Environmental and genetic factors significantly influence the aging process. While genetic determinants of human longevity remain difficult to identify, non-genetic factors such as diet, environmental quality, and lifestyle can induce heritable modifications of DNA and histones. Drosophila melanogaster is widely used in lifespan research, as modifications in specific lifespan-related genes lead to distinct phenotypes, including short- and long-lived populations.

This project explores physiological, metabolic, and gene expression changes in artificially selected short-lived Drosophila exposed to a high-protein diet (Yurkevych et al., 2020). This dietary intervention allows selection of flies with either extended lifespans under protein-enriched conditions or shortened lifespans on a regular diet. The study aims to uncover heritable mechanisms that regulate lifespan. Key objectives include analyzing diet- and gender-specific lifespan changes, investigating age-dependent shifts in carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, and identifying histone modifications affecting chromatin structure.

Preliminary findings suggest that parental nutrition alters offspring metabolism (Strilbytska et al., 2020). This study will explore transgenerational signaling mechanisms and potential pro-longevity genes. Identification of altered genomic regions and their comparison with mammalian counterparts, including humans, may provide insights into novel regulatory mechanisms of lifespan and aging. Given the high genetic conservation between Drosophila and humans, these findings could contribute to identifying new therapeutic targets for age-related disorders. A deeper understanding of factors influencing healthy aging could support new strategies for lifespan extension. The results of this project will be summarized in an experimental paper and presented at specialized scientific conferences.