Research Article
Geetanjali Sageena, Nalini
Abstract
The purpose of present study was to assess the affect of heavy metals in the larval diet on energy budget of the adult flies, in response to exposure of growing larvae to diet laced with specific heavy metals as seen in energy depleted populations of Drosophila melanogaster as a result of selection for faster preadult development and compare with changing energy dynamics of normal fly population. Our results show that the long lived flies have reduced stress tolerance compared to normal flies, reaffirming the finding that stress tolerance and adult lifespan are not tightly correlated. The results clearly demonstrate the dynamic nature of relationship between different life history traits such as longevity and stress resistance to be strongly mediated through internal energy levels of the flies.