Effects of starvation selection on nutrient allocation and fecundity in Drosophila Melanogaster

The life cycle of holometabolous insects is distinctly divided into three life stages: the larval, pupal, and adult stages. During the larval stage, animals accumulate energy stores in the larval fat body to be later used in the pupal and adult stages. I determined how this accumulated energy is stored in adult Drosophila melanogaster that have been selected for resistance to starvation for \u3e40 generations. I assayed carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids and found that 0 day old starvation selected flies have almost four times as much lipid content, twice as much carbohydrate, and a fairly equal amount of protein versus fed control flies. The reproductive rates of the flies, measured by the number of eggs laid, were determined using a fecundity assay. I found that starvation selected flies lay significantly fewer eggs than fed control flies. Investigation of the allocation of energy stores suggests that there is a trade-off between higher storage of lipid and carbohydrate in starvation selected flies that causes decreases in fecundity