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Published Online February 1, 2007
Science DOI: 10.1126/science.1136610

Reports

Submitted on October 23, 2006
Accepted on January 23, 2007

Regulation of Drosophila Life Span by Olfaction and Food-Derived Odors

Sergiy Libert 1, Jessica Zwiener 2, Xiaowen Chu 2, Wayne VanVoorhies 3, Gregg Roman 4, Scott D. Pletcher 5*

1 Huffington Center on Aging, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Interdepartmental Program in Cellular and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
2 Huffington Center on Aging, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
3 Molecular Biology Program, New Mexico State University, Post Office Box 30001, Dept 3C, Las Cruces, NM 88003, USA.
4 Biology and Biochemistry Department, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77024, USA.
5 Huffington Center on Aging, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Interdepartmental Program in Cellular and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA.

* To whom correspondence should be addressed.
Scott D. Pletcher , E-mail: pletcher{at}bcm.tmc.edu

Smell is an ancient sensory system present in organisms from bacteria to humans. In the nematode Caeonorhabditis elegans, gustatory and olfactory neurons regulate aging and longevity. Using the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, we show that exposure to nutrient-derived odorants can modulate lifespan and partially reverse the longevity-extending effects of dietary restriction. Furthermore, mutation of odorant receptor Or83b results in severe olfactory defects, alters adult metabolism, enhances stress resistance, and extends lifespan. Our findings indicate that olfaction affects adult physiology and aging in Drosophila possibly through perceived availability of nutritional resources and that olfactory regulation of lifespan is evolutionarily conserved.


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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)