Circadian Rhythm Analysis in Drosophila melanogaster with Neurodegenerative Risk Factor

A circadian rhythm is an organism’s natural clock regulating sleep-wake cycles. (Poe et al., 2023) Drosophila are useful for genetic and behavioral research because they have many homologous brain development genes. One of these homologous genes, the APOE-4 gene, is associated with dementia and poor recovery from brain injury in humans. (Study Reveals How APOE4 Gene May Increase Risk for Dementia, 2021) Here, we use fly genetics expression system and the Drosophila Activity Monitor (DAM) to look at sleep-wake cycles to understand whether they are affected by extra APOE-4. Previous research suggests they will have a modified circadian rhythm when compared to control lines. (Poe et al., 2023) Preliminary data analysis shows there is a slightly modified cycle when flies are analyzed in the dark for two days. We expect to find irregularities in the circadian rhythms of these flies expressing extra APOE-4.