Open AccessSexual dimorphism in the nutritional requirement for adult lifespan in Drosophila melanogaster
Author(s) -
Wu Qi,
Yu Guixiang,
Cheng Xingyi,
Gao Yue,
Fan Xiaolan,
Yang Deying,
Xie Meng,
Wang Tao,
Piper Matthew D. W.,
Yang Mingyao
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
aging cell
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.103
H-Index - 140
eISSN - 1474-9726
pISSN - 1474-9718
DOI - 10.1111/acel.13120
Subject(s) - biology , sexual dimorphism , drosophila (subgenus) , mating , drosophila melanogaster , reproduction , longevity , fertility , development of the gonads , sexual maturity , nutrient , physiology , zoology , genetics , endocrinology , ecology , demography , gonad , gene , population , sociology
The nutritional requirements of Drosophila have mostly been studied for development and reproduction, but the minimal requirements for adult male and female flies for lifespan have not been established. Following development on a complete diet, we find substantial sex difference in the basic nutritional requirement of adult flies for full length of life. Relative to females, males require less of each nutrient, and for some nutrients that are essential for development, adult males have no requirement at all for lifespan. The most extreme (and surprising) sex differences were that chronic cholesterol and vitamin deficiencies had no effect on the lifespan of adult males, but they greatly decreased lifespan in females. Female oogenesis rather than chromosomal karyotype and mating status is the key cause of this gender difference in life‐sustaining nutritional requirements. These data are important to the way we understand the mechanisms by which diet modifies lifespan.