Microgravity effects on Drosophila melanogaster behavior and aging. Implications of the IML-2 experiment

摘要: Earlier Space experiments had indicated that young male Drosophila flies exposed to microgravity showed an acceleration in aging. In a 14.5-day Shuttle Flight we sent 300 with the purpose of confirming these findings and establish whether changes behavior were responsible for effect accordance proposal alterations mitochondrial metabolism may be involved aging response. By repeatedly video-recording, have found very marked increase locomotor activity fruitflies Space. The males accelerated response upon recovery, both terms physiological vitality assays (mating negative geotaxis) life-span curves. involvement is also suggested by finding greater decrease 16S ribosomal RNA than ground controls. On other hand, parallel 1 x g centrifuge control did not show such differences curves when compared similar centrifugation on ground. females increased their but differential These results are discussed current mechanisms multicellular eukaryotic organisms.