Open AccessEffect of Deleterious Mutations on Life Span in Drosophila melanogaster
Author(s) -
Yi Gong,
James N. Thompson,
R. C. Woodruff
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
the journals of gerontology. series a, biological sciences and medical sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.134
H-Index - 189
eISSN - 1758-535X
pISSN - 1079-5006
DOI - 10.1093/gerona/61.12.1246
Subject(s) - drosophila melanogaster , life span , biology , longevity , drosophila (subgenus) , genetics , mutation accumulation , chromosome , melanogaster , senescence , mating , mutation , evolutionary biology , mutation rate , gene
Evolutionary theories of aging assume that the accumulation of deleterious mutations will reduce life span. We tested this assumption in Drosophila melanogaster by a newly designed mating scheme, in which mutations accumulate on the Binscy balancer X chromosome in heterozygous females in the absence of selection and recombination. We found that the life span of Binscy/RY(L) males from this cross decreased faster than the life span of their sibling controls over time in two of three runs, and that there was an age-specific increase in mortality in the Binscy/RY(L) males with time in one of three runs. Therefore, the accumulation of deleterious mutations can decrease life span by increasing fragility and can cause age-specific changes in mortality. These results support the evolutionary theory of aging.