Metabolomics of anoxia tolerance in D. melanogaster: evidence against substrate limitation and for roles of protective metabolites and paralytic hypometabolism.

Metabolomics of anoxia tolerance in D. melanogaster: evidence against substrate limitation and for roles of protective metabolites and paralytic hypometabolism. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol. 2019 Jul 19;: Authors: Campbell JB, Werkhoven S, Harrison JF Abstract Animals vary tremendously in their capacities to survive anoxia, and the mechanisms responsible are poorly understood. Adult Drosophila melanogaster are rapidly paralyzed and survive up to 12 h of anoxia, while larvae vigorously attempt escape but then die if anoxia exceeds 2 h. Here we use H-NMR methods to compare the metabolome of larvae and adult D. melanogaster under normoxic conditions and after various anoxic durations up to one hour. Glucose increased during anoxia in both larvae and adults, so anoxic death by carbohydrate limitation is unlikely for either stage. Lactate and alanine were the primary anaerobic end-products in both adults and larvae. During the first 30 min of anoxia, larvae accumulated anaerobic end-products (predominately lactate) at a higher rate, suggesting larvae may experience greater initial acid-base disruption during anoxic exposures. Adult Drosophila did not possess higher levels of putative protective metabolites; however, these increased during anoxia in adults and decreased in larvae. Metabolites that decreased during anoxia in larvae included mannitol, xylitol, glycerol, betaine, serine and tyrosine, perhaps due to use as fuels, ant...
Source: American Journal of Physiology. Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology - Category: Physiology Authors: Tags: Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol Source Type: research