772C Poster - 12. Physiology, metabolism and aging
Saturday April 09, 1:30 PM - 3:30 PM

Authors:
Christina Talley; Soobin An; Kaveh Kiani; Anton Bryantsev

Affiliation: Kennesaw State University

Keywords:
j. physiology of adult organs; j. muscle

Aging-related muscle tissue decline negatively impacts the quality of life for elderly individuals and causes billions of dollars in healthcare costs. The genetics of this phenomenon is not well understood, although such information may be critical for preventive care. Notably, previous attempts to link genetic polymorphisms with aging-related muscle decline have been limited to muscle structural genes.

We used Drosophila TDT (jump) muscle to study aging-dependent loss of muscle fibers. The TDT consists of 20-30 muscle fibers and functions to power jumping in flies. With progressive age, individual TDT fibers undergo spontaneous degeneration that is evident by the loss of cytoplasmic structures and nuclei. The extent and frequency of TDT degeneration are quantifiable and appear to be line dependent.

We have conducted a small genome-wide association analysis using 30 inbred fly lines demonstrating various rates of aging-dependent TDT fiber loss. Our data suggest that genes associated with the functioning of the nervous system are the strongest modifiers of TDT degeneration rates. To validate this finding, we further analyzed TDT degeneration rates in flies with TDTs uncoupled from the nervous system as well as seizure-prone flies with chronically hyperactivated nervous systems.

Our data demonstrates that deviations in the normal functioning of the nervous system significantly influence spontaneous muscle fiber degeneration during aging. Our results can guide future identification of the genetic polymorphism underlying muscle tissue decline in humans.