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Distinct aging-vulnerable and -resilient trajectories of specific motor circuit functions in oxidation- and temperature-stressed Drosophila
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Distinct aging-vulnerable and -resilient trajectories of specific motor circuit functions in oxidation- and temperature-stressed Drosophila

Atulya Iyengar, Hongyu Ruan and Chun-Fang Wu
eNeuro, Vol.9(1), p.ENEURO.0443-21.2021
12/07/2021
DOI: 10.1523/ENEURO.0443-21.2021
PMCID: PMC8805199
PMID: 34876473
url
https://doi.org/10.1523/ENEURO.0443-21.2021View
Published (Version of record) Open Access

Abstract

In Drosophila, molecular pathways affecting longevity have been extensively studied. However, corresponding neurophysiological changes underlying aging-related functional and behavioral deteriorations remain to be fully explored. We examined different motor circuits in Drosophila across the life span and uncovered distinctive age-resilient and age-vulnerable trajectories in their established functional properties. In the giant fiber (GF) and downstream circuit elements responsible for the jump-and-flight escape reflex, we observed relatively mild deterioration toward the end of the life span. In contrast, more substantial age-dependent modifications were seen in the plasticity of GF afferent processing, specifically in use dependence and habituation properties. In addition, there were profound changes in different afferent circuits that drive flight motoneuron activities, including flight pattern generation and seizure spike discharges evoked by electroconvulsive stimulation. Importantly, in high-temperature (HT)-reared flies (29°C), the general trends in these age-dependent trajectories were largely maintained, albeit over a compressed time scale, lending support for the common practice of HT rearing for expediting Drosophila aging studies. We discovered that shortened life spans in Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (Sod) mutant flies were accompanied by altered aging trajectories in motor circuit properties distinct from those in HT-reared flies, highlighting differential effects of oxidative versus temperature stressors. This work helps to identify several age-vulnerable neurophysiological parameters that may serve as quantitative indicators for assessing genetic and environmental influences on aging progression in Drosophila. Keywords: escape circuit; flight; habituation; oxidative stress; seizure; temperature stress.

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