Abstract
Copper dyshomeostasis has been identified as an important factor in the development of Alzheimer’s disease. Increasing our understanding of the relationship between copper and Alzheimer’s disease is integral to the development of new therapies and treatment options. In order to determine whether increased levels of copper affect the neurodegeneration caused by amyloid-β-42 and tau proteins, our study fed a gradient of increasing concentrations of copper to Drosophila melanogaster strains genetically modified to overexpress amyloid-β-42 or tau proteins in their eyes. Additionally, our study observed the direct effects of copper dyshomeostasis on the developmental growth rates of Drosophila by observing day to first pupation across the gradient of concentrations of supplemented copper. Our study found no correlation between copper-supplemented culture and amyloid-β-42-dependent neurodegeneration or tauopathy, however, our results indicate that high levels of copper slow developmental growth rates in Drosophila.