The Effects of Mechanical Stress on Male and Female D. melanogaster General Activity and Survivorship

Overview

An estimated 280 million people have Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), a disorder that affects females and males differently. Within the field of MDD research using Drosophila melanogaster, flies’ neurological and behavioral responses are measured as flies are induced into a depressive-like state (DLS) often through exposure to uncontrollable stress. However, there is a lack of investigation into sex-based differential responses. This experiment subjected male and female flies to mechanical stress caused by vibration for 9 hours a day for three consecutive days, collecting data regarding flies’ general activity and survivorship. As low activity indicates a DLS, male flies were predicted to have much lower general activity levels than females when compared with corresponding control groups. After three days of treatment, locomotor tests were inconclusive. All flies had much higher general activity rates following vibration or control treatments, indicating a need for future procedural revisions. However, significantly more male experimental flies died (p=0.003) demonstrating that male flies were more affected by the mechanical stress. Future research may seek to understand physiological causes of this trend. As more is understood regarding differential sex-based mechanisms in Drosophila, human diagnosis and treatment of MDD may also improve.

Competition history

• JSHS 2023 Category not listed

Resources

• National JSHS abstract book ↗

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