[Molecular variability in geographically distant populations of Drosophila melanogaster at the Lim3 gene regulating nervous system development].

In this study, we compare the variability of the regulatory region of the Lim3 gene, which plays a key role in the development of the nervous system, in two populations of Drosophila melanogaster inhabiting the cities of Aleksandrov (Russia) and Raleigh (United States). The two population areas are located in different geographic regions and differ in their ecology. A comparison of nucleotide sequences of 16 (2010) and 20 (2011) alleles from the Alexandrov population showed that in both cases the variability level of the untranslated Lim3 region was considerably lower than that of the 5' regulatory region adjacent to the transcription start site. According to quantitative and quantitative parameters of the variability, there was no difference between samples of different years, which indicates the stability of the population inhabiting the northern border of the species areal. The patterns of polymorphic sites are similar in both populations, which suggest a neutral character of the variability found with respect to environmental factors, as well as the importance of nucleotide substitutions in a number of sites of the Lim3 regulatory region with respect to the control of this gene expression.

Reproducible effects of the mitochondria-targeted plastoquinone derivative SkQ1 on Drosophila melanogaster lifespan under different experimental scenarios.

Previously, extremely low, nanomolar concentrations of the mitochondria-targeted plastoquinone derivative SkQ1 (10-(6'-plastoquinonyl) decyltriphenylphosphonium) were shown to prolong the lifespan of male and female Drosophila melanogaster by about 10 % (Anisimov et al., Biochemistry (Moscow) 73:1329-1342, 2008). Using long-term monitoring of SkQ1 effects on the Drosophila lifespan, we analyzed different integral parameters of Drosophila survival and mortality under SkQ1 treatment. Meta-analysis was used to evaluate the average SkQ1 effect measured in terms of standard deviation. The effect appeared to be 0.25 for females and 0.18 for males, which corresponds to a low effect by Cohen's "Rules-of-Thumb". The SkQ1 effects on the Drosophila lifespan were reproducible over six years and showed no relationship to fluctuations in the mean lifespan of the w(1118) line used in the experiments, methods of preparation and administration of the drug, seasons, or calendar years. Adding SkQ1 to fly food was associated with a reduction in early mortality and a decrease in random variation in lifespan. All survival curves were fitted by Gompertz function. Analysis of the Gompertz function parametric plane demonstrated significant differences between points corresponding to experimental and control cohorts. The Strehler-Mildvan correlations for 11 experiments with females and for 7 experiments with males were calculated. The significant increase in the slope of the regression lines indicated that feeding flies SkQ1 reduced the rate of fall of fly vitality and, consequently, slowed aging. These findings indicated that the SkQ1 effect on lifespan was associated with both elevation of life quality and slowing of aging.