TY - JOUR
T1 - Strong Sex-Dependent Effects of Malnutrition on Life- and Healthspan in Drosophila melanogaster
AU - Bak, Nikolaj Klausholt
AU - Rohde, Palle Duun
AU - Kristensen, Torsten Nygård
PY - 2023/12/26
Y1 - 2023/12/26
N2 - Insufficient intake of essential nutrients, malnutrition is a major issue for millions of people and has a strong impact on the distribution and abundance of species in nature. In this study, we investigated the effect of malnutrition on several fitness components in the vinegar fly Drosophila melanogaster. Four diets with different nutritional values, including three diluted diets of an optimal nutritional balanced diet, were used as feed sources. The effect of malnutrition on fitness components linked to healthspan, the period of life spent in good health conditions, was evaluated by quantifying the flies’ lifespan, locomotor activity, heat stress tolerance, lipid content, and dry weight. The results showed that malnutrition had severe negative impact, such as reduced lifespan, locomotor activity, heat stress tolerance, fat content, and dry weight. The negative phenotypic effects were highly sex-dependent, with males being more negatively impacted by malnutrition compared to females. These findings highlight important detrimental and sex-specific effects of malnutrition not only on lifespan but also on traits related to healthspan.
AB - Insufficient intake of essential nutrients, malnutrition is a major issue for millions of people and has a strong impact on the distribution and abundance of species in nature. In this study, we investigated the effect of malnutrition on several fitness components in the vinegar fly Drosophila melanogaster. Four diets with different nutritional values, including three diluted diets of an optimal nutritional balanced diet, were used as feed sources. The effect of malnutrition on fitness components linked to healthspan, the period of life spent in good health conditions, was evaluated by quantifying the flies’ lifespan, locomotor activity, heat stress tolerance, lipid content, and dry weight. The results showed that malnutrition had severe negative impact, such as reduced lifespan, locomotor activity, heat stress tolerance, fat content, and dry weight. The negative phenotypic effects were highly sex-dependent, with males being more negatively impacted by malnutrition compared to females. These findings highlight important detrimental and sex-specific effects of malnutrition not only on lifespan but also on traits related to healthspan.
KW - malnutrition
KW - ageing
KW - Drosophila melanogaster
KW - sex-dependent responses
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85183200411&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3390/insects15010009
DO - 10.3390/insects15010009
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 38249015
SN - 2075-4450
VL - 15
JO - Insects
JF - Insects
IS - 1
M1 - 9
ER -
