufferers respond to drug treatment; the remaining 30% do not. Clearly additional drugs are required. However, before new drugs can be designed, novel target molecules need first to be identified. Only after identification can drugs be designed to interact with and effect such molecules. To this end, we are using the fruitfly, Drosophila melanogaster, because it is very amenable to genetic analysis, its genome has been sequenced, and because it provides a simple, yet comparable, model of the human nervous system. It is of significance for this project that a number of mutations have been identified that make flies susceptible to epileptic-like seizures. Seizures in the fly are remarkably similar to seizures in humans. Using the genetic tractability of the fly, we hope to identify novel genes that, when mis-regulated, ameliorate seizures and, by doing so, identify new avenues for human drug design.