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Superoxide dismutase activities in long-lived Drosophila melanogaster females: chico 1 genotypes and dietary dilution

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Abstract

Superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities were determined for dietary dilution conditions that extend the life span of Drosophila melanogaster. The hypothesis motivating this research was that elevated SOD activity is associated with increased life span resulting from flies being held on a restricted diet. SOD activities were also measured for chico 1 which is a mutation in the insulin receptor substrate protein gene associated with life span extension. This allowed us to confirm the results of (Clancy et al. 2001) and extend the results by measuring CuZn SOD and Mn SOD activities in addition to the previously determined overall SOD activity. If the same form of SOD activity (CuZn SOD or Mn SOD) was elevated on the dilute diet that extends life span and in the long lived chico 1 homozygotes, then it would suggest that life span extension by dietary restriction and by insulin signaling mutations has a similar underlying mechanism. However, overall SOD activity, and CuZn SOD or Mn SOD activities did not differ among the diets tested. As observed previously (Clancy et al. 2001), overall SOD activity was elevated in chico 1 homozygotes compared to the heterozygote or wild type. Results from the present study indicate that elevated CuZn SOD activity, not Mn SOD, is the basis for the relatively high level of SOD activity in the chico 1 homozygotes.

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Abbreviations

BCA:

Bicinchoninic acid

DTPA:

Di-ethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid

NaCN:

Sodium cyanide

NBT:

Nitroblue tetrazolium

ROS:

Reactive oxygen species

SOD:

Superoxide dismutase

TDB:

Triethanolamine, diethanolamine–HCl

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Acknowledgements

Raj and Barbara Sohal (University of Southern California) provided access to their method for measuring SOD activity that was unpublished at the time we conducted assays for this study and for insight into how to use this procedure. Irwin Segel (University of California at Davis) provided insight into the enzyme kinetics of the SOD assays employed in this study. Carmen Pauls maintained the cages that provided flies for enzyme assays and that were used for life span data. The research reported here was supported by a NSF Metabolite Signaling Center grant at the University of Nebraska—Lincoln (EPS-0346476) and by United States Army Grant DAAD19-03-1-0152.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588, USA

    Hadise Kabil & Lawrence G. Harshman

  2. Department of Biology, University College London, Darwin Building, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK

    Linda Partridge

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  1. Hadise Kabil
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  2. Linda Partridge
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  3. Lawrence G. Harshman
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Correspondence to Lawrence G. Harshman.

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Kabil, H., Partridge, L. & Harshman, L.G. Superoxide dismutase activities in long-lived Drosophila melanogaster females: chico 1 genotypes and dietary dilution. Biogerontology 8, 201–208 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10522-006-9065-3

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