# Sex, not yeast or atrazine concentration, affects virgin adult Drosophila melanogaster longevity

## TL;DR

This study found that sex, not diet or atrazine exposure, influences the lifespan of fruit flies.

## Contribution

The novel finding is that sex, rather than dietary yeast or atrazine concentration, strongly affects longevity in Drosophila.

## Key findings

- Atrazine exposure and yeast concentration did not affect adult Drosophila longevity.
- Male flies had greater survival than females, indicating a strong sex effect.
- Dietary yeast and atrazine did not alter lifespan despite prior assumptions.

## Abstract

In
Drosophila melanogaster
, the herbicide atrazine is known to alter longevity, accelerate development time, and cause modifications in protein production and gene expression related to oxidative stress. A low protein diet can affect fecundity and increase lifespan in flies. The present study investigated if and how different concentrations of dietary yeast, the main protein source for lab-reared flies, affect the lifespan of
D. melanogaster
exposed to atrazine. Atrazine exposure and yeast concentration did not affect adult longevity; however, there was a strong sex effect in that males displayed greater survival than females.