ArticleThe Journal of experimental biology2012
Aging modulates cuticular hydrocarbons and sexual attractiveness in Drosophila melanogaster.
Article in The Journal of experimental biology, 2012. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 47 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
47 citing papers in PubMed.
- Genome-wide association studies identify new candidate genes and tissues underlying resistance to a natural toxin in drosophilids.G3 (Bethesda, Md.) · 2026Article
- Temporal shifts in insect cuticular hydrocarbons in response to experimental desiccation.PloS one · 2026Article
- Recognition of a Mating Partner Using Cuticular Hydrocarbons in a Species with an Extreme Intra-sexual Dimorphism.Journal of chemical ecology · 2025Article
- Complexity of Chemical Emissions Increases Concurrently with Sexual Maturity in Heliconius Butterflies.Journal of chemical ecology · 2024Article
- Behavioural consequences of intraspecific variability in a mate recognition signal.Proceedings. Biological sciences · 2024Article
- Bacterial and fungal components of the microbiome have distinct roles in HawaiianISME communications · 2024Article
- Learning from fights: Males' social dominance status impact reproductive success in Drosophila melanogaster.PloS one · 2024Article
- The neuropeptide drosulfakinin enhances choosiness and protects males from the aging effects of social perception.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2023Article
- The Cuticular Hydrocarbons of Dasineura Oleae Show Differences Between Sex, Adult Age and Mating Status.Journal of chemical ecology · 2023Article
- Bacterial and fungal components of the gut microbiome have distinct, sex-specific roles in HawaiianbioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2023Article
- Endosymbiotic Male-KillingApplied and environmental microbiology · 2022Article
- Aging-Related Variation of Cuticular Hydrocarbons in Wild Type and Variant Drosophila melanogaster.Journal of chemical ecology · 2022Article
- Endocrine Regulation of Lifespan in Insect Diapause.Frontiers in physiology · 2022Review
- Social perception of young adults prolongs the lifespan of aged Drosophila.NPJ aging and mechanisms of disease · 2021Article
- Common features of aging fail to occur iniScience · 2021Article
- Mating behaviour, mate choice and female resistance in the bean flower thrips (Megalurothrips sjostedti).Scientific reports · 2021Article
- Cuticular hydrocarbons for identifying Sarcophagidae (Diptera).Scientific reports · 2021Article
- Post-eclosion temperature effects on insect cuticular hydrocarbon profiles.Ecology and evolution · 2021Article
- Inheritance of pheromone profiles from agedmicroPublication biology · 2021Article
- Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
Abstract
Attractiveness is a major component of sexual selection that is dependent on sexual characteristics, such as pheromone production, which often reflect an individual's fitness and reproductive potential. Aging is a process that results in a steady decline in survival and reproductive output, yet little is known about its effect on specific aspects of attractiveness. In this report we asked how aging impacts pheromone production and sexual attractiveness in Drosophila melanogaster. Evidence suggests that key pheromones in Drosophila are produced as cuticular hydrocarbons (CHC), whose functions in attracting mates and influencing behavior have been widely studied. We employed gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry to show that the composition of D. melanogaster CHC is significantly affected by aging in both sexes and that these changes are robust to different genetic backgrounds. Aging affected the relative levels of many individual CHC, and it shifted overall hydrocarbon profiles to favor compounds with longer chain lengths. We also show that the observed aging-related changes in CHC profiles are responsible for a significant reduction in sexual attractiveness. These studies illuminate causal links among pheromones, aging and attractiveness and suggest that CHC production may be an honest indicator of animal health and fertility.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.