Environmental Ethanol at Low Concentrations: Longevity and Development in the Sibling Species Drosophila Melanogaster and D. Simulans.

Abstract

D. simulans adults show an increase in longevity when exposed to 0.5-3.0% atmospheric ethanol in the absence of other food. The offspring produced in atmospheric ethanol also developed best at 0.5-3.0%. D. melanogaster adults show longevity increases, when exposed to 0.5-9.0% ethanol, which always exceed D. simulans; these increases are maximal in the 0.5-3.0% range. Larvae of D. melanogaster developed at all concentrations of ethanol, and at 0.5% to the adult stage. For development times, both species show minima at similar low ethanol concentrations. Therefore both species show maximum fitness at low alcohol concentrations, but only D. melanogaster can utilize high concentrations. This parallels the field situation, since D. simulans coexists with D. melanogaster at low concentrations, while only the latter is found at high concentrations.

HERITABLE VARIATION IN RESOURCE UTILIZATION AND RESPONSE IN A WINERY POPULATION OFDROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER

“…For example in 1988, D. melanogaster constituted 99% of the flies caught at the grape residue pile, but only 10% ofthe adults caught in the orchard fruit traps. These species differ in ethanol utilization in an adult longevity extension test used in this study, D. melanogaster utilizing ethanol as a metabolic resource to a much greater extent than D. simulans (Parsons et al, 1979). Given this result, the species ratio difference is consistent with the heritable increase in longevity of D. melanogaster from the residue pile.…”

Alcohol Consumption as Self-Medication against Blood-Borne Parasites in the Fruit Fly

“…Fly consumption of food with moderate levels of ethanol (i.e. less than 4% by volume) results in increased fitness [16-18], but consumption of higher ethanol concentrations (i.e. greater than 4%) causes increasing fly mortality [18-20].…”

Ethanol tolerance, alcohol-dehydrogenase activity and Adh allozymes in Drosophila melanogaster

“…Seven concentrations of ethanol were tested, 0, 0.5, 1.5, 3.0, 6.0, 9.0 and 12.0% by volume. Longevity was the measure of ethanol tolerance using a system designed by Starmer et al (1977) and used by Parsons et al (1979) and elsewhere. Approximately 1 g of cottonwool is placed in the bottom of an empty 40 ml vial, and 10 ml of a test solution added (water or one of the ethanol concentrations).…”