Tag Archives: Drosophila melanogaster

Protein content in the parental diet affects cold tolerance and antioxidant system state in the offspring Drosophila

O. M. Strilbytska1*, U. V. Semaniuk1, N. I. Burdyliuk1, O. V. Lushchak1,2*

1Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Vasyl Stefanyk Precarpathian National University, Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine;
2Research and Development University, Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine;
*e-mail: olya_b08@ukr.net or oleh.lushchak@pnu.edu.ua

Received: 02 February 2021; Accepted: 21 January 2022

Dietary nutrients are the key determinants of the lifespan and metabolic health. The content of specific dietary compounds in the parental diet can epigenetically affect the physiological state of the offspring. Here, we studied how variable dietary protein content in the diet of parental generation affects antioxidant capacity of Drosophila melanogaster adult offspring. The dry yeast concentration ranging from 0.25% to 15% in the parental diet was the only variable in the experiments, whereas subsequent generation was kept on a diet of the same composition. We found, that flies fed with yeast-restricted (0.25%) diet produced F1 male flies with a higher cold tolerance and higher activity of the second-line antioxidant enzymes whereas in F1 females no effect of parental diet composition on the cold tolerance, catalase, GST, G6PDH, IDH activity and low thiols content was detected. The results suggest that nutrient-dependent changes of genes expression in the flies of paternal generation differently affect the stress response of males and females of the first-generation offspring.

Mild oxidative stress in fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster caused by products of sucrose splitting

B. M. Rovenko, O. V. Lushchak, O. V. Lozinsky,
O. I. Kubrak, V. I. Lushchak

Vassyl Stefanyk Precarpathian National University, Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine;
e-mail: olehl@pu.if.ua

The influence of 6% sucrose and equimolar mixture of glucose and fructose in larva diet on the level of oxidized proteins and lipids as well as the activity of antioxidant and associated enzymes in adult fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster was investigated. Larva growing on the diet with sucrose led to the mild oxidative stress development in adult insects, which was differently expressed in both sexes. In males mainly molecules of proteins were subjected to oxidative damages, whereas in females – lipid molecules. This is evidenced by 77% increased content of protein carbonyl groups and decreased (by 40%) level of protein SH-groups in males fed on sucrose. In females fed on sucrose the content of lipid peroxides was by 44% higher, than in individuals, hold on the diet with equimolar mixture of glucose and fructose. The oxidative stress in females was accompanied with increased activity of catalase, superoxide dismutase and thiredoxin reductase by 30, 15 and 34%, respectively. The obtained results suggest that uptake mode of glucose and fructose affects free radical processes in fruit flies.

Carbohydrate restriction in the larval diet causes oxidative stress in adult insects of Drosophila melanogaster

B. M. Rovenko, V. I. Lushchak, O. V. Lushchak

Vassyl Stefanyk Precarpathian National University, Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine;
е-mail address: olehl@pu.if.ua

The influence of 20 and 1% glucose and fructose, which were components of larval diet, on the  level of oxidized proteins and lipids, low molecular mass antioxidant content as well as activities of antioxidant and associated enzymes in adult fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster were investigated. The restriction of carbohydrates in larval diet leads to oxidative stress in adult insects. It is supported by 40–50% increased content of protein carbonyl groups and by 60–70% decreased level of protein thiol groups as well as by a 4-fold increase of lipid peroxide content in 2-day-old flies of both sexes, developed on the diet with 1% carbohydrates. Oxidative stress, induced by carbohydrate restriction of the larval diet, caused the activation of antioxidant defence, differently exhibited in male and female fruit flies. Caloric restriction increased activity of superoxide dismutase and thioredoxin reductase associating only in males with 2-fold higher activity of NADPH-producing enzymes – glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and isocitrate dehydrogenase. Carbohydrate restriction in the larval diet caused the increase of uric acid content, but the decrease in catalase activity in males. In females the values of these parameters were changed in opposite direction compared with males. The obtained results let us conclude the different involvement of low molecular mass antioxidants, glutathione and uric acid, and antioxidant enzyme catalase in the protection of male and female fruit fly macromolecules against oxidative damages, caused by calorie restriction of larval diet.