Juvenile hormone regulation of Drosophila aging

Background. Juvenile hormone (JH) has been demonstrated to control adult lifespan in a number of non-model insects where surgical removal of the corpora allata eliminates the hormones source. In contrast, little is known about how juvenile hormone affects adult Drosophila melanogaster. Previous work suggests that insulin signaling may modulate Drosophila aging in part through its impact on juvenile hormone titer, but no data yet addresses whether reduction of juvenile hormone is sufficient to control Drosophila life span. Here we adapt a recent genetic approach to knock out the corpora allata in adult Drosophila melanogaster and characterize adult life history phenotypes produced by reduction of juvenile hormone. With this system we test potential explanations for how juvenile hormone modulates aging.

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Yamamoto R, Bai H, Dolezal AG, Amdam G, Tatar M