Open AccessNatural polymorphism in protein kinase G modulates functional senescence in D. melanogaster
Author(s) -
Stephanie P. Kelly,
Ken DawsonScully
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
journal of experimental biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.367
H-Index - 185
eISSN - 1477-9145
pISSN - 0022-0949
DOI - 10.1242/jeb.199364
Subject(s) - senescence , drosophila melanogaster , biology , protein kinase a , polymorphism (computer science) , kinase , genetics , microbiology and biotechnology , gene , genotype
The common fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, is a well-characterized model for neurological disorders and is widely used to investigate the biology of aging, stress tolerance, and pleiotropy. The foraging (for) gene encodes a cGMP-dependent protein kinase (PKG), which has been implicated in several behavioral phenotypes including feeding, sleep, learning and memory, and environmental stress tolerance. We used the well-established Drosophila Activity Monitor (DAM) to investigate the effects of the conserved NO/cGMP/PKG signaling pathway on functional senescence. Our results show that the polymorphic for gene confers protection during low oxygen stress at the expense of longevity and a decline in locomotor activity with age in D. melanogaster which suggests a novel role for the PKG pathway in healthy aging and senescence.