Drosophila Fruit Flies

Aging in D. melanogaster is associated with characteristic changes in gene expression. During aging, the expression of certain stress response genes is increased in age-specific and tissue-specific patterns. At least part of this increase appears to be a response to oxidative stress. In contrast, as flies age there is a decreased ability to further increase the expression of these genes and survive acute stresses such as heat shock. Recent data suggests that a similar pattern of stress-response gene expression occurs in aging mammals. In addition, a number of other D. melanogaster genes exhibit characteristic dynamic expression patterns during aging. These include several genes with important developmental functions, though the significance of their altered expression during aging is currently unknown.