A cost of reproduction: oxidative stress susceptibility is associated withincreased egg production in Drosophila melanogaster

The present study tests the hypothesis that reproduction is correlated with decreased oxidative stress resistance. In numerous species, it has been ob served that longevity is negatively correlated with reproduction but the ph ysiological basis of this cost is not well understood. In the present study , female egg production was stimulated by adding live yeast to the surface of Drosophila food. After females were held on yeast-supplemented and unmod ified medium for 6-12 days, susceptibility to oxidative stress was measured by exposure to methyl viologen. Added yeast was associated with stress sus ceptibility of fertile females but not of sterile females. The results of t he present study suggest that oxidative stress susceptibility is a physiolo gical cost of reproduction. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reser ved.