Description
- Abstract:
- Studying the biological mechanisms of the aging process in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster has been crucial to the advancement of the field. In particular, the study of the Sirtuin protein dSir2 in Drosophila has been hotly debated, as there have been several contrasting reports over whether dSir2 extends life span in the fly. In this dissertation, the measurement of life span in flies expressing many different doses of dSir2 revealed that the ability of dSir2 to extend life span is dependent on the dosage, resolving the current conflict in the field over whether dSir2 extends life span in flies. Additionally, Drosophila is a particularly good system for studying transcriptional changes that occur during dietary restriction (DR), an intervention that extends life span in many model systems. Transcriptional analysis has been important for identifying new targets of aging regulation, but has been limited in the ability to differentiate between genes that are critical to the decreased mortality and those that are simply associated with some of the other effects of DR. Through a unique time-course microarray transcriptome analysis, paired with a technique of switching the flies to a lower calorie diet, new insights into molecular pathways involved in the longevity response to DR are identified in this dissertation work. In the research presented here, problems in the study of Drosophila aging were addressed through careful and rational experimental design and analysis.
- Notes:
- Thesis (Ph.D. -- Brown University (2014)
Access Conditions
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- Restrictions on Use
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Citation
Whitaker, Rachel E.,
"Insights into the Genetics of Aging in Drosophila melanogaster"
(2014).
Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry Theses and Dissertations.
Brown Digital Repository. Brown University Library.
https://doi.org/10.7301/Z07W69KT
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Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry Theses and Dissertations
Theses and Dissertations for the Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry department....