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Li M, Macro J, Huggins BJ, Meadows K, Mishra D, Martin D, Kannan K, Rogina B. Extended lifespan in female Drosophila melanogaster through late-life calorie restriction. GeroScience 2024:10.1007/s11357-024-01233-w. [PMID: 38954128 DOI: 10.1007/s11357-024-01233-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 05/29/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Calorie restriction has many beneficial effects on healthspan and lifespan in a variety of species. However, how late in life application of caloric restriction can extend fly life is not clear. Here we show that late-life calorie restriction increases lifespan in female Drosophila melanogaster aged on a high-calorie diet. This shift results in rapid decrease in mortality rate and extends fly lifespan. In contrast, shifting female flies from a low- to a high-calorie diet leads to a rapid increase in mortality and shorter lifespan. These changes are mediated by immediate metabolic and physiological adaptations. One of such adaptation is rapid adjustment in egg production, with flies directing excess energy towards egg production when shifted to a high diet, or away from reproduction in females shifted to low-caloric diet. However, lifelong female fecundity reveals no associated fitness cost due to CR when flies are shifted to a high-calorie diet. In view of high conservation of the beneficial effects of CR on physiology and lifespan in a wide variety of organisms, including humans, our findings could provide valuable insight into CR applications that could provide health benefits later in life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Li
- Department of Genetics & Genome Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Connecticut Health, Farmington, CT, 06030, USA
| | - Jacob Macro
- Department of Genetics & Genome Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Connecticut Health, Farmington, CT, 06030, USA
| | - Billy J Huggins
- Department of Genetics & Genome Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Connecticut Health, Farmington, CT, 06030, USA
| | - Kali Meadows
- Department of Genetics & Genome Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Connecticut Health, Farmington, CT, 06030, USA
| | - Dushyant Mishra
- Department of Genetics & Genome Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Connecticut Health, Farmington, CT, 06030, USA
| | - Dominique Martin
- Department of Genetics & Genome Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Connecticut Health, Farmington, CT, 06030, USA
| | - Kavitha Kannan
- Department of Genetics & Genome Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Connecticut Health, Farmington, CT, 06030, USA
| | - Blanka Rogina
- Department of Genetics & Genome Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Connecticut Health, Farmington, CT, 06030, USA.
- Institute for Systems Genomics, University of Connecticut Health, Farmington, CT, 06030, USA.
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Rogina B, Tissenbaum HA. SIRT1, resveratrol and aging. Front Genet 2024; 15:1393181. [PMID: 38784035 PMCID: PMC11112063 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2024.1393181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Aging is linked to a time-associated decline in both cellular function and repair capacity leading to malfunction on an organismal level, increased frailty, higher incidence of diseases, and death. As the population grows older, there is a need to reveal mechanisms associated with aging that could spearhead treatments to postpone the onset of age-associated decline, extend both healthspan and lifespan. One possibility is targeting the sirtuin SIRT1, the founding member of the sirtuin family, a highly conserved family of histone deacetylases that have been linked to metabolism, stress response, protein synthesis, genomic instability, neurodegeneration, DNA damage repair, and inflammation. Importantly, sirtuins have also been implicated to promote health and lifespan extension, while their dysregulation has been linked to cancer, neurological processes, and heart disorders. SIRT1 is one of seven members of sirtuin family; each requiring nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) as co-substrate for their catalytic activity. Overexpression of yeast, worm, fly, and mice SIRT1 homologs extend lifespan in each animal, respectively. Moreover, lifespan extension due to calorie restriction are associated with increased sirtuin activity. These findings led to the search for a calorie restriction mimetic, which revealed the compound resveratrol; (3, 5, 4'-trihydroxy-trans-stilbene) belonging to the stilbenoids group of polyphenols. Following this finding, resveratrol and other sirtuin-activating compounds have been extensively studied for their ability to affect health and lifespan in a variety of species, including humans via clinical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Blanka Rogina
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT, United States
- Institute for Systems Genomics, Farmington, CT, United States
| | - Heidi A. Tissenbaum
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Cancer Biology UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
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3
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Tower J. Markers and mechanisms of death in Drosophila. FRONTIERS IN AGING 2023; 4:1292040. [PMID: 38149028 PMCID: PMC10749947 DOI: 10.3389/fragi.2023.1292040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 12/28/2023]
Abstract
Parameters correlated with age and mortality in Drosophila melanogaster include decreased negative geotaxis and centrophobism behaviors, decreased climbing and walking speed, and darkened pigments in oenocytes and eye. Cessation of egg laying predicts death within approximately 5 days. Endogenous green fluorescence in eye and body increases hours prior to death. Many flies exhibit erratic movement hours before death, often leading to falls. Loss of intestinal barrier integrity (IBI) is assayed by feeding blue dye ("Smurf" phenotype), and Smurf flies typically die within 0-48 h. Some studies report most flies exhibit Smurf, whereas multiple groups report most flies die without exhibiting Smurf. Transgenic reporters containing heat shock gene promoters and innate immune response gene promoters progressively increase expression with age, and partly predict remaining life span. Innate immune reporters increase with age in every fly, prior to any Smurf phenotype, in presence or absence of antibiotics. Many flies die on their side or supine (on their back) position. The data suggest three mechanisms for death of Drosophila. One is loss of IBI, as revealed by Smurf assay. The second is nervous system malfunction, leading to erratic behavior, locomotor malfunction, and falls. The aged fly is often unable to right itself after a fall to a side-ways or supine position, leading to inability to access the food and subsequent dehydration/starvation. Finally, some flies die upright without Smurf phenotype, suggesting a possible third mechanism. The frequency of these mechanisms varies between strains and culture conditions, which may affect efficacy of life span interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Tower
- Molecular and Computational Biology Section, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
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Wodrich APK, Scott AW, Giniger E. What do we mean by "aging"? Questions and perspectives revealed by studies in Drosophila. Mech Ageing Dev 2023; 213:111839. [PMID: 37354919 PMCID: PMC10330756 DOI: 10.1016/j.mad.2023.111839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2023] [Revised: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 06/26/2023]
Abstract
What is the nature of aging, and how best can we study it? Here, using a series of questions that highlight differing perspectives about the nature of aging, we ask how data from Drosophila melanogaster at the organismal, tissue, cellular, and molecular levels shed light on the complex interactions among the phenotypes associated with aging. Should aging be viewed as an individual's increasing probability of mortality over time or as a progression of physiological states? Are all age-correlated changes in physiology detrimental to vigor or are some compensatory changes that maintain vigor? Why do different age-correlated functions seem to change at different rates in a single individual as it ages? Should aging be considered as a single, integrated process across the scales of biological resolution, from organismal to molecular, or must we consider each level of biological scale as a separate, distinct entity? Viewing aging from these differing perspectives yields distinct but complementary interpretations about the properties and mechanisms of aging and may offer a path through the complexities related to understanding the nature of aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew P K Wodrich
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, United States; Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience, Georgetown University, Washington DC, United States; College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States
| | - Andrew W Scott
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Edward Giniger
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, United States.
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Jéssica Paloma ÁR, Juan Rafael RE. Activation of the Cap'n'collar C pathway (Nrf2 pathway in vertebrates) signaling in insulin pathway compromised Drosophila melanogaster flies ameliorates the diabetic state upon pro-oxidant conditions. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2023; 335:114229. [PMID: 36781022 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2023.114229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2022] [Revised: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/13/2023]
Abstract
The insulin pathway is a crucial central system for metabolism and growth. The Nrf2 signaling pathway functions to counteract oxidative stress. Here we sought to study the consequences of an oxidative stress challenge to insulin compromised and control adult flies of different ages, varying the activation state of the Nrf2 pathway in flies, the Cap'n'collar C pathway. For this, we employed two different pro-oxidative conditions: 3 % hydrogen peroxide or 20 mM paraquat laced in the food. In both cases, wild type (control) flies die within a few days, yet there are significant differences between males and females, and also within flies of different ages (seven versus thirty days old flies). We repeated the same conditions with young (seven days old) flies that were heterozygous for a loss-of-function mutation in Keap1. There were no significant differences. We then tested two hypomorphic viable conditions of the insulin pathway (heteroallelic combination for the insulin receptor and the S6 Kinase), challenged in the same way: Whereas they also die in the pro-oxidant conditions, they fare significantly better when heterozygous for Keap1, in contrast to controls. We also monitored locomotion in all of these conditions, and, in general, found significant differences between flies without and with a mutant allele (heterozygous) for Keap1. Our results point to altered oxidative stress conditions in diabetic flies. These findings suggest that modest activation of the Cap'n'collar C pathway may be a treatment for diabetic symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Álvarez-Rendón Jéssica Paloma
- Departamento de Neurobiología del Desarrollo y Neurofisiología, Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Programa de posgrado en Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Mexico
| | - Riesgo-Escovar Juan Rafael
- Departamento de Neurobiología del Desarrollo y Neurofisiología, Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Programa de posgrado en Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Mexico.
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Kumari P, Ain U, Firdaus H. A Reliable and Consistent Method to Quantify Percent Lethality and Life Span in Drosophila melanogaster. Bio Protoc 2023; 13:e4598. [PMID: 36789168 PMCID: PMC9901450 DOI: 10.21769/bioprotoc.4598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2022] [Revised: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Drosophila melanogaster is a classic model organism to study gene function as well as toxicological effects. To study gene function, the expression of a particular gene of interest is disrupted by using the widely explorable Drosophila genetic toolkit, whereas to study toxicological effects the flies are exposed to a particular toxicant through diet. These experiments often require the quantification of lethality from embryonic to adult stages, as well as the assessment of the life span in order to check the role of the gene/toxicant of interest in Drosophila. Here, we propose an experimental protocol that enables a consistent and rigorous assessment of lethality and life span of cadmium chloride (CdCl2)-exposed or genetically perturbed flies [downregulation and overexpression of the cytosolic Cu, Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1) gene], consecutively. The protocol insists upon the requirement of one single experimental setup that is unique, distinctive, and cost-effective as it engages minimal laboratory equipment and resources. The described methods lead to the smooth observation of the embryos, their successive stagewise transition, and life span of the adult flies post eclosion. Additionally, these methods also facilitate the assessment of crawling and climbing behavioral parameters of the larvae and adults, respectively, and allow the calculation of lethal concentration (LC50) for the mentioned toxicant as well as median survival of the flies, which can be a determining factor in proceeding with further stages of experiments. Graphical abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priyanka Kumari
- Department of Life Sciences, Central University of Jharkhand, CTI Campus, Ratu-Lohardaga Road, Ranchi-835205, India
| | - Ushashi Ain
- Department of Life Sciences, Central University of Jharkhand, CTI Campus, Ratu-Lohardaga Road, Ranchi-835205, India
| | - Hena Firdaus
- Department of Life Sciences, Central University of Jharkhand, CTI Campus, Ratu-Lohardaga Road, Ranchi-835205, India; ,*For correspondence:
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Xing S, Deng D, wen W, Peng W. Functional transcriptome analyses of Drosophila suzukii midgut reveal mating-dependent reproductive plasticity in females. BMC Genomics 2022; 23:726. [PMID: 36284272 PMCID: PMC9598023 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-022-08962-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Accepted: 10/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Insect females undergo a huge transition in energy homeostasis after mating to compensate for nutrient investment during reproduction. To manage with this shift in metabolism, mated females experience extensive morphological, behavioral and physiological changes, including increased food intake and altered digestive processes. However, the mechanisms by which the digestive system responds to mating in females remain barely characterized. Here we performed transcriptomic analysis of the main digestive organ, the midgut, to investigate how gene expression varies with female mating status in Drosophila suzukii, a destructive and invasive soft fruit pest. RESULTS We sequenced 15,275 unique genes with an average length of 1,467 bp. In total, 652 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were detected between virgin and mated D. suzukii female midgut libraries. The DEGs were functionally annotated utilizing the GO and KEGG pathway annotation methods. Our results showed that the major GO terms associated with the DEGs from the virgin versus mated female midgut were largely appointed to the metabolic process, response to stimulus and immune system process. We obtained a mass of protein and lipid metabolism genes which were up-regulated and carbohydrate metabolism and immune-related genes which were down-regulated at different time points after mating in female midgut by qRT-PCR. These changes in metabolism and immunity may help supply the female with the nutrients and energy required to sustain egg production. CONCLUSION Our study characterizes the transcriptional mechanisms driven by mating in the D. suzukii female midgut. Identification and characterization of the DEGs between virgin and mated females midgut will not only be crucial to better understand molecular research related to intestine plasticity during reproduction, but may also provide abundant target genes for the development of effective and ecofriendly pest control strategies against this economically important species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shisi Xing
- grid.411427.50000 0001 0089 3695Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Intestinal Function and Regulation, State Key Laboratory of Developmental Biology of Freshwater Fish, HunanInternational Joint Laboratory of Animal Intestinal Ecology and Health, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081 China
| | - Dan Deng
- grid.411427.50000 0001 0089 3695Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Intestinal Function and Regulation, State Key Laboratory of Developmental Biology of Freshwater Fish, HunanInternational Joint Laboratory of Animal Intestinal Ecology and Health, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081 China
| | - Wen wen
- grid.411427.50000 0001 0089 3695Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Intestinal Function and Regulation, State Key Laboratory of Developmental Biology of Freshwater Fish, HunanInternational Joint Laboratory of Animal Intestinal Ecology and Health, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081 China
| | - Wei Peng
- grid.411427.50000 0001 0089 3695Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Intestinal Function and Regulation, State Key Laboratory of Developmental Biology of Freshwater Fish, HunanInternational Joint Laboratory of Animal Intestinal Ecology and Health, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081 China
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8
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Pogue T, Malod K, Weldon CW. Patterns of Remating Behaviour in Ceratitis (Diptera: Tephritidae) Species of Varying Lifespan. Front Physiol 2022; 13:824768. [PMID: 35197865 PMCID: PMC8859485 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.824768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2021] [Accepted: 01/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Trade-offs between life-history traits offset the energetic costs of maintaining fitness in complex environments. Ceratitis species have been recorded to have long lifespans, which may have evolved in response to seasonal resource fluctuation. It is thus likely that reproductive patterns have evolved concomitantly as part of the trade-off between lifespan and reproduction. In this study, we investigated how reproductive patterns differ between Ceratitis cosyra (Walker) and Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann; Diptera: Tephritidae), two species with different average and maximum lifespans. Females of both species were mated and patterns of female survival, fecundity, remating and sperm storage were tested. Ceratitis cosyra had a higher rate of survival and a lower fecundity when compared with the shorter-lived C. capitata, suggesting that both species exhibit a trade-off between lifespan and reproduction. Both species showed a similar and consistent willingness to remate, despite declines in sperm storage, suggesting that sperm alone does not fully inhibit remating. As expected, C. cosyra transferred high numbers of sperm during the first mating. However, sperm stores declined unexpectedly by 14 days. This indicates that males might transfer large ejaculates as a nuptial gift, that females then later degrade as a source of nutrients. Large declines in sperm storage may also indicate that females discard excess sperm stores due to the toxicity involved with storing sperm. These results do not suggest that patterns of sperm storage and remating align with lifespan and resource seasonality in these species, but a wider range of species needs to be assessed to better understand variation in Ceratitis mating systems.
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Li Y, Bagheri P, Chang P, Zeng A, Hao J, Fung A, Wu JY, Shi L. Direct Imaging of Lipid Metabolic Changes in Drosophila Ovary During Aging Using DO-SRS Microscopy. FRONTIERS IN AGING 2022; 2:819903. [PMID: 35822015 PMCID: PMC9261447 DOI: 10.3389/fragi.2021.819903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2021] [Accepted: 12/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Emerging studies have shown that lipids and proteins play versatile roles in various aspects of aging. High-resolution in situ optical imaging provides a powerful approach to study the metabolic dynamics of lipids and proteins during aging. Here, we integrated D2O probing and stimulated Raman scattering (DO-SRS) microscopy to directly visualize metabolic changes in aging Drosophila ovary. The subcellular spatial distribution of de novo protein synthesis and lipogenesis in ovary was quantitatively imaged and examined. Our Raman spectra showed that early stages follicles were protein-enriched whereas mature eggs were lipid-enriched. DO-SRS imaging showed a higher protein synthesis in the earlier developing stages and an increased lipid turned over at the late stage. Aged (35 days) flies exhibited a dramatic decrease in metabolic turnover activities of both proteins and lipids, particularly, in the germ stem cell niche of germarium. We found an accumulation of unsaturated lipids in the nurse cells and oocytes in old flies, suggesting that unsaturated lipids may play an important role in the processes of oocyte maturation. We further detected changes in mitochondrial morphology and accumulation of Cytochrome c during aging. To our knowledge, this is the first study that directly visualizes spatiotemporal changes in lipid and protein metabolism in Drosophila ovary during development and aging processes. Our study not only demonstrates the application of a new imaging platform in visualizing metabolic dynamics of lipids and proteins in situ but also unravels how the metabolic activity and lipid distribution change in Drosophila ovary during aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yajuan Li
- The Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Pegah Bagheri
- The Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Phyllis Chang
- The Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Audrey Zeng
- The Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Jie Hao
- The Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Anthony Fung
- The Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Jane Y. Wu
- Department of Neurology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Lingyan Shi
- The Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
- *Correspondence: Lingyan Shi,
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Kannan K, Rogina B. The Role of Citrate Transporter INDY in Metabolism and Stem Cell Homeostasis. Metabolites 2021; 11:705. [PMID: 34677421 PMCID: PMC8540898 DOI: 10.3390/metabo11100705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2021] [Revised: 10/05/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
I'm Not Dead Yet (Indy) is a fly gene that encodes a homologue of mammalian SLC13A5 plasma membrane citrate transporter. Reducing expression of Indy gene in flies, and its homologues in worms, extends longevity. Indy reduction in flies, worms, mice and rats affects metabolism by regulating the levels of cytoplasmic citrate, inducing a state similar to calorie restriction. Changes include lower lipid levels, increased insulin sensitivity, increased mitochondrial biogenesis, and prevention of weight gain, among others. The INDY protein is predominantly expressed in fly metabolic tissues: the midgut, fat body and oenocytes. Changes in fly midgut metabolism associated with reduced Indy gene activity lead to preserved mitochondrial function and reduced production of reactive oxygen species. All these changes lead to preserved intestinal stem cell homeostasis, which has a key role in maintaining intestinal epithelium function and enhancing fly healthspan and lifespan. Indy gene expression levels change in response to caloric content of the diet, inflammation and aging, suggesting that INDY regulates metabolic adaptation to nutrition or energetic requirements by controlling citrate levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kavitha Kannan
- Department of Genetics & Genome Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT 06030, USA;
| | - Blanka Rogina
- Department of Genetics & Genome Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT 06030, USA;
- Institute for Systems Genomics, School of Medicine, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT 06030, USA
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11
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Distinctive egg-laying patterns in terminal versus non-terminal periods in three fruit fly species. Exp Gerontol 2020; 145:111201. [PMID: 33316371 DOI: 10.1016/j.exger.2020.111201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2020] [Revised: 11/18/2020] [Accepted: 12/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The specific objective of this study was to use a logistic regression model for determining the degree to which egg laying patterns of individual females at the end of life (i.e., terminal segments) in each of three different fruit fly species could be distinguished from the egg-laying patterns over a similar period in midlife (i.e., non-terminal segments). Extracting data from large-scale databases for 11-day terminal and 11-day non-terminal segments in the vinegar fly (Drosophila melanogaster), the Mexican fruit fly (Anastrepha ludens) and the Mediterranean fruit fly (Ceratitis capitata) and organizing the model's results in a 2 × 2 contingency table, we found that: (1) daily egg-laying patterns in fruit flies can be used to distinguish terminal from non-terminal periods; (2) the overall performance metrics such as precision, accuracy, false positives and true negatives depended heavily on species; (3) differentiating between terminal and non-terminal segments is more difficult when flies die at younger ages; and (4) among the three species the best performing metrics including accuracy and precision were those produced using data on D. melanogaster. We conclude that, although the reliability of the prediction of whether a segment occurred at the end of life is relatively high for most species, it does not follow precisely predicting remaining life will also be highly reliable since classifying an end of life period is a fundamentally different challenge than is predicting an exact day of death.
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12
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Tsurumi A, Li WX. Aging mechanisms-A perspective mostly from Drosophila. ADVANCED GENETICS (HOBOKEN, N.J.) 2020; 1:e10026. [PMID: 36619249 PMCID: PMC9744567 DOI: 10.1002/ggn2.10026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2019] [Revised: 04/04/2020] [Accepted: 04/08/2020] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
A mechanistic understanding of the natural aging process, which is distinct from aging-related disease mechanisms, is essential for developing interventions to extend lifespan or healthspan. Here, we discuss current trends in aging research and address conceptual and experimental challenges in the field. We examine various molecular markers implicated in aging with an emphasis on the role of heterochromatin and epigenetic changes. Studies in model organisms have been advantageous in elucidating conserved genetic and epigenetic mechanisms and assessing interventions that affect aging. We highlight the use of Drosophila, which allows controlled studies for evaluating genetic and environmental contributors to aging conveniently. Finally, we propose the use of novel methodologies and future strategies using Drosophila in aging research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy Tsurumi
- Department of SurgeryMassachusetts General Hospital, and Harvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusettsUSA,Department of Microbiology and ImmunologyHarvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusettsUSA,Shriners Hospitals for Children‐Boston®BostonMassachusettsUSA
| | - Willis X. Li
- Department of MedicineUniversity of California at San DiegoLa JollaCaliforniaUSA
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13
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Curtsinger JW. Terminal life history: late-life fecundity and survival in experimental populations of Drosophila melanogaster. Biogerontology 2020; 21:721-730. [PMID: 32638261 DOI: 10.1007/s10522-020-09889-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2020] [Accepted: 06/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
There are two life history landmarks that can be used to define the terminal period in individual Drosophila melanogaster females: the cessation of daily oviposition, which defines the start of the retired stage, and final oviposition, which defines the start of post-ovipository survival. The terminal period is a substantial component of D. melanogaster life history. Analysis of published data on the daily fecundity and survival of 3971 individually maintained, mated female flies reveals that the terminal period is far more variable within populations than other life history components, including total adult life span. It has been reported that there is a negative correlation between fecundity and duration of the terminal state in recently collected wild stocks. Here I show that the negative correlation occurs in multiple inbred and outbred lab-adapted populations as well. In terms of proportion of adult life, lower fecundity flies spend on average twice as much time in the terminal stage as higher fecundity flies from the same population. Both high and low fecundity flies experience end-of-life plateaus in mortality, with the former exhibiting higher plateau levels. The negative correlation between fecundity and terminal survival is of sufficient magnitude to create heterogeneity among the oldest old: the final 10% of survivors are predominately flies with a history of high fecundity, but about one in five is a low fecundity fly with long terminal stage.
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Affiliation(s)
- James W Curtsinger
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, & Behavior, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, 1987 Upper Buford Circle, St. Paul, MN, 55108, USA.
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14
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Bitner K, Shahrestani P, Pardue E, Mueller LD. Predicting death by the loss of intestinal function. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0230970. [PMID: 32287318 PMCID: PMC7156097 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0230970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2019] [Accepted: 03/12/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The ability to predict when an individual will die can be extremely useful for many research problems in aging. A technique for predicting death in the model organism, Drosophila melanogaster, has been proposed which relies on an increase in the permeability of the fly intestinal system, allowing dyes from the diet to permeate the body of the fly shortly before death. In this study we sought to verify this claim in a large cohort study using different populations of D. melanogaster and different dyes. We found that only about 50% of the individuals showed a visible distribution of dye before death. This number did not vary substantially with the dye used. Most flies that did turn a blue color before death did so within 24 hours of death. There was also a measurable effect of the dye on the fly mean longevity. These results would tend to limit the utility of this method depending on the application the method was intended for.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathreen Bitner
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, California, United States of America
| | - Parvin Shahrestani
- Department of Biology, California State University, Fullerton, California, United States of America
| | - Evan Pardue
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, California, United States of America
| | - Laurence D. Mueller
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, California, United States of America
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15
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Flatt T. Life-History Evolution and the Genetics of Fitness Components in Drosophila melanogaster. Genetics 2020; 214:3-48. [PMID: 31907300 PMCID: PMC6944413 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.119.300160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2019] [Accepted: 10/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Life-history traits or "fitness components"-such as age and size at maturity, fecundity and fertility, age-specific rates of survival, and life span-are the major phenotypic determinants of Darwinian fitness. Analyzing the evolution and genetics of these phenotypic targets of selection is central to our understanding of adaptation. Due to its simple and rapid life cycle, cosmopolitan distribution, ease of maintenance in the laboratory, well-understood evolutionary genetics, and its versatile genetic toolbox, the "vinegar fly" Drosophila melanogaster is one of the most powerful, experimentally tractable model systems for studying "life-history evolution." Here, I review what has been learned about the evolution and genetics of life-history variation in D. melanogaster by drawing on numerous sources spanning population and quantitative genetics, genomics, experimental evolution, evolutionary ecology, and physiology. This body of work has contributed greatly to our knowledge of several fundamental problems in evolutionary biology, including the amount and maintenance of genetic variation, the evolution of body size, clines and climate adaptation, the evolution of senescence, phenotypic plasticity, the nature of life-history trade-offs, and so forth. While major progress has been made, important facets of these and other questions remain open, and the D. melanogaster system will undoubtedly continue to deliver key insights into central issues of life-history evolution and the genetics of adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Flatt
- Department of Biology, University of Fribourg, CH-1700, Switzerland
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16
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Abstract
The laboratory fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster is one of the leading models for the study of aging. Whereas several behavioral and physiological biomarkers of aging have been identified for Drosophila, lifespan remains the most robust measure of aging rate. Aging and lifespan can be modulated by genetic alterations, as well as by drugs and dietary components, to reveal basic and conserved mechanisms of aging. Here methods are presented for Drosophila lifespan assay, including media preparation, supplementation of media with various drugs, culturing of the flies, passaging flies and recording deaths, and the analysis of lifespan data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gary N Landis
- Molecular and Computational Biology Program, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Devon Doherty
- Molecular and Computational Biology Program, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - John Tower
- Molecular and Computational Biology Program, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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17
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Tower J, Agrawal S, Alagappan MP, Bell HS, Demeter M, Havanoor N, Hegde VS, Jia Y, Kothawade S, Lin X, Nadig C, Rajashekharappa NS, Rao D, Rao SS, Sancheti P, Saria A, Shantharamu NH, Sharma V, Tadepalli K, Varma A. Behavioral and molecular markers of death in Drosophila melanogaster. Exp Gerontol 2019; 126:110707. [PMID: 31445108 DOI: 10.1016/j.exger.2019.110707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2019] [Revised: 07/15/2019] [Accepted: 08/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Fly movement was tracked through 3-dimensional (3D) space as the fly died, using either reflected visible light, reflected infrared (IR) light, or fly GFP fluorescence. Behaviors measured included centrophobism, negative geotaxis, velocity, and total activity. In addition, frequency of directional heading changes (FDHC) was calculated as a measure of erratic movement. Nine middle-aged flies were tracked as they died during normal aging, and fifteen young flies were tracked as they died from dehydration/starvation stress. Episodes of increased FDHC were observed 0-8 h prior to death for the majority of the flies. FDHC was also increased with age in flies with neuronal expression of a human Abeta42 protein fragment associated with Alzheimer's disease. Finally, green autofluorescence appeared in the eye and body immediately prior to and coincident with death, and fluorescence of GFP targeted to the retina increased immediately prior to and coincident with death. The results suggest the potential utility of FDHC, green autofluorescence, and retinal GFP as markers of neuronal malfunction and imminent death.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Tower
- Molecular and Computational Biology Program, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089-2910, United States of America.
| | - Siddharth Agrawal
- Molecular and Computational Biology Program, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089-2910, United States of America
| | - Muthu Palaniappan Alagappan
- Molecular and Computational Biology Program, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089-2910, United States of America
| | - Hans S Bell
- Molecular and Computational Biology Program, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089-2910, United States of America
| | - Marton Demeter
- Molecular and Computational Biology Program, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089-2910, United States of America
| | - Nitin Havanoor
- Molecular and Computational Biology Program, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089-2910, United States of America
| | - Vinaykumar S Hegde
- Molecular and Computational Biology Program, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089-2910, United States of America
| | - Yiding Jia
- Molecular and Computational Biology Program, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089-2910, United States of America
| | - Suraj Kothawade
- Molecular and Computational Biology Program, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089-2910, United States of America
| | - Xinyi Lin
- Molecular and Computational Biology Program, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089-2910, United States of America
| | - Chaitanya Nadig
- Molecular and Computational Biology Program, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089-2910, United States of America
| | - Naveen S Rajashekharappa
- Molecular and Computational Biology Program, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089-2910, United States of America
| | - Divyashree Rao
- Molecular and Computational Biology Program, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089-2910, United States of America
| | - Sanjay Subba Rao
- Molecular and Computational Biology Program, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089-2910, United States of America
| | - Prathamesh Sancheti
- Molecular and Computational Biology Program, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089-2910, United States of America
| | - Anuj Saria
- Molecular and Computational Biology Program, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089-2910, United States of America
| | - Nagarabhi H Shantharamu
- Molecular and Computational Biology Program, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089-2910, United States of America
| | - Vatsal Sharma
- Molecular and Computational Biology Program, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089-2910, United States of America
| | - Karthik Tadepalli
- Molecular and Computational Biology Program, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089-2910, United States of America
| | - Anuj Varma
- Molecular and Computational Biology Program, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089-2910, United States of America
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18
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Moskalev A, Shaposhnikov M, Zemskaya N, Belyi A, Dobrovolskaya E, Patova A, Guvatova Z, Lukyanova E, Snezhkina A, Kudryavtseva A. Transcriptome analysis reveals mechanisms of geroprotective effects of fucoxanthin in Drosophila. BMC Genomics 2018; 19:77. [PMID: 29504896 PMCID: PMC5836829 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-018-4471-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background We have previously showed that the carotenoid fucoxanthin can increase the lifespan in Drosophila melanogaster and Caenorhabditis elegans. However, the molecular mechanisms of the geroprotective effect of fucoxanthin have not been studied so far. Results Here, we studied the effects of fucoxanthin on the Drosophila aging process at the molecular and the whole organism levels. At the organismal level, fucoxanthin increased the median lifespan and had a positive effect on fecundity, fertility, intestinal barrier function, and nighttime sleep. Transcriptome analysis revealed 57 differentially expressed genes involved in 17 KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) pathways. Among the most represented molecular pathways induced by fucoxanthin, a significant portion is related to longevity, including MAPK, mTOR, Wnt, Notch, and Hippo signaling pathways, autophagy, translation, glycolysis, oxidative phosphorylation, apoptosis, immune response, neurogenesis, sleep, and response to DNA damage. Conclusions Life-extending effects of fucoxanthin are associated with differential expression of longevity-associated genes. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12864-018-4471-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexey Moskalev
- Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia. .,Institute of Biology of Komi Science Center of Ural Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Syktyvkar, Russia.
| | - Mikhail Shaposhnikov
- Institute of Biology of Komi Science Center of Ural Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Syktyvkar, Russia
| | - Nadezhda Zemskaya
- Institute of Biology of Komi Science Center of Ural Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Syktyvkar, Russia
| | - Alexey Belyi
- Institute of Biology of Komi Science Center of Ural Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Syktyvkar, Russia
| | - Eugenia Dobrovolskaya
- Institute of Biology of Komi Science Center of Ural Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Syktyvkar, Russia
| | - Anna Patova
- Institute of Biology of Komi Science Center of Ural Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Syktyvkar, Russia
| | - Zulfiya Guvatova
- Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Elena Lukyanova
- Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Anastasiya Snezhkina
- Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Anna Kudryavtseva
- Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia.
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19
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Woods JK, Ziafazeli T, Rogina B. The effects of reduced rpd3 levels on fly physiology. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017; 4:169-179. [PMID: 28447071 PMCID: PMC5389049 DOI: 10.3233/nha-160016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Rpd3 is a conserved histone deacetylase that removes acetyl groups from lysine residues within histones and other proteins. Reduction or inhibition of Rpd3 extends longevity in yeast, worms, and flies. Previous studies in flies suggest an overlap with the mechanism of lifespan extension by dietary restriction. However, the mechanism of rpd3’s effects on longevity remains unclear. OBJECTIVES: In this study we investigated how rpd3 reduction affects fly spontaneous physical activity, fecundity, and stress resistance. METHODS: We examined the effects of rpd3 reduction on fly spontaneous physical activity by using population monitors, we determined female fecundity by counting daily egg laying, and we determined fly survivorship in response to starvation and paraquat. RESULTS: In flies, rpd3 reduction increases peak spontaneous physical activity of rpd3def male flies at a young age but does not affect total 24 hour activity. Male and female rpd3def mutants are more resistant to starvation on low and high calorie diets. In addition, increased resistance to paraquat was observed in females of one allele. A decrease in rpd3 levels does not affect female fecundity. CONCLUSIONS: A decrease in rpd3 levels mirrors some but not all changes associated with calorie restriction, illustrated by an increased peak of spontaneous activity in rpd3def/+ heterozygous male flies but no effect on total spontaneous activity and fecundity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jared K Woods
- Department of Genetics & Genome Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Connecticut Health, Farmington, CT, USA
| | - Tahereh Ziafazeli
- Department of Genetics & Genome Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Connecticut Health, Farmington, CT, USA.,Present address: Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, ON, Canada
| | - Blanka Rogina
- Department of Genetics & Genome Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Connecticut Health, Farmington, CT, USA.,Institute for Systems Genomics, School of Medicine, University of Connecticut Health, Farmington, CT, USA
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20
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Two phases of aging separated by the Smurf transition as a public path to death. Sci Rep 2016; 6:23523. [PMID: 27002861 PMCID: PMC4802314 DOI: 10.1038/srep23523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2015] [Accepted: 03/07/2016] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Aging’s most obvious characteristic is the time dependent increase of an individual’s probability to die. This lifelong process is accompanied by a large number of molecular and physiological changes. Although numerous genes involved in aging have been identified in the past decades its leading factors have yet to be determined. To identify the very processes driving aging we have developed in the past years an assay to identify physiologically old individuals in a synchronized population of Drosophila melanogaster. Those individuals show an age-dependent increase of intestinal permeability followed by a high risk of death. Here we show that this physiological marker of aging is conserved in 3 invertebrate species Drosophila mojavensis, Drosophila virilis, Caenorhabditis elegans as well as in 1 vertebrate species Danio rerio. Our findings suggest that intestinal barrier dysfunction may be an important event in the aging process conserved across a broad range of species, thus raising the possibility that it may also be the case in Homo sapiens.
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21
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Mueller LD, Shahrestani P, Rauser CL, Rose MR. The death spiral: predicting death in Drosophila cohorts. Biogerontology 2016; 17:805-816. [PMID: 26914589 DOI: 10.1007/s10522-016-9639-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2016] [Accepted: 02/18/2016] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Drosophila research has identified a new feature of aging that has been called the death spiral. The death spiral is a period prior to death during which there is a decline in life-history characters, such as fecundity, as well as physiological characters. First, we review the data from the Drosophila and medfly literature that suggest the existence of death spirals. Second, we re-analyze five cases with such data from four laboratories using a generalized statistical framework, a re-analysis that strengthens the case for the salience of the death spiral phenomenon. Third, we raise the issue whether death spirals need to be taken into account in the analysis of functional characters over age, in aging research with model species as well as human data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurence D Mueller
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA.
| | - Parvin Shahrestani
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA.,Department of Biological Science, California State University Fullerton, 800 North State College Blvd., Fullerton, CA, 92831-3599, USA
| | - Casandra L Rauser
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA.,UCLA Office of Vice Chancellor for Research-UCLA Grand Challenges, BOX 951405, 2248 Murphy Hall, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-1405, USA
| | - Michael R Rose
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
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22
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Curtsinger JW. The Retired Fly: Detecting Life History Transition in Individual Drosophila melanogaster Females. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 2015; 70:1455-60. [PMID: 26359246 DOI: 10.1093/gerona/glv122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2015] [Accepted: 07/08/2015] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Life history observations at the level of individual model organisms are relatively scarce, but highly informative. Here I analyze published data on the survival and lifetime fecundity of 3,971 individually housed, mated Drosophila melanogaster females from nine experimental populations. Data were collected from four laboratories and include counts of over 4.6 million eggs. Individual fecundity records are dominated by zero-egg-days (ZEDs). I show that the timing of ZEDs is informative about the survival and reproduction of individual flies. The first postmaturation ZED divides adult life into two functional stages: working and retired. The working stage is characterized by relatively high levels of oviposition and survival, while the retired stage is characterized by low levels of oviposition and reduced survival. The retired stage typically lasts one quarter of the total adult life span. The age of transition varies between flies; consequently age-synchronized cohorts will generally contain a mixture of working and retired flies, possibly influencing responses to experimental treatments. ZED can be used as a nonintrusive, real-time biomarker to distinguish live flies in the prime of life from those in a terminal state.
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Affiliation(s)
- James W Curtsinger
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, & Behavior, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, St. Paul.
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23
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Reiff T, Jacobson J, Cognigni P, Antonello Z, Ballesta E, Tan KJ, Yew JY, Dominguez M, Miguel-Aliaga I. Endocrine remodelling of the adult intestine sustains reproduction in Drosophila. eLife 2015. [PMID: 26216039 PMCID: PMC4515472 DOI: 10.7554/elife.06930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 133] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The production of offspring is energetically costly and relies on incompletely understood mechanisms that generate a positive energy balance. In mothers of many species, changes in key energy-associated internal organs are common yet poorly characterised functionally and mechanistically. In this study, we show that, in adult Drosophila females, the midgut is dramatically remodelled to enhance reproductive output. In contrast to extant models, organ remodelling does not occur in response to increased nutrient intake and/or offspring demands, but rather precedes them. With spatially and temporally directed manipulations, we identify juvenile hormone (JH) as an anticipatory endocrine signal released after mating. Acting through intestinal bHLH-PAS domain proteins Methoprene-tolerant (Met) and Germ cell-expressed (Gce), JH signals directly to intestinal progenitors to yield a larger organ, and adjusts gene expression and sterol regulatory element-binding protein (SREBP) activity in enterocytes to support increased lipid metabolism. Our findings identify a metabolically significant paradigm of adult somatic organ remodelling linking hormonal signals, epithelial plasticity, and reproductive output.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobias Reiff
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas, Universidad Miguel Hernández, Alicante, Spain
| | - Jake Jacobson
- MRC Clinical Sciences Centre, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Paola Cognigni
- MRC Clinical Sciences Centre, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Zeus Antonello
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas, Universidad Miguel Hernández, Alicante, Spain
| | - Esther Ballesta
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas, Universidad Miguel Hernández, Alicante, Spain
| | - Kah Junn Tan
- Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Joanne Y Yew
- Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Maria Dominguez
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas, Universidad Miguel Hernández, Alicante, Spain
| | - Irene Miguel-Aliaga
- MRC Clinical Sciences Centre, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
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24
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Yap S, Fanson BG, Taylor PW. Mating Reverses Actuarial Aging in Female Queensland Fruit Flies. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0132486. [PMID: 26147734 PMCID: PMC4492602 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0132486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2014] [Accepted: 06/15/2015] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Animals that have a long pre-reproductive adult stage often employ mechanisms that minimize aging over this period in order to preserve reproductive lifespan. In a remarkable exception, one tephritid fruit fly exhibits substantial pre-reproductive aging but then mitigates this aging during a diet-dependent transition to the reproductive stage, after which life expectancy matches that of newly emerged flies. Here, we ascertain the role of nutrients, sexual maturation and mating in mitigation of previous aging in female Queensland fruit flies. Flies were provided one of three diets: ‘sugar’, ‘essential’, or ‘yeast-sugar’. Essential diet contained sugar and micronutrients found in yeast but lacked maturation-enabling protein. At days 20 and 30, a subset of flies on the sugar diet were switched to essential or yeast-sugar diet, and some yeast-sugar fed flies were mated 10 days later. Complete mitigation of actuarial aging was only observed in flies that were switched to a yeast-sugar diet and mated, indicating that mating is key. Identifying the physiological processes associated with mating promise novel insights into repair mechanisms for aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarsha Yap
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Benjamin G. Fanson
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Phillip W. Taylor
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia
- * E-mail:
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25
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Kimber CM, Chippindale AK. Mutation, condition, and the maintenance of extended lifespan in Drosophila. Curr Biol 2013; 23:2283-2287. [PMID: 24210612 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2013.09.049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2013] [Revised: 09/18/2013] [Accepted: 09/23/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
The evolutionary theory of aging predicts that longevity will decline via drift or age-specific tradeoffs when selection favors early life fitness. Many Drosophila melanogaster populations continually terminated at young adult ages retain surprisingly long postselection lifespans. We compiled three decades of longevity data from the Ives population, demonstrating that postselective longevity was both substantial (30 days) and temporally stable over this period. Recently, alleles with positive pleiotropic effects between adjacent ages, particularly those affecting overall condition, have been integrated into the theory and may explain the extended longevity observed. We experimentally tested this hypothesis by isolating 20 hemiclones from Ives and allowing spontaneous mutations to accumulate (MA) for 35 generations. Fitness and longevity were positively genetically correlated in control females, and both traits declined due to MA. Crucially, MA induced a strong positive genetic correlation between the traits in both sexes, implying that mutations with early-life impacts also reduce late-life survival. Our results suggest that extended postreproductive longevity is actively maintained by selection for early-life fitness via positive pleiotropy and is not a merely a byproduct of exhaustion of genetic variation or weak drift. Thus mutation-selection balance for early fitness may govern variance in longevity in this system: a balance struck remarkably long after selection for continued survival ceases.
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26
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Bonduriansky R. The ecology of sexual conflict: background mortality can modulate the effects of male manipulation on female fitness. Evolution 2013; 68:595-604. [PMID: 24102073 DOI: 10.1111/evo.12272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2013] [Accepted: 09/07/2013] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Sexual and parental conflicts can arise because males benefit by inducing elevated reproductive effort in their mates. For females, the costs of such manipulation are often manifested later in life, and may therefore covary with female life expectancy. Here, I outline a simple female life-history model where female life expectancy reflects extrinsic mortality rate, and elevated reproductive effort causes accelerated senescence. Using this model, I show that variation in extrinsic mortality rate can modulate the magnitude and sign of fitness effects that male manipulation has on females. This result has several interesting implications. First, it suggests that the fitness effects of sexual interactions can depend on ecological factors, such as predation, that influence life expectancy. Second, if mortality risk is condition-dependent but reproductive effort is not fully optimized in relation to individual condition, then sexual conflict intensity may increase with individual condition, selecting for condition-dependent reproductive strategies. Third, if males vary in manipulativeness, then the fitness effects of mating with a given male phenotype may depend on both female condition and extrinsic mortality rate. Fourth, life span extension in the laboratory can lead to overestimation of sexual and parental conflicts. Life expectancy may therefore be a key factor in sexual coevolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Russell Bonduriansky
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre and School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia.
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27
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Fricke C, Green D, Mills WE, Chapman T. Age-dependent female responses to a male ejaculate signal alter demographic opportunities for selection. Proc Biol Sci 2013; 280:20130428. [PMID: 23843383 PMCID: PMC3730580 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2013.0428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2013] [Accepted: 06/17/2013] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
A central tenet of evolutionary explanations for ageing is that the strength of selection wanes with age. However, data on age-specific expression and benefits of sexually selected traits are lacking-particularly for traits subject to sexual conflict. We addressed this by using as a model the responses of Drosophila melanogaster females of different ages to receipt of sex peptide (SP), a seminal fluid protein transferred with sperm during mating. SP can mediate sexual conflict, benefitting males while causing fitness costs in females. Virgin and mated females of all ages showed significantly reduced receptivity in response to SP. However, only young virgin females also showed increased egg laying; hence, there was a narrow demographic window of maximal responses to SP. Males gained significant 'per mating' fitness benefits only when mating with young females. The pattern completely reversed in matings with older females, where SP transfer was costly. The overall benefits of SP transfer (hence opportunity for selection) therefore reversed with female age. The data reveal a new example of demographic variation in the strength of selection, with convergence and conflicts of interest between males and ageing females occurring over different facets of responses to a sexually antagonistic trait.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Fricke
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7TJ, UK
- Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, Westfaelische Wilhelms-University, Huefferstrasse 1, Muenster 48 149, Germany
| | - Darrell Green
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7TJ, UK
| | - Walter E. Mills
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7TJ, UK
| | - Tracey Chapman
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7TJ, UK
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28
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Klepsatel P, Gáliková M, De Maio N, Ricci S, Schlötterer C, Flatt T. Reproductive and post-reproductive life history of wild-caught Drosophila melanogaster
under laboratory conditions. J Evol Biol 2013; 26:1508-20. [DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2012] [Accepted: 03/08/2013] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- P. Klepsatel
- Institut für Populationsgenetik; Vetmeduni Vienna; Vienna Austria
| | - M. Gáliková
- Institut für Populationsgenetik; Vetmeduni Vienna; Vienna Austria
| | - N. De Maio
- Institut für Populationsgenetik; Vetmeduni Vienna; Vienna Austria
| | - S. Ricci
- Dipartimento di Matematica; Università di Pisa; Pisa Italy
| | - C. Schlötterer
- Institut für Populationsgenetik; Vetmeduni Vienna; Vienna Austria
| | - T. Flatt
- Institut für Populationsgenetik; Vetmeduni Vienna; Vienna Austria
- Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin; Berlin Germany
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29
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Perry JC, Sirot L, Wigby S. The seminal symphony: how to compose an ejaculate. Trends Ecol Evol 2013; 28:414-22. [PMID: 23582755 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2013.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 204] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2012] [Revised: 02/17/2013] [Accepted: 03/13/2013] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Ejaculates are fundamental to fitness in sexually reproducing animals: males gain all their direct fitness via the ejaculate and females require ejaculates to reproduce. Both sperm and non-sperm components of the ejaculate (including parasperm, seminal proteins, water, and macromolecules) play vital roles in postcopulatory sexual selection and conflict, processes that can potentially drive rapid evolutionary change and reproductive isolation. Here, we assess the increasing evidence that considering ejaculate composition as a whole (and potential trade-offs among ejaculate components) has important consequences for predictions about male reproductive investment and female responses to ejaculates. We review current theory and empirical work, and detail how social and environmental effects on ejaculate composition have potentially far-reaching fitness consequences for both sexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer C Perry
- Edward Grey Institute, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3PS, UK.
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30
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Physiology declines prior to death in Drosophila melanogaster. Biogerontology 2012; 13:537-45. [DOI: 10.1007/s10522-012-9398-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2012] [Accepted: 08/21/2012] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
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31
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Fredriksson Å, Johansson Krogh E, Hernebring M, Pettersson E, Javadi A, Almstedt A, Nyström T. Effects of aging and reproduction on protein quality control in soma and gametes of Drosophila melanogaster. Aging Cell 2012; 11:634-43. [PMID: 22507075 DOI: 10.1111/j.1474-9726.2012.00823.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
In organisms with a soma-germ demarcation, the germline must be 'preserved' such that harmful damage is not transmitted to the offspring. Keeping the progeny free of damage may be achieved by gametes enjoying elevated, and/or more functional, homeostatic maintenance systems. This possibility was approached here by testing whether the soma and maturating oocytes (eggs) dissected from female Drosophila melanogaster in reproductive ages display differential capacities for protein quality control and whether these capacities change during aging and mating. Eggs exhibited a high capacity to prevent protein aggregation, strong capacity for 26S proteasome-dependent degradation and reduced levels of oxidatively damaged (carbonylated) proteins compared to the soma. The capacity to prevent protein aggregation was not affected in either soma or eggs by age and/or mating, while the 26S proteasome capacity declined in the soma but was maintained in the eggs of aged females. However, the levels of carbonylated proteins increased with age in both soma and eggs, and this increase was more pronounced in females allowed to mate continuously. Furthermore, the levels of carbonylated proteins in the eggs of mated flies correlated negatively with the propensity of the eggs to develop into an adult fly. In young flies, mating caused a decrease in 26S proteasome capacity and an increase in protein carbonylation in the soma, but not in the eggs. These results are in line with trade-off theories of aging where aging is considered a consequence of investment in reproduction over somatic maintenance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Åsa Fredriksson
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg, Medicinaregatan 9C, SE-413 90 Gothenburg, Sweden.
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32
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Iliadi KG, Knight D, Boulianne GL. Healthy aging - insights from Drosophila. Front Physiol 2012; 3:106. [PMID: 22529821 PMCID: PMC3328947 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2012.00106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2012] [Accepted: 04/03/2012] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Human life expectancy has nearly doubled in the past century due, in part, to social and economic development, and a wide range of new medical technologies and treatments. As the number of elderly increase it becomes of vital importance to understand what factors contribute to healthy aging. Human longevity is a complex process that is affected by both environmental and genetic factors and interactions between them. Unfortunately, it is currently difficult to identify the role of genetic components in human longevity. In contrast, model organisms such as C. elegans, Drosophila, and rodents have facilitated the search for specific genes that affect lifespan. Experimental evidence obtained from studies in model organisms suggests that mutations in a single gene may increase longevity and delay the onset of age-related symptoms including motor impairments, sexual and reproductive and immune dysfunction, cardiovascular disease, and cognitive decline. Furthermore, the high degree of conservation between diverse species in the genes and pathways that regulate longevity suggests that work in model organisms can both expand our theoretical knowledge of aging and perhaps provide new therapeutic targets for the treatment of age-related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Konstantin G Iliadi
- Program in Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children Toronto, ON, Canada
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33
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Shahrestani P, Tran X, Mueller LD. Patterns of male fitness conform to predictions of evolutionary models of late life. J Evol Biol 2012; 25:1060-5. [PMID: 22487207 DOI: 10.1111/j.1420-9101.2012.02492.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
We studied lifetime male virility, a male fitness component, in five populations of Drosophila melanogaster. Virility was measured as the number of females, of eight total, that a male could fertilize in 24 h. Individual males were measured at weekly intervals until they died. Virility declined in an approximately linear fashion for the first 3 weeks of adult life. It then stayed low but relatively constant for another 3 weeks, exhibiting a clear plateau. These observations are consistent with the evolutionary theories of late life. The results were not consistent with a simple heterogeneity theory of late life. This is the first demonstration of a late-life plateau for a male fitness component. We also found that the virility of males that were within 7 days of death was significantly lower than that of similarly aged males that were not about to die. This rapid deterioration of virility prior to death, or death spiral, is similar to a decline in fecundity that we had previously documented.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Shahrestani
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California-Irvine, CA 92697, USA
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34
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Garber G, Smith LA, Reenan RA, Rogina B. Effect of sodium channel abundance on Drosophila development, reproductive capacity and aging. Fly (Austin) 2012; 6:57-67. [PMID: 22513411 DOI: 10.4161/fly.18570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The voltage-gated Na (+) channels (VGSC) are complex membrane proteins responsible for generation and propagation of the electrical signals through the brain, the skeletal muscle and the heart. The levels of sodium channels affect behavior and physical activity. This is illustrated by the maleless mutant allele (mle (napts)) in Drosophila, where the decreased levels of voltage-gated Na(+) channels cause temperature-sensitive paralysis. Here, we report that mle (napts) mutant flies exhibit developmental lethality, decreased fecundity and increased neurodegeneration. The negative effect of decreased levels of Na(+) channels on development and ts-paralysis was more pronounced at 18 and 29°C than at 25°C, suggesting particular sensitivity of the mle (napts) flies to temperatures above and below normal environmental conditions. Similarly, longevity of mle (napts) flies was unexpectedly short at 18 and 29°C compared with flies heterozygous for the mle (napts) mutation. Developmental lethality and neurodegeneration of mle (napts) flies was partially rescued by increasing the dosage of para, confirming a vital role of Na(+) channels in development, longevity and neurodegeneration of flies and their adaptation to temperatures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Graham Garber
- Department of Genetics and Developmental Biology, School of Medicine, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT, USA
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35
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Somashekar K, Krishna M, Hegde S, Jayaramu SC. Effects of age on female reproductive success in Drosophila bipectinata. JOURNAL OF INSECT SCIENCE (ONLINE) 2011; 11:132. [PMID: 22235980 PMCID: PMC3391927 DOI: 10.1673/031.011.13201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2010] [Accepted: 06/14/2011] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Female age influence on mating success, courtship activities, mating latency, copulation duration, fecundity, ovarioles number, and wing length has been studied using isofemale lines of Drosophila bipectinata collected at three different localities. It was observed that in all localities, middle-aged D. bipectinata females had significantly greater mating success, showed less rejection responses to courting male, mated faster, copulated longer, and had greater fecundity and ovariole number than young and old-aged females. Further, old-aged females had comparatively less fitness traits than young age females. This research suggests the occurrence of age specific female reproductive success as follows: middle-aged > young > old-aged.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Somashekar
- Drosophila Stock Center, Department of Studies in Zoology, University of Mysore, Manasagangotri, Mysore 570006, Karnataka State, India
| | - Ms Krishna
- Drosophila Stock Center, Department of Studies in Zoology, University of Mysore, Manasagangotri, Mysore 570006, Karnataka State, India
| | - Sn Hegde
- Drosophila Stock Center, Department of Studies in Zoology, University of Mysore, Manasagangotri, Mysore 570006, Karnataka State, India
| | - SC Jayaramu
- Drosophila Stock Center, Department of Studies in Zoology, University of Mysore, Manasagangotri, Mysore 570006, Karnataka State, India
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36
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Haselton A, Sharmin E, Schrader J, Sah M, Poon P, Fridell YWC. Partial ablation of adult Drosophila insulin-producing neurons modulates glucose homeostasis and extends life span without insulin resistance. Cell Cycle 2010; 9:3063-71. [PMID: 20699643 DOI: 10.4161/cc.9.15.12458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
In Drosophila melanogaster (D. melanogaster), neurosecretory insulin-like peptide-producing cells (IPCs), analogous to mammalian pancreatic beta cells are involved in glucose homeostasis. Extending those findings, we have developed in the adult fly an oral glucose tolerance test and demonstrated that IPCs indeed are responsible for executing an acute glucose clearance response. To further develop D. melanogaster as a relevant system for studying age-associated metabolic disorders, we set out to determine the impact of adult-specific partial ablation of IPCs (IPC knockdown) on insulin-like peptide (ILP) action, metabolic outcomes and longevity. Interestingly, while IPC knockdown flies are hyperglycemic and glucose intolerant, these flies remain insulin sensitive as measured by peripheral glucose disposal upon insulin injection and serine phosphorylation of a key insulin-signaling molecule, Akt. Significant increases in stored glycogen and triglyceride levels as well as an elevated level of circulating lipid measured in adult IPC knockdown flies suggest profound modulation in energy metabolism. Additional physiological outcomes measured in those flies include increased resistance to starvation and impaired female fecundity. Finally, increased life span and decreased mortality rates measured in IPC knockdown flies demonstrate that it is possible to modulate ILP action in adult flies to achieve life span extension without insulin resistance. Taken together, we have established and validated an invertebrate genetic system to further investigate insulin action, metabolic homeostasis and regulation of aging regulated by adult IPCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron Haselton
- Department of Biology, State University of New York at New Paltz, New Paltz, NY, USA
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37
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Abstract
Normal aging can be defined as the natural physiological changes that occur in an organism over time in the absence of any disease. Among the many age-related changes that can be observed are those that result in the progressive decline of a variety of behavioral responses, including locomotor activity and cognitive function. During the past decade, model organisms, such as the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, have been used extensively to study aging. These simpler model systems have been particularly useful for genetic studies of aging because of their small genome size, short generation time, and mean life span compared to either mice or humans. Drosophila also exhibits complex behaviors, many of which undergo age-related decline. Here, we describe the age-related changes in behavior that have been observed in Drosophila and discuss how these are affected in long- and short-lived strains of flies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Konstantin G Iliadi
- Program in Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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38
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Rogina B. The effect of sex peptide and calorie intake on fecundity in female Drosophila melanogaster. ScientificWorldJournal 2009; 9:1178-89. [PMID: 19838603 PMCID: PMC2917383 DOI: 10.1100/tsw.2009.126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The accessory gland proteins (Acps) of the male Drosophila cause changes in the behavior and physiology of female flies. Sex peptide (SP) is one of the Acps that initiates many changes, including an increase in egg production. The data presented here show that SP overexpression in transgenic (G-10) female flies increases egg production when females are kept on a standard and high-calorie diet, relative to controls that do not express SP. Particularly, a high increase in egg production observed in G-10 females on a high-calorie diet suggests that SP overexpression magnifies the female response to caloric uptake. However, on a calorie-restricted diet, the fecundity of G-10 females overexpressing SP is lower than control females. On a high-calorie diet, mating increases early egg production in G-10 and control females, but lifelong total egg production is only increased in control females, most likely due to the physiological changes set off by substantial initial egg production in G-10 females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Blanka Rogina
- Department of Genetics and Developmental Biology, School of Medicine, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT, USA.
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39
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Mueller LD, Shahrestani P, Rauser CL. Predicting death in female Drosophila. Exp Gerontol 2009; 44:766-72. [PMID: 19799992 DOI: 10.1016/j.exger.2009.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2008] [Revised: 08/26/2009] [Accepted: 09/02/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
We have previously described a phenomenon called the death spiral that is characterized by a rapid decline in female fecundity 6-15 days prior to death in Drosophila. To carry out destructive physiological analyses of females in the death spiral would require a method to reliably classify individual females via the prediction of their age at death. Using cohorts of Drosophila we describe how to use the observed mortality prior to some target day and a female's fecundity 3 days prior to the target day to determine if the female is in the death spiral. The method works at all ages and although the method does not result in perfect classification, with sufficient sample sizes any physiological trait whose means differ between the groups can be detected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurence D Mueller
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of California - Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697-2525, USA.
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40
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Kulminski AM, Molleman F, Culminskaya IV, Arbeev KG, Ukraintseva SV, Carey JR, Yashin AI. Date of eclosion modulates longevity: insights across dietary-restriction gradients and female reproduction in the mexfly Anastrepha ludens. Exp Gerontol 2009; 44:718-26. [PMID: 19716408 DOI: 10.1016/j.exger.2009.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2009] [Revised: 07/24/2009] [Accepted: 08/20/2009] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
We use unique experimental data on daily reproduction and survival of individual fruit flies from eight cohorts eclosed at different dates in 2004 and 2005 who were treated with varying proportions of sugar and yeast and subject to different caloric restrictions (CR). We investigate the relationship between eclosion date and longevity across diets and reproduction in Anastrepha ludens. We show that eclosion date can be associated with uncontrolled external or internal factor(s) which can modulate longevity of males and females independently of diet and reproduction to the extent similar to the effect of diet on longevity. The effect of diet manipulation on longevity is sensitive to date of eclosion with the role of CR in life extension ranging from beneficial to harmful. Interaction of date of eclosion with compositional changes of sugar and yeast but not with CR is responsible for life extension. Highly protein-enriched diets reliably maximize reproduction but not life span. Decreased longevity of flies treated with high-protein diets may be associated with harmful consequences of protein ingestion but is unlikely a result of high reproduction rates. We present evidence for the presence of two frailty-sensitive weakly interacting mechanisms of longevity in female flies associated with differences in predisposed fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander M Kulminski
- Center for Population Health and Aging, Duke University Population Research Institute, Department of Sociology, Duke University, Trent Hall, Room 002, Box 90408, Durham, NC 27708, USA.
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41
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Carey JR, Liedo P, Müller HG, Wang JL, Yang W, Molleman F. Leg impairments elicit graded and sex-specific demographic responses in the tephritid fruit fly Anastrepha ludens. Exp Gerontol 2009; 44:541-5. [PMID: 19457447 DOI: 10.1016/j.exger.2009.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2008] [Revised: 04/08/2009] [Accepted: 05/07/2009] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
This study was concerned with the impact of different levels of artificial impairment (leg amputations) on male and female survival and female reproduction in the Mexican fruit fly, Anastrepha ludens. We monitored the demographic responses in a total of 100 flies of each sex that were maintained individually in 4x4x10 cm cages and subject to 1-of-11 different leg amputations (plus intact control) including cohorts in which either one front, one middle or one rear leg was severed (3 cohorts total), in which two legs were severed in different front-middle-rear combinations (6 cohorts total), or in which the two middle and one additional leg were severed (2 cohorts total). The two main findings were that: (i) although the effects on mortality of impairments were sex-specific, no universal patterns emerged that applied to either sex; and (ii) reproduction occurred in all cohorts of impaired females. Moderately-impaired flies (e.g. amputation of a single middle leg) laid nearly as many eggs in their lifetime as did intact controls. However, severely impaired flies (i.e. 3 legs amputated) laid significantly fewer eggs.
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Affiliation(s)
- James R Carey
- Department of Entomology, University of California-Davis, One Shields Ave., Davis, CA 95616, USA.
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42
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Carey JR, Harshman LG, Liedo P, Müller HG, Wang JL, Zhang Z. Longevity-fertility trade-offs in the tephritid fruit fly, Anastrepha ludens, across dietary-restriction gradients. Aging Cell 2008; 7:470-7. [PMID: 18346215 DOI: 10.1111/j.1474-9726.2008.00389.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Although it is widely known that dietary restriction (DR) not only extends the longevity of a wide range of species but also reduces their reproductive output, the interrelationship of DR, longevity extension and reproduction is not well understood in any organism. Here we address the question: 'Under what nutritional conditions do the longevity-enhancing effects resulting from food restriction either counteract, complement or reinforce the mortality costs of reproduction? To answer this question we designed a fine-grained DR study involving 4800 individuals of the tephritid fruit fly, Anastrepha ludens, in which we measured sex-specific survival and daily reproduction in females in each of 20 different treatments (sugar : yeast ratios) plus 4 starvation controls. The database generated from this 3-year study consisted of approximately 100 000 life-days for each sex and 750 000 eggs distributed over the reproductive lives of 2400 females. The fertility and longevity-extending responses were used to create contour maps (X-Y grid) that show the demographic responses (Z-axis) across dietary gradients that range from complete starvation to both ad libitum sugar-only and ad libitum standard diet (3 : 1 sugar : yeast). The topographic perspectives reveal demographic equivalencies along nutritional gradients, differences in the graded responses of males and females, egg production costs that are sensitive to the interaction of food amounts and constituents, and orthogonal contours (equivalencies in longevity or reproduction) representing demographic thresholds related to both caloric content and sugar : yeast ratios. In general, the finding that lifespan and reproductive maxima occur at much different nutritional coordinates poses a major challenge for the use of food restriction (or a mimetic) in humans to improve health and extend longevity in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- James R Carey
- Department of Entomology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
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43
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Parashar V, Frankel S, Lurie AG, Rogina B. The effects of age on radiation resistance and oxidative stress in adult Drosophila melanogaster. Radiat Res 2008; 169:707-11. [PMID: 18494545 DOI: 10.1667/rr1225.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2007] [Accepted: 01/31/2008] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Drosophila melanogaster (fruit fly) is a well-established model organism for genetic studies of development and aging. We examined the effects of lethal ionizing radiation on male and female adult Drosophila of different ages, using doses of radiation from 200 to 1500 Gy. Fifty percent lethality 2 days postirradiation (LD(50/2)) in wild-type 1-day-old adult fruit flies was approximately 1238 Gy for males and 1339 Gy for females. We observed a significant age-dependent decline in the radiation resistance of both males and females. Radiation damage is postulated to occur by the generation of oxygen radicals. An age-related decline in the ability of flies to resist an agent that induces oxygen radicals, paraquat, was observed when comparing 10- and 20-day adults. Female flies are more resistant to paraquat than male flies. Oxidative stress mediated by paraquat was additive with sublethal exposures to radiation in young adults. Therefore, the ability to repair the damage caused by oxygen radicals seems to decline with the age of the flies. Because Drosophila adults are largely post-mitotic, our data suggest that adult Drosophila melanogaster can serve as an excellent model to study the factors responsible for radiation resistance in post-mitotic tissue and age-dependent changes in this resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vijay Parashar
- Department of Genetics and Developmental Biology, School of Medicine, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington CT 06030-3301, USA
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44
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Zhao R, Xuan Y, Li X, Xi R. Age-related changes of germline stem cell activity, niche signaling activity and egg production in Drosophila. Aging Cell 2008; 7:344-54. [PMID: 18267001 DOI: 10.1111/j.1474-9726.2008.00379.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Adult stem cells are important in replenishing aged cells to maintain tissue homeostasis. Aging in turn may exert profound effects on stem cell's regenerative potential, but to date the mechanisms of such stem cell aging are poorly understood, and it is not clear to what extent stem cell aging contributes to tissue or organ aging. Here we show in female Drosophila that germline stem cell (GSC) division rate progressively declines with age, which is accompanied by reduced decapentaplegic (dpp) niche signaling pathway activation within GSCs. Egg production also rapidly declines with age, which is accompanied by both decreased stem cell division and increased incidence of cell death of developing eggs, especially in the oldest females. Genetically increasing dpp expression delays GSC activity decline and transiently increases egg production. We conclude that age-related decline of reproduction is caused by both decreased GSC activity and increased incidence of cell death during oogenesis, while decreased GSC activity is attributed to declined signaling from the regulatory niche. We suggest that niche functional decay may be an important mechanism for stem cell aging and system failure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Zhao
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing 102206, China
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