Shuttle craft Gene Affects Lifespan of Drosophila melanogaster by Controlling Early Development and Modifying Aging Program

Fundamental mechanisms underlying genetic control of lifespan are intensively studied and discussed due to the increasing importance of extending healthy human life. The stc gene of the model organism Drosophila melanogaster encodes a transcription factor, homolog of the human transcription factor NF-X1, involved in regulation of neuronal development and other processes, as well as in control of lifespan. In this work, we demonstrate that the stc knockdown in embryonic and nerve cells leads to changes in lifespan, with the nature of changes depending on the cell type and sex of individuals. Based on our results, we suggest that stc gene is involved in transcription regulation throughout life, and, as a result, also affects a complex integral trait, lifespan. At the same time, we show that the reduction of stc expression in neurons can alleviate the negative effect of glutamate on longevity, possibly preventing development of glutamate excitotoxicity, thus modifying the cell death program and preventing death of individuals due to phenoptosis.