title: Stage dependent nutritional regulation of transgenerational longevity.
abstract: BACKGROUND: Statistical analyses in human populations have associated limited food availability during development with increased longevity of next generations. In support, recent findings inCaenorhabditis elegansrevealed nutritional effects on transgenerational longevity.OBJECTIVES: In this study we tested the effect of nutrition on longevity of future generations inDrosophilaand whether this is sex-specific.METHODS:We reared male larvae and adults ofDrosophilaunder different food conditions and performed lifespan analyses in F2 generation.RESULTS: Grandsons of males which experienced starvation through larval stages were long-lived and grandsons of well fed larvae were short lived, in twoDrosophilastrains. In one strain, the nutritional effect on transgenerational longevity was transmitted through male line. Interestingly, we find that dietary restriction in adult males is the main nutritional condition affecting lifespan of grandsons.CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that nutritional regulation of transgenerational longevity is evolutionarily conserved and developmental stage - dependent inDrosophila.
authors.affiliation: B.S.R.C. Alexander Fleming, Vari, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Ilianna G
authors.initials: IG
authors.lastname: Roussou
authors.affiliation: B.S.R.C. Alexander Fleming, Vari, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Charalambos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Savakis
authors.affiliation: Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, Heraklion, Crete, Greece; Department of Basic Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Crete , Heraklion, Crete, Greece.
authors.forename: Nektarios
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tavernarakis
authors.affiliation: Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology , Foundation for Research and Technology - Hellas, Heraklion, Crete, Greece.
authors.forename: Athanasios
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Metaxakis
keywords: Aging; dietary restriction; drosophila; epigenetic regulation; lifespan; longevity; starvation; transgenerational inheritance