Analysis of the role of tryptophan-kynurenine pathway in the life span control in Drosophila melanogaster

Abstract

Aim. To analyze life span in mutant Drosophila stocks with impaired tryptophan-kynurenine metabolism. Methods. Wild type stocks Canton-S and Oregon, stocks with mutations of the locus white: white, whiteapricot, whitesatsuma, and stocks with the mutation vermilion have been used. The average life span of imago has been determined, survival curves have been analyzed. Results. It has been shown that the average life span of Drosophila females with mutant alleles of the white gene does not differ from the wild-type stock; in males of the w(C-S) and wa(C-S) stocks the index is increased. The presence of the mutantion vermilion in the genotype also increases the average life span of imago of both sexes, but in males the extension is more pronounced. Conclusions. The results suggest that aging is associated with the regulation of tryptophan-kynurenine metabolism.
 Keywords: Drosophila melanogaster, life span, kynurenine pathway of tryptophan metabolism.