PUBLICATION

Mitophagy and neurodegeneration: The zebrafish model system

Authors
Wager, K., and Russell, C.
ID
ZDB-PUB-130903-30
Date
2013
Source
Autophagy   9(11): 1693-1709 (Review)
Registered Authors
Russell, Claire
Keywords
mitophagy, Parkinson disease, autophagy, neurodegeneration, zebrafish
MeSH Terms
  • Animals
  • Disease Models, Animal*
  • Humans
  • Mitochondrial Proteins/metabolism
  • Mitophagy*
  • Nerve Degeneration/metabolism*
  • Nerve Degeneration/pathology
  • Oxidative Stress
  • Zebrafish/metabolism*
PubMed
23939015 Full text @ Autophagy
Abstract

Autophagy is responsible for the degradation of cytoplasmic components and organelles such as mitochondria. The selective degradation of damaged mitochondria by autophagy is termed mitophagy, and is an important quality control mechanism. Neurons, being highly specialized cells, are particularly susceptible to defects of autophagy. Impairments in mitochondrial function and their dynamics are present in many neurodegenerative diseases, and modulators of both mitochondrial physiology and autophagy present themselves as promising therapeutic targets. Zebrafish are now established as a valuable tool for disease modeling. A wide variety of genetic and molecular techniques can be employed to highlight pathogenic processes and dissect disease pathways. This review will explore the role that zebrafish have so far played in our understanding of mitophagy in neurodegeneration, and will discuss how they might be used to drive the wider mitophagy field forward.

Genes / Markers
Figures
Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Antibodies
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping