Lifespan Protocol for Drosophila melanogaster: Generating Survival Curves to Identify Differences in Fly Longevity

Published: April 30, 2023

Abstract

Source: Bovier, T. F., et al. Methods to Test Endocrine Disruption in Drosophila melanogaster. J. Vis. Exp. (2019).

Scientists use the Drosophila lifespan protocol to measure how different experimental conditions affect flies' longevity and generate survival curves in the process to quantify the experimental outcomes. The sample protocol features the assay being applied to study the effects on longevity from exposure to varying concentrations of endocrine disruptor chemicals, or EDCs, such as 17-α-ethinylestradiol (EE2).

Protocol

This protocol is an excerpt from Bovier et al., Methods to Test Endocrine Disruption in Drosophila melanogaster, J. Vis. Exp. (2019). 1. Food Preparation For stock maintenance and for larval growth, use a cornmeal medium containing 3% powdered yeast, 10% sucrose, 9% precooked cornmeal, 0.4% agar, thereafter called Cornmeal medium (CM). Put 30 g of yeast into 100 mL of tap water, bring it to a boil and let it boil for 15 min. <…

Representative Results

Figure 1: Lifespan curves. On the left, a representative table is reported in which the number of dead flies has been recorded every 3 days, both for the treatment group (medium + EDC [0.05 mM EE2]) and for the control group (medium + solvent), throughout the entire experimental period. The mean lifespan of each group has been calculated using the MATRIX SUM.PRODUCT; the treated group shortened the m…

Materials

17α-Ethinylestradiol Sigma E4876-1G
Agar for Drosophila medium BIOSIGMA 789148
Cornmeal CA' BIANCA
Drosophila Vials BIOSIGMA 789008 25 mm x 95 mm
Drosophila Vials BIOSIGMA 789009 29 mm x 95 mm
Drosophila Vials Kaltek 187 22 mm x 63 mm
Ethanol FLUKA 2860
Glass Bottle 250 mL Bottles
Glass Vials Microtech ST 10024 Flat bottom tube 100 x 24
Instant Success yeast ESKA Powdered yeast
Methyl4-hydroxybenzoate SIGMA H5501
Stereomicroscope with LED lights Leica S4E
Sucrose HIMEDIA MB025
Hand blender Pimmy Ariete food processor

Play Video

Cite This Article
Lifespan Protocol for Drosophila melanogaster: Generating Survival Curves to Identify Differences in Fly Longevity. J. Vis. Exp. (Pending Publication), e20104, doi: (2023).

View Video