From genes to aging in Drosophila

Direct Imaging of Lipid Metabolic Changes in Drosophila Ovary During Aging Using DO-SRS Microscopy

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.

The Role of Citrate Transporter INDY in Metabolism and Stem Cell Homeostasis

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.

The aging brain: sleep, the circadian clock and exercise

Aging is a multifactorial process likely stemming from damage accumulation and/or a decline in maintenance and repair mechanisms in the organisms that eventually determine their lifespan. In our review, we focus on the morphological and functional alterations that the aging brain undergoes affecting sleep and the circadian clock in both human and rodent models. Although both species share mammalian features, differences have been identified on several experimental levels, which we outline in this review. Additionally, we delineate some challenges on the preferred analysis and we suggest that a uniform route is followed so that findings can be smoothly compared. We conclude by discussing potential interventions and highlight the influence of physical exercise as a beneficial lifestyle intervention, and its effect on healthy aging and longevity. We emphasize that even moderate age-matched exercise is able to ameliorate several aging characteristics as far as sleep and circadian rhythms are concerned, independent of the species studied.

Effects of Starvation on the Levels of Triglycerides, Diacylglycerol, and Activity of Lipase in Male and Female Drosophila Melanogaster

We studied the effects of starvation on changes in neutral lipids in male and female Drosophila melanogaster (fruit fly) at different ages. When flies were subjected to starvation, the mortality rate was observed to be age- and gender-dependent: male flies died earlier as compared to female flies, and older flies died earlier than younger flies. There was an increase in the number of dead flies and the levels of diacylglycerol (DG) with starvation time. This increase in DG was observed much earlier in male flies as compared to female flies, which correlated with earlier death in male flies during starvation in comparison to female flies. We also analyzed the levels of triglycerides (TG) and lipase activity during starvation of flies. The levels of TG decreased depending upon the duration of starvation in both male and female flies. Interestingly, we observed that like DG, there was also an increase in lipase activity due to starvation, which also correlated with earlier death in male flies as compared to female flies. Our results suggest that increase in DG levels and lipase activity due to starvation may be the main cause of death in the flies.

An overview of two decades of diet restriction studies using Drosophila

Dietary restriction (DR) is a potent forerunner in aging studies capable of influencing lifespan and improving health in various model organisms even in their old age. Despite the importance of protein and carbohydrates in the diet (regulation of fecundity and body maintenance respectively), different ratio based combinations of these components has played a major role in lifespan extension studies. In spite of differences existing in dietary protocols across laboratories, diet manipulations have evolved as a major area of research in Drosophila lifespan studies, prominently shedding light on the multi-faceted process over the last two decades. Here, we review various advances and technicalities involved in understanding the DR-mediated lifespan alongside discussing the pros and cons of various existing approaches/diets used across labs. The current review also focuses on the importance of life-stage specific DR implementation and their influence on the life-history traits including lifespan and fecundity, by taking examples of results from different studies comprising diet dilution, calorie restriction, protein restriction, carbohydrate: protein ratios and the modulations in various minor diet components. We thereby intend to gather the major advances made in these fields alongside reviewing the practical implementations that need to be made to get a better view of the DR-mediated lifespan studies.

Simple techniques to study multifaceted diabesity in the fly model

Diabetes and obesity are the two notorious metabolic disorders in today's world. Both diabetes and obesity are interlinked with each other and often referred to as 'Diabesity'. It is a complex and multi-organ failure disorder. Thus, many researches and tremendous efforts have been made toward prevention, treatment as well as early detection of diabesity. However, and still, there is a large gap in understanding the etiology as well as treatment of diabesity. Various animal models are also used to decipher the mechanism underlying diabesity. Among all the model organism, recently Drosophila melanogaster is gaining its importance to study diabetes, obesity, and other metabolic disorder. Various experimental methods like histological, biochemical, developmental, and behavioral assays are described in this study to detect diabetes as well as obesity in the fly model.

Korean Red Ginseng Tonic Extends Lifespan in D. melanogaster

Aging is the single most important risk factor that increases susceptibility to many forms of diseases. As such, much effort has been put forward to elucidate the mechanisms behind the processes of aging and to discover novel compounds that retain antiaging activities. Korean red ginseng has been used for a variety of medical purposes in eastern countries for several thousands of years. It has been shown that Korean red ginseng affects a number of biological activities including, but not limited to, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative and anti-diabetic pathways. However, few studies have been performed to evaluate its anti-aging effects with an in vivo system. Here Drosophila melanogaster as an in vivo model organism demonstrates that Korean red ginseng tonic extends lifespan, increases resistance to starvation stress and prevents weight gain. This data suggest that Korean red ginseng may regulate organisms' metabolism in favor of extending lifespan.

Genetic and biochemical tools for investigating sirtuin function in Drosophila melanogaster

Drosophila melanogaster is one of the most widely used genetic model systems in biology. The ease of working in an invertebrate model system allows the design and execution of many experiments that would be infeasible in a vertebrate model. Although the strength of the fly as a model system lies primarily in the ease of genetic manipulation, it is flexible enough that biochemical and proteomic approaches can also be used to build a more comprehensive study. Here we present a pair of complementary protocols that we have used to examine sirtuin biology in Drosophila. First, we describe our protocol for measuring lifespan in flies expressing a gene of interest under the inducible control of the Gene-Switch system. Finally, we describe a method for performing chromatin immunoprecipitation on adult flies, including some of the difficulties associated with using this technique in chitinous tissue.

Proteomic biomarkers for ageing the mosquito Aedes aegypti to determine risk of pathogen transmission

Biomarkers of the age of mosquitoes are required to determine the risk of transmission of various pathogens as each pathogen undergoes a period of extrinsic incubation in the mosquito host. Using the 2-D Difference Gel Electrophoresis (2-D DIGE) procedure, we investigated the abundance of up to 898 proteins from the Yellow Fever and dengue virus vector, Aedes aegypti, during ageing. By applying a mixed-effects model of protein expression, we identified five common patterns of abundance change during ageing and demonstrated an age-related decrease in variance for four of these. This supported a search for specific proteins with abundance changes that remain tightly associated with ageing for use as ageing biomarkers. Using MALDI-TOF/TOF mass spectrometry we identified ten candidate proteins that satisfied strict biomarker discovery criteria (identified in two out of three multivariate analysis procedures and in two cohorts of mosquitoes). We validated the abundances of the four most suitable candidates (Actin depolymerising factor; ADF, Eukaryotic initiation factor 5A; eIF5A, insect cuticle protein Q17LN8, and Anterior fat body protein; AFP) using semi-quantitative Western analysis of individual mosquitoes of six ages. The redox-response protein Manganese superoxide dismutase (SOD2) and electron shuttling protein Electron transfer oxidoreductase (ETO) were subject to post-translational modifications affecting their charge states with potential effects on function. For the four candidates we show remarkably consistent decreases in abundance during ageing, validating initial selections. In particular, the abundance of AFP is an ideal biomarker candidate for whether a female mosquito has lived long enough to be capable of dengue virus transmission. We have demonstrated proteins to be a suitable class of ageing biomarkers in mosquitoes and have identified candidates for epidemiological studies of dengue and the evaluation of new disease reduction projects targeting mosquito longevity.

Protective effect of borage seed oil and gamma linolenic acid on DNA: in vivo and in vitro studies

Borage (Borago officinalis L.) seed oil has been used as a treatment for various degenerative diseases. Many useful properties of this oil are attributed to its high gamma linolenic acid content (GLA, 18:3 ω-6). The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the safety and suitability of the use of borage seed oil, along with one of its active components, GLA, with respect to DNA integrity, and to establish possible in vivo toxic and in vitro cytotoxic effects. In order to measure these properties, five types of assays were carried out: toxicity, genotoxicity, antigenotoxicity, cytotoxicity (using the promyelocytic leukaemia HL60 cell line), and life span (in vivo analysis using the Drosophila model). Results showed that i) Borage seed oil is not toxic to D. melanogaster at physiological concentrations below 125 µl/ml and the studies on GLA indicated non-toxicity at the lowest concentration analyzed ii) Borage seed oil and GLA are DNA safe (non-genotoxic) and antimutagenic compared to hydrogen peroxide, thereby confirming its antioxidant capacity; iii) Borage seed oil and GLA exhibited cytotoxic activity in low doses (IC₅₀ of 1 µl/ml and 0.087 mM, respectively) iv) Low doses of borage seed oil (0.19%) increased the health span of D. melanogaster; and v) GLA significantly decreased the life span of D. melanogaster.

Based on the antimutagenic and cytotoxic effects along with the ability to increase the health span, we propose supplementation with borage seed oil rather than GLA, because it protects DNA by modulating oxidative genetic damage in D. melanogaster, increases the health span and exerts cytotoxic activity towards promyelocytic HL60 cells.

Organically grown food provides health benefits to Drosophila melanogaster

The "organic food" market is the fastest growing food sector, yet it is unclear whether organically raised food is nutritionally superior to conventionally grown food and whether consuming organic food bestows health benefits. In order to evaluate potential health benefits of organic foods, we used the well-characterized fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster as a model system. Fruit flies were raised on a diets consisting of extracts of either conventionally or organically raised produce (bananas, potatoes, raisins, soy beans). Flies were then subjected to a variety of tests designed to assess overall fly health. Flies raised on diets made from organically grown produce had greater fertility and longevity. On certain food sources, greater activity and greater stress resistance was additionally observed, suggesting that organic food bestows positive effects on fly health. Our data show that Drosophila can be used as a convenient model system to experimentally test potential health effects of dietary components. Using this system, we provide evidence that organically raised food may provide animals with tangible benefits to overall health.

Development of diet-induced insulin resistance in adult Drosophila melanogaster

The fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster is increasingly utilized as an alternative to costly rodent models to study human diseases. Fly models exist for a wide variety of human conditions, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Disease, or cardiac function. Advantages of the fly system are its rapid generation time and its low cost. However, the greatest strength of the fly system are the powerful genetic tools that allow for rapid dissection of molecular disease mechanisms. Here, we describe the diet-dependent development of metabolic phenotypes in adult fruit flies. Depending on the specific type of nutrient, as well as its relative quantity in the diet, flies show weight gain and changes in the levels of storage macromolecules. Furthermore, the activity of insulin-signaling in the major metabolic organ of the fly, the fat body, decreases upon overfeeding. This decrease in insulin-signaling activity in overfed flies is moreover observed when flies are challenged with an acute food stimulus, suggesting that overfeeding leads to insulin resistance. Similar changes were observed in aging flies, with the development of the insulin resistance-like phenotype beginning at early middle ages. Taken together, these data demonstrate that imbalanced diet disrupts metabolic homeostasis in adult D. melanogaster and promotes insulin-resistant phenotypes. Therefore, the fly system may be a useful alternative tool in the investigation of molecular mechanisms of insulin resistance and the development of pharmacologic treatment options.

Healthy aging - insights from Drosophila

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.

Sleep, aging, and lifespan in Drosophila

Background

Epidemiological studies in humans suggest that a decrease in daily sleep duration is associated with reduced lifespan, but this issue remains controversial. Other studies in humans also show that both sleep quantity and sleep quality decrease with age. Drosophila melanogaster is a useful model to study aging and sleep, and inheriting mutations affecting the potassium current Shaker results in flies that sleep less and have a shorter lifespan. However, whether the link between short sleep and reduced longevity exists also in wild-type flies is unknown. Similarly, it is unknown whether such a link depends on sleep amount per se, rather than on other factors such as waking activity. Also, sleep quality has been shown to decrease in old flies, but it remains unclear whether aging-related sleep fragmentation is a generalized phenomenon.

Results

We compared 3 short sleeping mutant lines (Hk¹, Hk^Y and Hk²) carrying a mutation in Hyperkinetic, which codes for the beta subunit of the Shaker channel, to wild-type siblings throughout their entire lifespan (all flies kept at 20°C). Hk¹ and Hk^Y mutants were short sleeping relative to wild-type controls from day 3 after eclosure, and Hk² flies became short sleepers about two weeks later. All 3 Hk mutant lines had reduced lifespan relative to wild-type flies. Total sleep time showed a trend to increase in all lines with age, but the effect was most pronounced in Hk¹ and Hk^Y flies. In both mutant and wild-type lines sleep quality did not decay with age, but the strong preference for sleep at night declined starting in "middle age". Using Cox regression analysis we found that in Hk¹ and Hk^Y mutants and their control lines there was a negative relationship between total sleep amount during the first 2 and 4 weeks of age and hazard (individual risk of death), while no association was found in Hk² flies and their wild-type controls. Hk¹ and Hk^Y mutants and their control lines also showed an association between total daily wake activity over the first 2 and 4 weeks of age and hazard. However, when both sleep duration and wake activity were used in the same regression, the effects of activity were much reduced, while most of the sleep effects remained significant. Finally, Hk¹ flies and wild-type siblings were also tested at 25°C, and results were similar to those at 20°C. Namely, Hk¹ mutants were short sleeping, hyperactive, and short lived relative to controls, and sleep quality in both groups did not decrease with age.

Conclusions

Different Hk mutations affect the sleep phenotype, and do so in an age-dependent manner. In 4 of the 6 lines tested sleep associates significantly with lifespan variation even after any effect of activity is removed, but activity does not associate significantly with lifespan after the effects of sleep are removed. Thus, in addition to environmental factors and genetic background, sleep may also affect longevity. Sleep quality does not necessarily decay as flies age, suggesting that aging-related sleep fragmentation may also depend on many factors, including genetic background and rearing conditions.

Neuronal expression of a single-subunit yeast NADH-ubiquinone oxidoreductase (Ndi1) extends Drosophila lifespan

The 'rate of living' theory predicts that longevity should be inversely correlated with the rate of mitochondrial respiration. However, recent studies in a number of model organisms, including mice, have reported that interventions that retard the aging process are, in fact, associated with an increase in mitochondrial activity. To better understand the relationship between energy metabolism and longevity, we supplemented the endogenous respiratory chain machinery of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster with the alternative single-subunit NADH-ubiquinone oxidoreductase (Ndi1) of the baker's yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Here, we report that expression of Ndi1 in fly mitochondria leads to an increase in NADH-ubiquinone oxidoreductase activity, oxygen consumption, and ATP levels. In addition, exogenous Ndi1 expression results in increased CO2 production in living flies. Using an inducible gene-expression system, we expressed Ndi1 in different cells and tissues and examined the impact on longevity. In doing so, we discovered that targeted expression of Ndi1 in fly neurons significantly increases lifespan without compromising fertility or physical activity. These findings are consistent with the idea that enhanced respiratory chain activity in neuronal tissue can prolong fly lifespan.

The circadian clock gene period extends healthspan in aging Drosophila melanogaster

There is increasing evidence that aging is affected by biological (circadian) clocks - the internal mechanisms that coordinate daily changes in gene expression, physiological functions and behavior with external day/night cycles. Recent data suggest that disruption of the mammalian circadian clock results in accelerated aging and increased age-related pathologies such as cancer; however, the links between loss of daily rhythms and aging are not understood. We sought to determine whether disruption of the circadian clock affects lifespan and healthspan in the model organism Drosophila melanogaster. We examined effects of a null mutation in the circadian clock gene period (per(01)) on the fly healthspan by challenging aging flies with short-term oxidative stress (24h hyperoxia) and investigating their response in terms of mortality hazard, levels of oxidative damage, and functional senescence. Exposure to 24h hyperoxia during middle age significantly shortened the life expectancy in per(01) but not in control flies. This homeostatic challenge also led to significantly higher accumulation of oxidative damage in per(01) flies compared to controls. In addition, aging per(01) flies showed accelerated functional decline, such as lower climbing ability and increased neuronal degeneration compared to age-matched controls. Together, these data suggest that impaired stress defense pathways may contribute to accelerated aging in the per mutant. In addition, we show that the expression of per gene declines in old wild type flies, suggesting that the circadian regulatory network becomes impaired with age.

Regulation of Drosophila life-span: effect of genetic background, sex, mating and social status

During the past decade, model organisms such as Drosophila have made it possible to identify individual genes and pathways that regulate organismal life-span. However, despite the progress made in Drosophila aging research, many longevity studies have often yielded controversial results that can be attributed to differences both in genetic background and in experimental design. Here, we describe the results of a systematic analysis of life-span comparisons in two laboratory wild-type strains. The main goal of these studies is to clarify the effects of social status, mating and sex on life-span with the aim of defining the optimal experimental design whereby the influence of these factors would be minimized. We find that differences in environmental factors and genetic background can be minimized by measuring the life-span of flies that are maintained as mixed-sex groups that allow for regular sexual and social contacts and seems to be more physiologically relevant for estimation of population's life-span. Taken together, these results may be especially important for screens designed to search for genes that may be involved in longevity as well as for comparative analysis of strains in which the genetic background is unknown or in those cases where it is very difficult to equilibrate.

Zinc-gene interaction related to inflammatory/immune response in ageing

The pivotal role played by zinc-gene interaction in affecting some relevant cytokines (IL-6 and TNF-alpha) and heat shock proteins (HSP70-2) in ageing, successful ageing (nonagenarians) and the most common age-related diseases, such as atherosclerosis and infections, is now recognized. The polymorphisms of genes codifying proteins related to the inflammation are predictive on one hand in longevity, on the other hand they are associated with atherosclerosis or severe infections. Since the health life-span has a strong genetic component, which in turn also affected by nutritional factors like zinc, the association of these polymorphisms with innate immune response, zinc ion bioavailability and Metallothioneins (MT) homeostasis is an useful tool to unravel the role played by zinc-gene interactions in longevity, especially due to the inability of MT in zinc release in ageing and chronic inflammation. In ageing, this last fact leads to depressed innate immune response for host defence. In contrast, in very old age the inflammation is lower with subsequent more zinc ion bioavailability, less MT gene expression and satisfactory innate immunity. Therefore, the zinc-gene (IL-6, TNF-alpha, Hsp70-2) interactions, via MT homeostasis, are crucial to achieve successful ageing.

Life span alteration after irradiation in Drosophila melanogaster strains with mutations of Hsf and Hsps

The life span alteration after gamma-irradiation and/or paraquat treatment in Drosophila in wild type strain Canton-S and strains with mutations of heat shock factor (1-4 alleles) and heat shock proteins (Hsp70Ba ( 304 ), Hsp83 ( e6A ), Hsp22 ( EY09909 ), Hsp67Bb ( EY099099 )) was investigated. Chronic low-dose rate gamma-irradiation (0.017 and 0.17 cGy/h) on pre-imago stages was used as a priming dose (absorbed doses were 4 and 40 cGy). Paraquat, a free radical inducing agent, was a challenging factor (20 mM for 1 day). It was shown that chronic irradiation led to adaptive response in both sexes except homozygous males and females with mutations of Hsf ( 4 ) and Hsp70Ba ( 304 ). The gender-specific differences in stress response were discovered in wild type strain Canton-S, Hsp22 ( EY09909 ) Hsp67Bb ( EY09909 ) homozygotes and Hsp83 ( e6A ) heterozygotes: the adaptive response persisted in males, but not in females. Thus, Drosophila Hsp and Hsf mutation homozygotes did not demonstrate the adaptive response in the majority of cases, implying an important role of those genes in radiation hormesis and adaptation to stresses.

Acquired temperature-sensitive paralysis as a biomarker of declining neuronal function in aging Drosophila

General locomotor activity decreases with normal aging in animals and could be partially explained by decreases in neuronal function. Voltage-gated Na(+) channels are essential in initiating and propagating rapid electrical impulses underlying normal locomotor activity and behavior in animals. Isolation of mutations conferring temperature-sensitive (ts) paralysis has been an extremely powerful paradigm for identifying genes involved in neuronal functions, such as membrane excitability and synaptic transmission. For instance, decreased expression of wild-type Na(+) channels in flies harboring the no-action-potential (nap) mutant allele (mle(napts)) confers rapid and reversible ts paralysis, because of failure of action potential propagation. Here, we report that aging wild-type Drosophila gradually develops an acquired susceptibility to ts paralysis that is indistinguishable from that seen in young ts paralytic mle(napts) mutants. Moreover, we show that this general age-dependent susceptibility is also present in mle(napts) flies, although the effects are shifted to lower temperature regimes. The mle(napts) flies also exhibit decreased lifespan and increased frailty. Paralysis and decreased lifespan of mle(napts) flies were partially rescued by increasing the dosage of para, the structural gene for the major action potential Na(+) channel in central nervous system of Drosophila. Lastly, we show a dramatic scaling of ts paralysis susceptibility with chronological age in short-lived and long-lived mutant flies, further demonstrating that this age-dependent risk is independent of genetic background. Thus, decreased neural transmission, a hallmark of which is ts paralysis, is a biomarker of aging.

Tissue signaling pathways in the regulation of life-span and reproduction in females of the linden bug, Pyrrhocoris apterus

Molecular studies on Drosophila melanogaster do not provide consistent results with regard to the hormonal regulation of a trade-off between life-span and fecundity. To unravel the physiological basis of the cost of reproduction without affecting animal's genotype, a new insect model, Pyrrhocoris apterus, was employed. Reproduction was manipulated by surgical ablations of tissues implicated in reproductive endocrinology, namely the pars intercerebralis (PI) of the brain, the corpus allatum (CA) and the ovary, and the response of life-span to these interventions under diapause-promoting short days and reproduction-promoting long days was measured. Life-span of long-day females increased in the following order: control (high fecundity)=ovary-ablation (no egg production)<PI-ablation (low fecundity)<CA-ablation=ovary+CA-ablation (no reproduction)<CA+PI-ablation (no reproduction). These results show that: (1) PI-signaling (presumably insulin-like peptides) and CA-signaling (juvenile hormone) reduce life-span of long-day females in additive manner and (2) the ovary has no effect on life-span. Life-span of short-day females increased in the following order: PI-ablation (low fecundity)<CA+PI-ablation (no reproduction)<control=CA-ablation (no reproduction). These results implicate factors from the PI that actively extend life-span of short-day females via down-regulation of CA-signaling and also via CA-independent pathway(s). Overall, the data indicate that life-span and reproduction are linked by signals from PI and CA, but, in contrast with the widely held view, neither production of eggs nor gonad-signaling are costly to female longevity.

Targeted expression of the human uncoupling protein 2 (hUCP2) to adult neurons extends life span in the fly

The oxidative stress hypothesis of aging predicts that a reduction in the generation of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) will decrease oxidative damage and extend life span. Increasing mitochondrial proton leak-dependent state 4 respiration by increasing mitochondrial uncoupling is an intervention postulated to decrease mitochondrial ROS production. When human UCP2 (hUCP2) is targeted to the mitochondria of adult fly neurons, we find an increase in state 4 respiration, a decrease in ROS production, a decrease in oxidative damage, heightened resistance to the free radical generator paraquat, and an extension in life span without compromising fertility or physical activity. Our results demonstrate that neuronal-specific expression of hUCP2 in adult flies decreases cellular oxidative damage and is sufficient to extend life span.

An accelerated assay for the identification of lifespan-extending interventions in Drosophila melanogaster

Recent advances in aging research have uncovered genes and genetic pathways that influence lifespan in such diverse organisms as yeast, nematodes, flies, and mice. The discovery of genes and drugs that affect lifespan has been delayed by the absence of a phenotype other than survivorship, which depends on the measurement of age at death of individuals in a population. The use of survivorship to identify genetic and pharmacological interventions that prolong life is time-consuming and requires a large number of homogeneous animals. Here, we report the development of an assay in Drosophila melanogaster using the expression of molecular biomarkers that accelerates the ability to evaluate potential lifespan-altering interventions. Coupling the expression of an age-dependent molecular biomarker to a lethal toxin reduces the time needed to perform lifespan studies by 80%. The assay recapitulates the effect of the three best known environmental life-span-extending interventions in the fly: ambient temperature, reproductive status, and calorie reduction. Single gene mutations known to extend lifespan in the fly such as Indy and rpd3 also extend lifespan in this assay. We used this assay as a screen to identify drugs that extend lifespan in flies. Lipoic acid and resveratrol were identified as being beneficial in our assay and shown to extend lifespan under normal laboratory conditions. We propose that this assay can be used to screen pharmacological as well as genetic interventions more rapidly for positive effects on lifespan.

Functional features and genomic organization of mouse NaCT, a sodium-coupled transporter for tricarboxylic acid cycle intermediates

In the present study, we report on the molecular cloning and functional characterization of mouse NaCT (Na+-coupled citrate transporter), the mouse orthologue of Drosophila Indy. Mouse NaCT consists of 572 amino acids and is highly similar to rat and human NaCTs in primary sequence. The mouse nact gene coding for the transporter is approx. 23 kb long and consists of 12 exons. When expressed in mammalian cells, the cloned transporter mediates the Na+-coupled transport of citrate and succinate. Competition experiments reveal that mouse NaCT also recognizes other tricarboxylic acid cycle intermediates such as malate, fumarate and 2-oxo-glutarate as excellent substrates. The Michaelis-Menten constant for the transport process is 38+/-5 mM for citrate and 37+/-6 mM for succinate at pH 7.5. The transport process is electrogenic and exhibits an obligatory requirement for Na+. Na+-activation kinetics indicates that multiple Na+ ions are involved in the activation process. Extracellular pH has a differential effect on the transport function of mouse NaCT depending on whether the transported substrate is citrate or succinate. The Michaelis-Menten constants for these substrates are also influenced markedly by pH. When examined in the Xenopus laevis oocyte expression system with the two-microelectrode voltage-clamp technique, the transport process mediated by mouse NaCT is electrogenic. The charge-to-substrate ratio is 1 for citrate and 2 for succinate. The most probable transport mechanism predicted by these studies involves the transport of citrate as a tervalent anion and succinate as a bivalent anion with a fixed Na+/substrate stoichiometry of 4:1. The present study provides the first unequivocal evidence for the electrogenic nature of mammalian NaCT.

Genetics of aging in the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster

Research into the mechanisms underlying the process of aging is emerging as an exciting area of biomedical research. Observations challenging the fundamental assumptions of aging have begun to rejuvenate the field, opening up aging research to fresh ideas and approaches. Genetic approaches, which have been successfully used to understand other complex biological phenomena, are beginning to reveal important patterns and conservations between the processes of aging in a variety of species including yeast, nematodes, flies, and mice. A combination of candidate and random gene alteration approaches, particularly in the fruitfly model system, Drosophila melanogaster, should prove to be especially valuable for elucidating the primary physiological systems involved in aging and life span determination.