Drosophila as a model for age-related impairment in locomotor and other behaviors

Abstract

Aging is a multifaceted phenomenon that occurs in most species including humans and the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster. One of the most fundamental features of aging is the progressive decline in functional capacity that occurs with age (i.e. functional senescence). Age-related declines in function undermine many aspects of normal youthful physiology including behavior. Age-related behavioral declines are quite telling because they presumably reflect primary functional defects in the nervous system or musculature. Consequently, a more detailed understanding of behavioral declines that occur with age, including mechanisms that impinge on them, could ultimately lead to improved treatment or diagnosis of age-related defects in physiological processes that depend on normal function of the nervous system or musculature. Such advances in diagnosis or treatment would translate into tremendous gains in quality of life for elderly populations. In this article, we review progress using Drosophila to better understand age-related behavioral declines with a focus on age-related locomotor impairment. Age-related behavioral declines in humans and fruit fliesAging is a complex process or collection of processes that leads to death. While death in some experimental settings can be a definitive endpoint of aging, age-related declines in function are essential features of aging that likely drive the increased risk of death with age. Furthermore, casual conversations with most individuals beyond the age of ~30-35 years suggest that age-related functional declines, the reduced ability to perform various tasks as we age, is how we define aging in our day to day lives. Model organisms such as Drosophila hold tremendous promise for identifying genetic and other mechanisms that influence agerelated functional declines. Consequently, studies in the fruit fly and other genetic models can greatly facilitate the identification of interventions that forestall the most troubling features of aging.Among the functional changes that occur during aging, age-related behavioral deficits are especially distressing. Age-related behavioral changes in humans include a progressive decline in locomotor ability, olfactory sensitivity, memory function, and circadian rhythmicity . Furthermore, age-related behavioral limitations collectively form the most common single complaint of elderly individuals (Espeland et al., Corresponding Author: Mike Grotewiel, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA 23113. Phone: (804) 628-4086. msgrotewiel@vcu.edu. * Current address: Department of Human Genetics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322.Publisher's Disclaimer: This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proof before it is published in its final citable form. ...

Automated rapid iterative negative geotaxis assay and its use in a genetic screen for modifiers of Aβ42-induced locomotor decline in Drosophila

“…Drosophila has been widely used to model human neural diseases, test chemical compounds for disease modulation, and study the genetics of aging [1][2][3][4] . In the modeling of Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and other neurodegenerative diseases with Drosophila, disease-causing proteins or peptides are expressed in neurons, resulting in neuropathological changes and behavioral alterations [5] .…”

Effect of semolina-jaggery diet on survival and development ofDrosophila melanogaster

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Long-term dietary exposure to low concentration of dichloroacetic acid promoted longevity and attenuated cellular and functional declines in aged Drosophila melanogaster

“…In human, progressive decline in locomotor ability, memory function, and olfactory sensitivity is imperative age-related changes (Grotewiel et al 2005). Thus, life expectancy may be improved by the amelioration of age-related behavioral declines (Jones and Grotewiel 2011). Strategies for promoting heathspan via reduced ROS generation and increased antioxidants level have gained much interest (Gruber et al 2008(Gruber et al , 2009.…”