Modeling Serpin Conformational Diseases in Drosophila melanogaster

Transgenic Drosophila melanogaster have been used to model both the physiological and pathological behavior of serpins. The ability to generate flies expressing serpins and to rapidly assess associated phenotypes contributes to the power of this paradigm. While providing a whole-organism model of serpinopathies the powerful toolkit of genetic interventions allows precise molecular dissection of important biological pathways. In this chapter, we summarize the contribution that flies have made to the serpin field and then describe some of the experimental methods that are employed in these studies. In particular, we will describe the generation of transgenic flies, the assessment of phenotypes, and the principles of how to perform a genetic screen.