Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences, Vol 54, Issue 10 B432-B440, Copyright © 1999 by The Gerontological Society of America

JOURNAL ARTICLE

Extended longevity lines of Drosophila melanogaster: characterization of oocyte stages and ovariole numbers as a function of age and diet

KA Carlson and LG Harshman
School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 68588, USA.

Vitellogenic and previtellogenic oocyte stages, as well as ovariole numbers, were characterized in the selected (O) lines of D. melanogaster that have been selected for late-life reproduction and extended longevity. On day 4 post-eclosion, O females had more ovarioles than control (B) females, but this difference diminished at older ages. From days 4 to 24, O females showed a marked increase in average vitellogenic oocyte stage, whereas this parameter did not increase in B females as they aged. The previtellogenic gradient of oocyte maturation declined in both B and O females. Specifically, terminal previtellogenic stages were lost with advancing age, and this loss occurred relatively gradually in O females regardless of food regime. Among the reproductive traits assessed, differential persistence of the previtellogenic gradient of maturation is most strongly associated with selected versus control line differences in longevity.

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