Mitochondrial superoxide and hydrogen peroxide generation, protein oxidative damage, and longevity in different species of flies

The objective of this study was to further elucidate the role of oxidative stress in the aging process by determining whether or not the rates of mitochondrial superoxide anion radical and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) production, the activity of cytochrome c oxidase, and the concentration of protein carbonyls are correlated with the life span potential of different species. A comparison was made among five different species of dipteran flies, namely, Drosophila melanogaster (fruit fly), Musca domestica (house fly), Sarcophaga bullata (flesh fly), Calliphora vicina (blow fly) and Phaenecia sericata (a species of blow flies), which range more than 2-fold in their life span potentials. The average life span potential of these species was found to be inversely correlated with the rates of mitochondrial superoxide and H2O2 production and with the level of protein carbonyls, and to be directly related to the activity of cytochrome c oxidase. The significance of these findings in context of the validity of the oxidative stress hypothesis of aging is discussed. It is inferred that longer life span potential in these insect species is associated with relatively low levels of oxidant generation and oxidative molecular damage. These results accord with our previous findings on different mammalian species.