Figure 1.DN-Dmp53-dependent life span extension can be induced later in life and is reversible. Survivorship curves of female
ELAV-Switch-DN-Dmp53 flies demonstrate plasticity. When DN-Dmp53 expression is
turned on later in life (A; black: turned on at the day of eclosion; median life
span 50 days; grey: always turned off; median life span 34 days; red: turned on
at day 10; median life span 44 days; green: turned on at day 20; median life
span 38 days) life span can still be increased, albeit to a lesser degree than
in continuously expressing flies. Turning off DN-Dmp53 expression later in life
leads to a shortening of life span extension (B; black: turned on at the day of
eclosion; median life span 50 days; grey: always turned off; median life span 34
days; yellow: turned off at day 10; median life span 42 days; blue: turned off
at day 20; median life span 45 days), with a greater effect on life span
extension shortening when turned off earlier. (C) The age specific mortality
rates of shifted flies revert to the shape of the control curves (either
continuously-on for the turn-on experiments, or continuously-off for the
turn-off experiments) approximately 15-20 days after the food switch was
executed (colors as in A and B; the day of the food switch is indicated by a
black arrow, the approximate day the mortality rates have reverted is indicated
by colored arrows; for statistical analysis of survivorship curves please refer
to Table 1).
