Diet-induced plasticity of life-history traits and gene expression in outbred Drosophila melanogaster population
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ABSTRACT: Food is a fundamental requirement for organisms to develop, survive and reproduce. However, access to an optimum diet is not always guaranteed, resulting in a mismatch between the diet and the organism's needs. To comprehend the consequences of this mismatch, it becomes crucial to explore how different compositions of an organism's diet impact its overall performance. In this context, we tested the effect of isocaloric diets with different protein to carbohydrate ratios on eight key life history traits in a large (n = ~2,100) outbred Drosophila melanogaster population. We report accelerated pre-adult development and increased reproductive output, without affecting pre-adult viability and body size, in flies fed on low carbohydrate diet. We also observe that high carbohydrate content in diet shortens fly lifespan. In support, we found that increasing carbohydrate content in food led to faster aging by impairing locomotor activity and gut integrity. Additionally, we noted that the composition of the diet had an impact on gene expression patterns with high carbohydrate diets upregulating genes and high protein diets downregulating them. These results collectively provide a comprehensive understanding of how the balance of macronutrients in an organism's diet intricately shapes its traits.
ORGANISM(S): Drosophila melanogaster
PROVIDER: GSE241397 | GEO | 2024/02/14
REPOSITORIES: GEO
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