Year
2024
Season
Summer
Paper Type
Master's Thesis
College
College of Arts and Sciences
Degree Name
Master of Science in Biology (MS)
Department
Biology
NACO controlled Corporate Body
University of North Florida. Department of Biology
First Advisor
Dr. John D. Hatle
Second Advisor
Dr. Adam Rosenblatt
Third Advisor
Dr. Candice G. Tahimic
Department Chair
Dr. Cliff Ross
College Dean
Kaveri Subrahmanyam
Abstract
Finding interventions to break the trade-off between reproduction and lifespan can provide insight into physiological limitations of animals. Effects of dietary protein quality on the trade-off are currently unclear, but clarity could lead to better designed diets that match animal needs. Dietary amino acid blends matching yolk proteins support reproduction and extend lifespan in fruit flies. To test if this is conserved across species, we matched dietary amino acids to vitellogenin to test reproduction and lifespan in adult females of the lubber grasshopper. Specifically, we compared varying degrees of protein quality by manipulating dietary essential amino acids. We identified a high-quality protein diet (amino acids matched to vitellogenin, or reproductive needs) that increased reproduction and matched lifespan in comparison to diets that differed only in the ratios of essential amino acids (i.e., were isocaloric and isonitrogenous). All these diets had longer lifespan but lower reproductive output than fully fed controls. In a separate experiment, full reproduction was possible on the high-quality artificial diet when offered at a 78% higher protein quantity and with a larger lettuce supplement (~17% of ad libitum). Additionally, we observed that as dietary protein quality was decreased (i.e., diets were less matched to vitellogenin), reproduction was reduced, and lifespan was extended in the more extreme scenarios. Taken together, this result indicates that the balance of dietary essential amino acids plays an important role in the lifespan and reproduction trade-off, while more work needs to be conducted to find the optimal diet mix for this species.
Suggested Citation
Kordek, Emma, "High-quality dietary protein (essential amino acids matched to reproductive needs) partially breaks the lifespan and reproduction trade-off in lubber grasshoppers" (2024). UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations. 1284.
https://digitalcommons.unf.edu/etd/1284