Enhanced Age-Dependent Motor Impairment in Males of Drosophila melanogaster Modeling Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 1 Is Linked to Dysregulation of a Matrix Metalloproteinase

Over the past two decades, <i>Drosophila melanogaster</i> has proven to be successful in modeling the polyglutamine (polyQ) (caused by CAG repeats) family of neurodegenerative disorders, including the faithful recapitulation of pathological features such as polyQ length-dependent formation of protein aggregates and progressive neuronal degeneration. In this study, pan-neuronal expression of human <i>Ataxin-1</i> with long polyQ repeat of 82 amino acids was driven using an elav-GAL4 driver line. This would essentially model the polyQ disease spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1). Longevity and behavioral analysis of male flies expressing human <i>Ataxin-1</i> revealed compromised lifespan and accelerated locomotor activity deficits both in diurnal activity and negative geotaxis response compared to control flies. Interestingly, this decline in motor response was coupled to an enhancement of matrix metalloproteinase 1 (<i>dMMP1</i>) expression together with declining expression of extracellular matrix (ECM) fibroblast growth factor (FGF) signaling by hedgehog (<i>Hh</i>) and branchless (<i>bnl</i>) and a significant decrease in expression of <i>survival motor neuron</i> gene (<i>dsmn</i>) in old (30 d) flies. Taken together, our results indicate a role for dysregulation of matrix metalloproteinase in polyQ disease with consequent impact on ECM signaling factors, as well as SMN at the neuromuscular junction causing overt physiological and behavioral deficits.