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Full Abstracts – PHYSIOLOGY AND AGING
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Gustatory Regulation of Aging in
Drosophila melanogaster
.
Michael J. Waterson
1
, Zachary M. Harvanek
2
, Ivan Ostojic
3
, Joy Alcedo
3
, Scott D. Pletcher
1,4
.
1) Cellular and Molecular Biology Graduate Program, University of Michigan; 2) Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Michigan; 3) Friedrich
Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland; 4) Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann
Arbor, MI.
The process of aging is known to be regulated by the integration of environmental information within the central nervous system [CNS], yet the circuitry
of this regulation from the sensory system to target tissues via the CNS remains poorly understood. Gustatory signals represent one such set of information,
which are capable of modulating behaviors such as feeding rate, reproductive output, and mating choice, all known to influence organismal aging. The
precise mechanisms through which specific gustatory components regulate behavior and physiology, including aging, however, remain to be determined.
External gustatory perception in
D. melanogaster
, a rapid and genetically tractable model system, is mediated by gustatory receptors [GRs] expressed in
specialized GR neurons [GRNs]. To determine which specific gustatory inputs regulate certain aging phenotypes, we have utilized multiple genetic
techniques to systematically manipulate the expression of single GRs or GRNs and have measured the effect on lifespan, as well as several measures of
overall organismal health.
Our analyses have yielded insights into the effects of gustatory inputs on
Drosophila
aging. The functional manipulation of individual GRs or GRNs that
represent a range of taste modalities was sufficient to mediate both lifespan extension and decline, as compared to background controls. Additionally, several
measures of overall health were significantly altered due to these manipulations. This work provides evidence that specific components of the gustatory
system are critical in the regulation of organismal aging. Given the similarities between insect and vertebrate taste perception, these results and our future
work may have crucial implications for how chemosensory systems regulate human aging.