Mitochondrial effects on diet-mediated temperature responses (DMTR) in Drosophila melanogaster

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Klaus Reinhardt
• Subject Area: Evolution, Anthropology
• Term: since 2021
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 468236229

The temperature response of ectotherms is known to be affected by dietary lipids, mitochondria and genotype in isolation but their non-additive interaction effects hampers our ability to predict adaptive changes. Specifically created Drosophila melanogaster mito-nuclear introgression lines whose genomes were sourced from two thermally different geographic regions allow us to separate mitochondrial from nuclear effects. These lines will be exposed to two diets and three temperatures and their responses examined at four levels. We will determine survival and fecundity differences, correcting for mitochondrial copy number. We will test the predicted adaptive change in a multi-year mitochondrial haplotype competition experiment. To identify physiological processes underlying organismal variation, we will examine larval growth, adult motility and neuronal responses, correcting for variation caused by food intake. To connect the physiological with the cellular level, we will measure cellular and mitochondrial membrane fluidity and composition and ROS concentration.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants