PgmNr D1136: The influence of the RU486 steroid on Drosophila feeding and lifespan.

Authors:
Erin S. Keebaugh 1 ; Ryuichi Yamada 1 ; Sonali A. Deshpande 1 ; Margaux R. Ehrlich 1 ; Alina Soto Obando 1 ; Frédéric Marion-Poll 2 ; William W. Ja 1


Institutes
1) The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA; 2) Evolution, Génomes, Comportement & Ecologie, CNRS, IRD, Université Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay Gif-sur-Yvette, France; AgroParisTech Paris, France.


Keyword: dietary restriction

Abstract:

Insects that develop and feed on plants are exposed to a wide range of plant-derived steroidal compounds. The perception of plant steroids can influence insect food choice and feeding behaviors; furthermore, some plant steroids serve as insecticides and are toxic to plant-feeding insects. RU486 is a synthetic steroid that is added to Drosophila food to activate transgenes using the powerful GeneSwitch system, which facilitates the spatial and temporal control of transgene expression. Because of the structural similarity between RU486 and plant-derived steroids, and since GeneSwitch assays may be influenced by altered food intake, we tested if RU486 influences fly feeding behaviors. We found that flies show a reduced proboscis extension response (PER) towards RU486 mixed into a variety of diets. Furthermore, flies show reduced feeding on food containing RU486. Since changes in food consumption can have an impact on aging and health, we next tested if RU486 influences the lifespan of multiple Drosophila lines exposed to RU486 across a variety of diets. We found that RU486 can modulate lifespan in a diet-dependent manner, especially on diets where dietary restriction-mediated longevity is observed. Our findings demonstrate that RU486 is taste-aversive to flies and can influence feeding behavior and lifespan. Thus, future studies using the GeneSwitch system should consider the impact of potential RU486-specific effects.