Changes in the respiratory chain complexes activities and in the mitochondrial DNA content during ageing in D. subobscura

Abstract

The time course (age 0–8 weeks) of the enzyme activities of respiratory chain complexes I, III and IV and of citrate synthase, and the cell mitochondrial/nuclear DNA content ratio were studied in Drosophila subobscura. The activities of the three respiratory complexes decreased with age, but with different kinetics. The activities of complexes I and III remained nearly stable between weeks 0 and 3 (falling by 6% and 15%, respectively), and then gradually decreased; after 8 weeks residual activities were about 50% of the initial value for complexes I and III. The activity of complex IV fell in the first week, decreasing continually to week 8, where residual activity was 30% of the initial value. No significant age-related change in citrate synthase activity was observed. Mitochondrial DNA (measured by mitDNA nucDNA ) increased linearly up to week 5 (2.6-fold) and then dropped by 40% in week 6 though it remained higher than initial values.