An examination of stress resistance and lifespan extension in the honey bee, Apis mellifera

Many societies and health systems will soon face the unprecedented challenge of burgeoning aged populations. This demographic change will place pressure on social and medical systems, and give rise to questions concerning quality of life. Aging is often characterized by a decreased capacity for stress resistance and cognitive tasks. Thus, a longer life does not necessarily guarantee a prolonged health span, i.e., the time spent as a healthy individual. Additional research is needed to better understand and ultimately influence the connections between longevity, the decline of brain function, and health span.\nUsing the honeybee as a model system, this dissertation examines the relationship between stress and lifespan, the effects of oxidative stress on learning and sensory capacity, and the potential reversal of brain decline. By combining manipulative tools, including the alteration of oxygen environment, RNAi-mediated gene knockdown, and pharmacological intervention with behavioral assays, this dissertation demonstrates that key indicators of health and lifespan can be selectively modulated.\nSpecifically, hyperoxia negatively impacts survivorship and learning performance without compromising gustatory responsiveness. This indicates that peripheral and central brain functions are differentially affected by oxidative stress in honey bees. In addition, these differences in survivorship can be partially explained by vitellogenin, a yolk precursor protein with antioxidant properties that influences social behavior in honey bees.\nLastly, the pharmacological compound, resveratrol, extends honey bee lifespan and alters gustatory responsiveness and food consumption. Honey bees fed resveratrol eat less, suggesting that resveratrol-dependent life span extension may be driven by a mechanism related to caloric restriction(definition).\nThe overall aim of these results is to inform research on future therapies focused on slowing or stalling age-related brain decline. Moreover, they illustrate that alternative model systems in aging research can also be informative.