Lifespan and reproduction in Drosophila: New insights from nutritional geometry

[Guest guest]

According to this 2008 study in fruit flies (Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2008

February 19; 105(7): 2498–2503), a higher carbohydrate:protein ratio prolongs

life and a lower ratio increases fecundity.

I was able to download the pdf here:

http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=2268165

If you would like a copy and can't access the article, let me know and I can

send it to you. - Diane

Abstract:

Modest dietary restriction (DR) prolongs life in a wide range of organisms,

spanning single-celled yeast to mammals. Here, we report the use of recent

techniques in nutrition research to quantify the detailed relationship between

diet, nutrient intake, lifespan, and reproduction in Drosophila melanogaster.

Caloric restriction (CR) was not responsible for extending lifespan in our

experimental flies. Response surfaces for lifespan and fecundity were maximized

at different protein–carbohydrate intakes, with longevity highest at a

protein-to-carbohydrate ratio of 1:16 and egg-laying rate maximized at 1:2.

Lifetime egg production, the measure closest to fitness, was maximized at an

intermediate P:C ratio of 1:4. Flies offered a choice of complementary foods

regulated intake to maximize lifetime egg production. The results indicate a

role for both direct costs of reproduction and other deleterious consequences of

ingesting high levels of protein. We unite a body of apparently conflicting work

within a common framework and provide a platform for studying aging in all

organisms.