All Creatures Great and Small: New Approaches for Understanding Down Syndrome Genetics

Anna J. Moyer, Katheleen Gardiner, Roger H. Reeves

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

Human chromosome 21 (Hsa21) contains more than 500 genes, making trisomy 21 one of the most complex genetic perturbations compatible with life. The ultimate goal of Down syndrome (DS) research is to design therapies that improve quality of life for individuals with DS by understanding which subsets of Hsa21 genes contribute to DS-associated phenotypes throughout the lifetime. However, the complexity of DS pathogenesis has made developing appropriate animal models an ongoing challenge. Here, we examine lessons learned from a variety of model systems, including yeast, nematode, fruit fly, and zebrafish, and discuss emerging methods for creating murine models that better reflect the genetic basis of trisomy 21.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)444-459
Number of pages16
JournalTrends in Genetics
Volume37
Issue number5
DOIs
StatePublished - May 2021

Keywords

  • Down syndrome
  • aneuploidy
  • complex disease
  • disease models
  • model organisms
  • trisomy 21

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Genetics

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