Action of protoporphyrin-IX (PP-IX) in the lifespan of <i>Drosophila melanogaster</i> deficient in endogenous antioxidants, Sod and Cat

Abstract

Protoporphyirin-IX (PP-IX) is a precursor of the biosynthesis of the hemo group, most of the cytochromes and the chlorophylls. The PP-IX is used for medical purposes, and recently a report indicated that it exhibits a dual action since it can decrease or increase the genetic damage caused by N-nitroso-N-ethylurea (ENU) in somatic cells of Drosophila. PP-IX is known to be able to act as an anti-or pro-oxidant agent. The aim of the present research was to study the role of PP-IX on the lifespan of Drosophila melanogaster, taking into account the fact that increasing levels of ROS can accelerate the aging process. The Canton-S strain (CS) was used as well as Sod and Cat which are deficient in the endogenous enzymes, superoxide dismutase and catalase, respectively. Groups of females and males were treated separately with 5 mg/ml of PP-IX solution. The comparison of survival curves indicates that this pigment extended the lifespan of CS. In contrast, Sod strain showed that the opposite effect and had no effect in Cat strain. The fact that PP-IX reduces the mean lifespan in Sod deficient strain might suggest a pro-oxidant action of PP-IX, and consequently the cumulating of ROS as a superoxide could have a mutagenic effect as was shown recently. The results presented evidence of the dual effect of PP-IX.

Effects of environmental conditions on the egg mass, yolk antioxidant level, eggshell thickness and eggshell spotting patterns of Great Tits (Parus major)

“…We may assume that under these circumstances the antioxidant capacity of the female is less efficient, as they do not reduce their antioxidant investment into the eggs despite the potentially lower environmental availability, as shown in this study. Therefore, they may remove higher amounts of the produced protoporphyrin, which possesses pro-oxidant properties (Afonso et al 1999;Pimentel et al 2013), from their body through the eggshell to avoid oxidative damage. According to this hypothesis, females use eggshells as a depository of the potentially harmful protoporphyrin, and the amount of pigment deposited depends on the actual antioxidant availability of the female.…”

“…Protoporphyrinbased eggshell pigmentation may help to provide camouflage (Stoddard et al 2011), it may enhance egg mimicry or allow individual egg recognition in species exposed to brood parasites (Stokke et al 1999;Moskát et al 2008), it may reinforce eggshells (Gosler et al 2005;García-Navas et al 2010;Hargitai et al 2013), or it may signal the quality of the female and the egg to the male in order to stimulate more intense paternal care (Moreno and Osorno 2003;Sanz and García-Navas 2009;Stoddard et al 2012;Hargitai et al 2016b). The accumulation of protoporphyrin has been reported to induce oxidative stress, leading to an increase in the activity of antioxidant enzymes to avoid oxidative damage (Afonso et al 1999;Pimentel et al 2013). Most studies that tested the effect of environmental conditions on eggshell pigmentation focused on the biliverdin-based blue-green colouration, showing that time of laying Honza et al 2012), ambient temperature (Avilés et al 2007), and food supply (Moreno et al 2006) may exert an influence on eggshell pigmentation.…”

Darker eggshell spotting indicates lower yolk antioxidant level and poorer female quality in the Eurasian Great Tit (Parus major)

“…Contrary to blue-green biliverdin, which is an antioxidant (McDonagh 2001, Kaur et al 2003, protoporphyrin possesses pro-oxidant properties (Afonso et al 1999, Pimentel et al 2013). The accumulation of protoporphyrin has been reported to induce oxidative stress by generating superoxid, and to lead to an increase in the activity of antioxidant enzymes to avoid oxidative damage (Afonso et al 1999).…”

Genetic damage induced by CrO3 can be reduced by low doses of Protoporphyrin-IX in somatic cells of Drosophila melanogaster

“…Chronic treatment with PP-IX was recently found to prolong the lifespan of a wild Drosophila strain. In contrast, half life was reduced in the Sod deficient strain; these data provide information that PP-IX can act as an antioxidant and as a pro-oxidant [22] . Based on these previous works, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the antimutagenic capacity of PP-IX against the genetic damage induced by CrO 3 (VI), an agent that induces genetic damage especially through ROS.…”