Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama 35487-0344, USA.
Dev Dyn. 2010 May;239(5):1282-95. doi: 10.1002/dvdy.22231.
Parkinson's disease (PD) is an age-related movement disorder resulting, in part, from selective loss of dopaminergic neurons. Both invertebrate and mammalian models have been developed to study the cellular mechanisms altered during disease progression; nevertheless there are limitations within each model. Mammalian models remain invaluable in studying PD, but are expensive and time consuming. Here, we review genetic and environmental factors associated with PD, and describe how the nematode roundworm, Caenorhabditis elegans, has been used as a model organism for studying various aspects of this neurodegenerative disease. Both genetic and chemical screens have been conducted in C. elegans to identify molecular pathways, proteins, and small molecules that can impact PD pathology. Lastly, we highlight future areas of investigation, in the context of emerging fields in biology, where the nematode can be exploited to provide mechanistic insights and potential strategies to accelerate the path toward possible therapeutic intervention for PD.
帕金森病（PD）是一种与年龄相关的运动障碍，部分原因是多巴胺能神经元的选择性丧失。已经开发了无脊椎动物和哺乳动物模型来研究疾病进展过程中改变的细胞机制；然而，每种模型都有其局限性。哺乳动物模型在研究 PD 方面仍然具有不可估量的价值，但成本高且耗时。在这里，我们回顾了与 PD 相关的遗传和环境因素，并描述了秀丽隐杆线虫如何被用作研究这种神经退行性疾病各个方面的模式生物。已经在秀丽隐杆线虫中进行了遗传和化学筛选，以鉴定可能影响 PD 病理学的分子途径、蛋白质和小分子。最后，我们强调了未来的研究领域，涉及生物学的新兴领域，线虫可以被利用来提供机制见解和潜在策略，以加速 PD 可能的治疗干预的研究。
