Effects of age and lifetime flight behavior on senescence and reproduction in Drosophila (880.2)

Abstract

The effects of aerobic activity on physiology and senescence may be profound in variably active species such as flying insects, which attain among the highest metabolic rates ever measured. Flight capacity in insects decreases with age, although limiting flight behavior extends lifespan, slows the age‐related loss of antioxidant capacity and accumulation of oxidative damage, and potentially allows for greater energy investment in non‐locomotor traits such as reproduction. We tested the effects of age and lifetime flight behavior on flight capacity, longevity and reproduction in Drosophila. Specifically, 5 day‐old adult flies were separated into three life‐long treatments: (A) those not allowed to fly (no flight or NF), (B) those allowed ‐ but not forced ‐ to fly (voluntary flight or VF), and (C) those mechanically stimulated to fly (induced flight or IF). Longevity was in the order NF>VF>IF, although the ability to fly and attain high metabolic rates persisted the longest in VF flies. Age‐specific fecundity did not vary among the groups, although NF flies had the greatest lifetime fecundity due to their longer lifespans. These results indicate that aerobic locomotor behavior can accelerate physiological senescence and trade‐off against other traits.Grant Funding Source: National Science Foundation IOS‐0725030