Positive and negative gustatory inputs affect Drosophila lifespan partly in parallel to dFOXO signaling.
In Caenorhabditis elegans, a subset of gustatory neurons, as well as olfactory neurons, shortens lifespan, whereas a different subset of gustatory neurons lengthens it. Recently, the lifespan-shortening effect of olfactory neurons has been reported to be conserved in Drosophila. Here we show that the Drosophila gustatory system also affects lifespan in a bidirectional manner. We find that taste inputs shorten lifespan through inhibition of the insulin pathway effector dFOXO, whereas other taste inputs lengthen lifespan in parallel to this pathway. We also note that the gustatory influence on lifespan does not necessarily depend on food intake levels. Finally, we identify the nature of some of the taste inputs that could shorten versus lengthen lifespan. Together our data suggest that different gustatory cues can modulate the activities of distinct signaling pathways, including different insulin-like peptides, to promote physiological changes that ultimately affect lifespan.
Growth Control Unit, Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, CH-4058 Basel, Switzerland;
Ivan
I
Ostojic
Institute of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland;
Werner
W
Boll
Program in Cellular and Molecular Biology.
Michael J
MJ
Waterson
Program in Developmental Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030; and.
Tammy
T
Chan
Department of Biological Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202.
Rashmi
R
Chandra
Program in Cellular and Molecular Biology,Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, andGeriatrics Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109;
Scott D
SD
Pletcher
Growth Control Unit, Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, CH-4058 Basel, Switzerland;Department of Biological Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202 joy.alcedo@wayne.edu.
Joy
J
Alcedo
D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D031204:Caloric Restriction; D002628:Chemoreceptor Cells / Q000502:physiology; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D007328:Insulin / Q000378:metabolism; D008136:Longevity / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D010641:Phenotype; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*; D013649:Taste / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*
D029721:Drosophila Proteins; C477334:FOXO protein, Drosophila; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors; D007328:Insulin
aging; gustatory receptors; insulin signaling; physiology; sensory system