736C Poster - 12. Physiology, metabolism and aging
Saturday April 09, 1:30 PM - 3:30 PM

Authors:
Navneet Sanghera; Khaoula Belhorma; Rachael French

Affiliation: San Jose State University

Keywords:
a. stress responses; b. transcription initiation/elongation/termination

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) results from consumption of alcohol during pregnancy, and can lead to a variety of effects including developmental delays, low body weight, and intellectual disabilities. We have established a Drosophila model for FASD, and have demonstrated that flies exposed to ethanol during larval development exhibit phenotypes very similar to those seen in mammals. In addition, we recently found that flies reared in ethanol-containing media showed reduced age-related decline in negative geotaxis. In addition, we found persistent ethanol-induced upregulation of the antioxidant genes Sod1 and Gss1 in adult flies, continuing for at least 5 days after removal from ethanol-containing food.

Because age-related declines in negative geotaxis are associated with increased levels of oxidative damage to the central nervous system, we hypothesize that increased expression of cellular antioxidants as a result of ethanol exposure during development leads to a decreased ate of aging. To test whether this is a general effect on aging, rather than a specific effect on climbing ability, we are performing several sets of experiments to test the effects of developmental ethanol exposure on cellular and organismal aging. We will present the results of these experiments, including tests of fecundity over time, mortality and lifespan assays, and cellular measurements of the accumulation of oxidative damage.