Quantitative genetics of postponed aging in Drosophila melanogaster. I. Analysis of outbred populations

• Published in: Genetics (Austin) Vol. 127; no. 4; pp. 719 - 727
• Main Authors: Hutchinson, E.W. (University of Colorado, Boulder, CO), Rose, M.R
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bethesda, MD Genetics Soc America 01.04.1991; Genetics Society of America
• Subjects: Aging - genetics; Alleles; ALOGAMIA; Analysis of Variance; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Classical genetics, quantitative genetics, hybrids; CROISEMENT; Crosses, Genetic; CRUZAMIENTO; DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER; Drosophila melanogaster - genetics; Drosophila melanogaster - physiology; ENVEJECIMIENTO; Female; Fertility - genetics; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Genes, Dominant; Genetic Variation; GENETICA; Genetics of eukaryotes. Biological and molecular evolution; GENETIQUE; HEREDITE; HERENCIA GENETICA; Hybridization, Genetic; Invertebrata; Investigations; LONGEVIDAD; LONGEVITE; Longevity - genetics; MADRE; Male; MERE; OUTBREEDING; PERFORMANCE DE REPRODUCTION; Polymorphism, Genetic; REPRODUCTIVIDAD; SELECCION; SELECTION; Selection, Genetic; SEXE; SEXO; Starvation; VIEILLISSEMENT; VIGOR HIBRIDO; VIGUEUR HYBRIDE; Insecta; Quantitative character; Ageing; Inheritance; Artificial selection; Outbreeding; Longevity; Drosophilidae; Quantitative genetics; Arthropoda; Invertebrata; Drosophila melanogaster; Diptera; Age; Fitness
• ISSN: 0016-6731; 1943-2631; 1943-2631
• DOI: 10.1093/genetics/127.4.719

Selection has been used to create replicated outbred stocks of Drosophila melanogaster with increased longevity, increased later fecundity, and increased levels of physiological performance at later ages. The present study analyzed the quantitative transmission patterns of such stocks, employing extensive replication in numbers of stocks, individuals, and assayed characters. The populations used derived from five lines with postponed aging and five control lines, all created in 1980 from the same founding base population. The following characters were studied: early 24-hr fecundity, early ovary weight, early female starvation resistance, early male starvation resistance, female longevity and male longevity. Numerous crosses were performed to test for non-Mendelian inheritance, average dominance, maternal effects, sex-linkage and between-line heterogeneity. There was only slight evidence for any of these phenomena arising reproducibly in the characters studied. These findings suggest the value of this set of stocks for studies of the physiological basis of postponed aging