# Knockdown of the GABARAP ortholog Atg8a elicits deficits in learning and promotes obsessive behaviors in Drosophila melanogaster

## TL;DR

Knocking down the Atg8a gene in fruit flies causes learning issues and obsessive behaviors, similar to human neurological disorders.

## Contribution

This study identifies Atg8a in Drosophila as a potential invertebrate model for human neurological conditions linked to GABARAP.

## Key findings

- Knockdown of Atg8a in Drosophila neurons leads to learning deficits.
- Reduced Atg8a expression promotes excessive grooming behaviors in fruit flies.
- Atg8a knockdown mimics human neurological disorder phenotypes in an invertebrate model.

## Abstract

In humans, trafficking of the GABA(A) receptor by GABARAP can lead to obsessive behaviors and learning deficits often in seen in neurological disorders such as Tourette’s Syndrome. We find that in
Drosophila melanogaster
,
Atg8a
, the ortholog of the human
GABARAP
gene, is necessary in the nervous system for learning and suppression of excessive grooming. These results suggest that knocking down
Atg8a
in neurons of
Drosophila
produces a phenotype similar to that seen in human patients, potentially allowing for use of an
Atg8a
knockdown background as a suitable invertebrate model for related neurological conditions.