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. 2007 Mar;42(3):247-51.
doi: 10.1016/j.exger.2006.10.009. Epub 2006 Nov 27.

Counting calories in Drosophila diet restriction

Kyung-Jin Min  1 , Thomas Flatt, Indrek Kulaots, Marc Tatar
Affiliations

Counting calories in Drosophila diet restriction

Kyung-Jin Min et al. Exp Gerontol. 2007 Mar.

Abstract

The extension of life span by diet restriction in Drosophila has been argued to occur without limiting calories. Here we directly measure the calories assimilated by flies when maintained on full- and restricted-diets. We find that caloric intake is reduced on all diets that extend life span. Flies on low-yeast diet are long-lived and consume about half the calories of flies on high-yeast diets, regardless of the energetic content of the diet itself. Since caloric intake correlates with yeast concentration and thus with the intake of every metabolite in this dietary component, it is premature to conclude for Drosophila that calories do not explain extension of life span.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Longevity, virtual calories, and caloric intake
(A) Longevity. Reducing yeast content of the diet had a much greater effect on life span than reducing sugar content of the diet. (B) Virtual Calories: Plot of median life span relative to diet energetic value. Data are presented with the format of figure 3 in Mair et al. (2005). (C) Assimilated Calories: Plot of median life span (among replicate mean and s.e.) relative to calories of body and laid eggs per capita (among replicate mean and s.e.). Correlation between life span and assimilated calories is strong and significant.
Figure 1
Figure 1. Longevity, virtual calories, and caloric intake
(A) Longevity. Reducing yeast content of the diet had a much greater effect on life span than reducing sugar content of the diet. (B) Virtual Calories: Plot of median life span relative to diet energetic value. Data are presented with the format of figure 3 in Mair et al. (2005). (C) Assimilated Calories: Plot of median life span (among replicate mean and s.e.) relative to calories of body and laid eggs per capita (among replicate mean and s.e.). Correlation between life span and assimilated calories is strong and significant.
Figure 1
Figure 1. Longevity, virtual calories, and caloric intake
(A) Longevity. Reducing yeast content of the diet had a much greater effect on life span than reducing sugar content of the diet. (B) Virtual Calories: Plot of median life span relative to diet energetic value. Data are presented with the format of figure 3 in Mair et al. (2005). (C) Assimilated Calories: Plot of median life span (among replicate mean and s.e.) relative to calories of body and laid eggs per capita (among replicate mean and s.e.). Correlation between life span and assimilated calories is strong and significant.
Figure 2
Figure 2. Body and egg mass of female by variation of yeast and sugar contents
Mass of females (ovary and immature eggs inclusive) and produced eggs was estimated from eclosion through 5 d old. High-yeast induces high egg production and weight gain. Note that low-sugar further elevates egg production.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Comment in

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