Parallelism and Paradoxes on Viability and the Life Span of Two Loss-of-Function Mutations: Heat Shock Protein Transcriptional Regulator hsf1 and l(2)gl Tumor Suppressor in Drosophila melanogaster

In this study we analyzed how a dosage decrease in mono- and diheterozygotes on both lethal alleles of the lgl-gene and hsf heat shock regulator influences viability and life span at optimal and high temperature 29 degrees C conditions. We found that hsf(1)/+ (1 dosage of active hsf-factor) heterozygote animals had significantly increased viability (up to 30-39%) in case of its development from egg to imago under the stress of 29 degrees C. However, this stress-protective effect of a decreased dosage of HSF1 was suppressed in diheterozygotes, while the dosage of tumor suppressor lgl was simultaneously decreased. Under stress temperature conditions, a decrease in dosage of one of the alleles also increased the average life span and delayed aging, especially in the case of maternal inheritance of each of the loss-of-function mutations. In diheterozygotes the average life span had intermediate meanings. However, in diheterozygote males under stress conditions the positive longevity effect of hsf was suppressed in the presence of the lgl-mutation. Paradoxically, that decrease of expression of each of the studied vital genes provided a positive effect on both viability and life span under stress conditions. However, a simultaneous dosage decrease of two loss-of-function alleles in diheterozygotes resulted in disbalanced effects on the organism level. The received data indicate interaction between HSF1 and LGL gene products during ontogenesis and stress-defending processes.