title: Lifespan and reproduction in Drosophila: New insights from nutritional geometry.
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.
authors.affiliation: School of Biological Sciences and Centre for Mathematical Biology, University of Sydney, Sydney NSW 2006, Australia.
authors.forename: Kwang Pum
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Stephen J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Simpson
authors.forename: Fiona J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Clissold
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Brooks
authors.forename: J William O
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Ballard
authors.forename: Phil W
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: Nazaneen
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Soran
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Raubenheimer
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D031204:Caloric Restriction; D002241:Carbohydrates; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000502:physiology*; D008136:Longevity / Q000502:physiology*; D011506:Proteins
chemical_list: D002241:Carbohydrates; D011506:Proteins