Increased neuronal activity restores circadian function in Drosophila models of C9orf72-ALS/FTD - PubMed
3 days ago
- #neuronal activity
- #circadian rhythm
- #ALS/FTD
- Circadian rhythm disruptions are common in neurodegenerative diseases, including ALS and FTD.
- The C9orf72 hexanucleotide repeat expansion is the most prevalent genetic cause of ALS/FTD.
- Drosophila models expressing pathogenic dipeptides (PR or GR) or GGGGCC repeats showed circadian deficits.
- Circadian rhythmicity and period length were altered based on repeat number, dosage, expression pattern, and age.
- Lower levels of the neuropeptide PDF, reduced projection complexity, and decreased neuronal activity were observed in PDF-expressing neurons.
- Increased neuronal activity rescued mild circadian dysfunction across different models and ages.
- The study highlights the role of reduced neuronal activity in C9orf72-ALS/FTD circadian deficits.