dFatp regulates nutrient distribution and long-term physiology in Drosophila.

Nutrient allocation and usage plays an important part in regulating the onset and progression of age-related functional declines. Here, we describe a heterozygous mutation in Drosophila (dFatp) that alters nutrient distribution and multiple aspects of physiology. dFatp mutants have increased lifespan and stress resistance, altered feeding behavior and fat storage, and increased mobility.

Endurance training protocol and longitudinal performance assays for Drosophila melanogaster.

One of the most pressing problems facing modern medical researchers is the surging levels of obesity, with the consequent increase in associated disorders such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease (1-3). An important topic of research into these associated health problems involves the role of endurance exercise as a beneficial intervention. Exercise training is an inexpensive, non-invasive intervention with several beneficial results, including reduction in excess body fat (4), increased insulin sensitivity in skeletal muscle (5), increased anti-inflammatory and antioxidative responses (6), and improved contractile capacity in cardiomyocytes (7).

The Drosophila PGC-1α homolog spargel modulates the physiological effects of endurance exercise.

Endurance exercise is an inexpensive intervention that is thought to provide substantial protection against several age-related pathologies, as well as inducing acute changes to endurance capacity and metabolism. Recently, it has been established that endurance exercise induces conserved alterations in physiological capacity in the invertebrate Drosophila model. If the genetic factors underlying these exercise-induced physiological alterations are widely conserved, then invertebrate genetic model systems will become a valuable tool for testing of genetic and pharmacological mimetics for endurance training.