title: Endurance training protocol and longitudinal performance assays for Drosophila melanogaster.
abstract: One of the most pressing problems facing modern medical researchers is the surging levels of obesity, with the consequent increase in associated disorders such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease (1-3).  An important topic of research into these associated health problems involves the role of endurance exercise as a beneficial intervention.    Exercise training is an inexpensive, non-invasive intervention with several beneficial results, including reduction in excess body fat (4), increased insulin sensitivity in skeletal muscle (5), increased anti-inflammatory and antioxidative responses (6), and improved contractile capacity in cardiomyocytes (7). Low intensity exercise is known to increase mitochondrial activity and biogenesis in humans (8) and mice, with the transcriptional coactivator PGC1-α as an important intermediate (9,10).     Despite  the importance of exercise as a tool for combating several important  age-related diseases, extensive longitudinal genetic studies have been impeded  by the lack of an endurance training protocol for a short-lived genetic model  species. The  variety of genetic tools available for use with Drosophila, together with its short lifespan and inexpensive  maintenance, make it an appealing model for further study of these genetic  mechanisms. With this in mind we have developed a novel apparatus, known as the  Power Tower, for large scale exercise-training in Drosophila melanogaster (11). The Power Tower utilizes the flies'  instinctive negative geotaxis behavior to repetitively induce rapid climbing. Each time the machine lifts, then drops, the  platform of flies, the flies are induced to climb. Flies continue to respond as  long as the machine is in operation or until they become too fatigued to  respond. Thus, the researcher can use this machine to provide simultaneous  training to large numbers of age-matched and genetically identical flies.  Additionally, we describe associated assays useful to track longitudinal  progress of fly cohorts during training.
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatric Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School, Michigan, USA.
authors.forename: Martin J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Tinkerhess
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ginzberg
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Piazza
authors.forename: Robert J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Wessells
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000502:physiology*; D010805:Physical Conditioning, Animal / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*