Drosophila Models For Diseases Affecting Learning and Memory

2:

• The method of claim 1, wherein the mental defect is in memory, orientation, learning, attention, reasoning, language, and/or the ability to perform simple tasks.

3:

• The method of claim 1, wherein the disease is Fragile X syndrome and the analogous disease in a Drosophila is caused by a deficiency in a dFMR1 protein.

4:

• The method of claim 1, wherein the disease is a tauopathy and the analogous disease in a Drosophila is caused by expression of a human tau protein.

5-6. (canceled)

7:

• The method of claim 1, wherein the disease is Alzheimer's and the analogous disease in a Drosophila is caused by expression of a mutant presenilin gene associated with Alzheimer's.

8-11. (canceled)

12:

• The method of claim 1, wherein the compound is an inhibitor of a glutamate receptor (GluR).

13-34. (canceled)

35:

• A method of improving learning or memory in a mammal, the method comprising treating the mammal with a compound in an amount sufficient to improve learning or memory in the mammal, wherein the compound inhibits expression or activity of a group II or group III metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR), an inositol trisphosphate receptor (InsP3R), a glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β), or a phosphodiesterase-4 (PDE-4) in the mammal.

36:

• The method of claim 35, wherein the mammal has Fragile X syndrome, a tauopathy, Huntington's disease, neurofibromatosis 1, Parkinson's disease, or a non-human disease analogous to Fragile X syndrome, a tauopathy, Huntington's disease, neurofibromatosis 1, or Parkinson's disease.

37:

• The method of claim 35, wherein the mammal is treated with LiCl.

38:

• The method of claim 35, wherein the mammal is treated with an inhibitor of a group II mGluR where the inhibitor is at a concentration that it is specific for a group II mGluR.

39:

• The method of claim 35, wherein the mammal is treated with an inhibitor of a group III mGluR where the inhibitor is at a concentration that is specific for a group III mGluR.

40:

• The method of claim 35, wherein the compound is 2-methyl-6-(phenylethynyl)pyridine (MPEP), 2-amino-4-phosphonobutanoic acid (AP-4), (RS)-α-methylserine-O-phosphate monophenyl ester, (RS)-1-amino-5-phosphonoindan-1-carboxylic acid [(RS)-APICA], (RS)-α-methyl-4-tetrazolylphenylglycine (MTPG), (2S)-α-ethylglutamic acid (EGLU), (2S)-2-amino-2-[(1S,2S)-2-carboxycycloprop-1-yl]-3-(xanth-9-yl) propionic acid (LY341495), TDZD-8,1-azakenpaullone, MAP4, or 4-[3-(Cyclopentyl)-4-methoxyphenyl]-2-pyrrolidinone (rolipram).

41:

• The method of claim 35, wherein the compound comprises a nucleic acid.

42-44. (canceled)

45:

• A method of treating a mammal having Fragile X disease or a non-human disease analogous to Fragile X disease, the method comprising treating the mammal with a compound that inhibits expression or activity of a group II or group III metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR), an inositol trisphosphate receptor (InsP3R), a glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β), or a phosphodiesterase-4 (PDE-4) in the mammal.

46:

• The method of claim 45, wherein the mammal exhibits a deficiency in memory, orientation, learning, attention, reasoning, language and/or the ability to perform simple tasks.

47:

• The method of claim 45, wherein the mammal is treated with LiCl.

48:

• The method of claim 45, wherein the mammal is treated with an inhibitor of a group II mGluR where the inhibitor is at a concentration that it is specific for a group II mGluR.

49:

• The method of claim 45, wherein the mammal is treated with an inhibitor of a group III mGluR where the inhibitor is at a concentration that is specific for a group III mGluR.

50:

• The method of claim 45, wherein the compound is 2-methyl-6-(phenylethynyl)pyridine (MPEP), 2-amino-4-phosphonobutanoic acid (AP-4), (RS)-α-methylserine-O-phosphate monophenyl ester, (RS)-1-amino-5-phosphonoindan-1-carboxylic acid [(RS)-APICA], (RS)-α-methyl-4-tetrazolylphenylglycine (MTPG), (2S)-α-ethylglutamic acid (EGLU), (2S)-2-amino-2-[(1S,2S)-2-carboxycycloprop-1-yl]-3-(xanth-9-yl) propionic acid (LY341495), TDZD-8,1-azakenpaullone, MAP4, or 4-[3-(Cyclopentyl)-4-methoxyphenyl]-2-pyrrolidinone (rolipram).

51:

• The method of claim 45, wherein the compound comprises a nucleic acid.

52-88. (canceled)