Amino acid quality modifies the quantitative availability of protein for reproduction in Drosophila melanogaster

A dietary sterol trade off determines lifespan responses to dietary restriction in Drosophila melanogaster

“…To examine the interactive effects of dietary protein, carbohydrate, and cholesterol on Drosophila lifespan and fecundity, we used our completely defined (holidic) diet (Piper et al, 2014) to manipulate each nutrient independently of all others. We selected dietary protein and carbohydrate concentrations that we know to elicit the full range of lifespan and fecundity responses to dietary restriction (Lee et al, 2008;Piper et al, 2014Piper et al, , 2017Ma et al, 2020).…”

“…These diets also made up a three-diet series of protein only dilution, and a three-diet series of carbohydrate only dilution (Figure 1a). The two diet series had one diet in common, which was our most commonly used, "standard" lab diet (Piper et al, 2014) .These diets incorporate those known to maximise either lifespan, reproduction or both (Ma et al, 2020;Piper et al, 2017). To examine the effects of cholesterol on these traits, we selected four cholesterol concentrations for each of these five diets, making a total of 20 diets (Figure 1b, Table 1).…”

“…To convert amino acids to protein equivalents, we used the molar quantities of nitrogen and the assumption that N makes up 16% of whole proteins (Sosulski and Imafidon, 1990). In this case, an amino acid ratio matched to the exome of adult flies (Flyaa) was utilised, (Ma et al, 2020;Piper et al, 2017). Finally, for practical reasons we used cholesterol in the diet as opposed to ergosterol, because it is easily accessible, and where studied, has been shown to be adequate to support drosophila adult nutrition to the same extend as a yeast-based diet (Piper et al, 2014).…”

Drosophila melanogaster females prioritise dietary sterols for producing high quality eggs

“…This diet was made using the holidic medium described in Piper et al (2014), in which free amino acids are used to make up protein equivalents. In this case, an amino acid ratio matched to the exome of adult flies (Flyaa) was utilised (Piper et al, 2017;Ma et al, 2020;Zanco et al, 2021). One of two cholesterol concentrations (0 and 0.3g/l) (Glentham Life Sciences, GEO100, #100IEZ) were then added to the otherwise identical media.…”

Diet’s impact dictated by synonymous mitochondrial SNP interacting with nucleotype

“…Offspring quality and quantity will depend on fertility, fecundity, and development (viability) of those offspring, each of which are influenced by diet. Equivalent changes in these traits can be elicited in distinct taxa by equivalent dietary changes: for example, in numerous studies of insects and mammals, amino acid nutrition has proven consistently important for fertility, fecundity and offspring development (Bong et al, 2014; Crean and Senior, 2019; Dong et al, 2016; Fanson et al, 2012; Grandison et al, 2009; Jensen et al, 2015; Lee et al, 2008; Leitão-Gonçalves et al, 2017; Liang and Zhang, 2006; Ma et al, 2020; Maklakov et al, 2008; McCracken et al, 2020; Mirth et al, 2018; Skorupa et al, 2008; Solon-Biet et al, 2015; Svajgr et al, 1972; Tufarelli et al, 2015; Winship et al, 2018; Wong et al, 2014a; Zanco et al, 2020); whereas high-lipid or high-sugar diets are obesogenic (Dobson et al, 2019; Hariri and Thibault, 2010; Jang et al, 2018; Rivera et al, 2015; Saud et al, 2015; Wong et al, 2014b; Woodcock et al, 2015; Zhao et al, 2020). However, importantly, reproduction is not only regulated by the individual’s current diet: large nutritional fluctuations can induce enduring physiological and molecular changes, which can transmit across generations, influencing quality of offspring and even grand-offspring (Barker and Osmond, 1986; Barker and Thornburg, 2013; Deas et al, 2019; Duque-Guimarães and Ozanne, 2017; Holland et al, 2016; Li et al, 2018; Liang and Zhang, 2006; Öst et al, 2014; Rivera et al, 2015; Stefana et al, 2017; Wei et al, 2014; Winship et al, 2018).…”