GoKawiil
Tech News
Researchers using Drosophila melanogaster generated a new fly line, Lsp2-muGFP, via CRISPR-Cas9 to track the storage protein Lsp2, alongside RNAi knockdown lines targeting Lsp2 and related genes. The experiments used tissue-specific and stage-specific gene drivers to study how larval nutrition influences protein translation and lifespan in adult flies.
Researchers studying Drosophila found that mutating the Lsp2 gene altered translation of TOP mRNAs, particularly those encoding ribosomal proteins, and changed ribosomal subunit ratios and lifespan compared to control flies. They further showed that removing the translational repressor 4E-BP (Thor) shifted how dietary protein levels affect lifespan, without changing mTORC1 activity or overall protein synthesis rates, indicating a specific rather than general translational effect.