Identification of microbes endogenous to populations of Drosophila melanogaster that affect longevity

Multiple factors have been hypothesized to regulate aging in a organism. One of these is the relationship between immune function and longevity. The immune system in Drosophila melanogaster is activated by exposure to microbes, such as bacteria and viruses. Natural populations of D. melanogaster are naturally afflicted by microbes endogenous to each population. The same is true for laboratory populations of D. melanogaster. Laboratory populations of D. melanogaster are constantly exposed to their excretions, frass. The relationship between these microbes contained in the frass have not been investigated extensively, but since laboratory populations of D. melanogaster are constantly exposed to the frass when kept in cages, it is hypothesized that they play a role in aging. Characterizing microbes affecting lifespan is important to understanding the evolution of aging.;In this experiment, two populations of D. melanogaster were exposed to different treatments of frass via food contamination and longevity was monitored. Survivorship curves were generated to determine initial effect of frass had on life span. RNA isolation and RT-PCR with known virus primers and 16s rDNA primers were used to identify microbes within the frass. A method of quantitation was devised for the Nora virus. The results of this study provide insight on the role microbes in the frass have on longevity in D. melanogaster.