The fruit fly acetyltransferase chameau promotes starvation resilience at the expense of longevity

• DOI: 10.15252/embr.202357023
• Publication Date: 2023-09-19T10:00:48Z
• Authors: Anuroop Venkatesw...; Toshiharu Ichinose; Mai Kanno; Ignasi Forne; Hiromu Tanimoto; Shahaf Peleg; Axel Imhof
• Keywords: Model Organism; Loss function

Proteins involved in cellular metabolism and molecular regulation can extend lifespan of various organisms the laboratory. However, any improvement aging would only provide an evolutionary benefit if were able to survive under non-ideal conditions. We have previously shown that Drosophila melanogaster carrying a loss-of-function allele acetyltransferase chameau (chm) has increased healthy when fed ad libitum. Here, we show loss chm reduction its activity results substantial weight decrease starvation resistance. This phenotype is caused by failure properly regulate genes proteins required for energy storage expenditure. The observed increase survival time thus comes with inability prepare cope nutrient stress. As ability environments restricted food availability likely stronger driver than live long life, still present organism's genome despite apparent negative effect on lifespan.