Oxidative stress caused by lead (Pb) induces iron deficiency in Drosophila melanogaster

Toxic elements exposure disturbs the homeostasis of essential elements in organisms, but the mechanism remains elusive. In this study, we demonstrated that Drosophila melanogaster exposed to Lead (Pb, a pervasive environmental threat to human health) exhibited various health defects, including retarded development, decreased survival rate, impaired mobility and reduced egg production. These phenotypes could be significantly modulated by either intervention of dietary iron levels or altering expression of genes involved in iron metabolism. Further study revealed that Pb exposure leads to systemic iron deficiency. Strikingly, reactive oxygen species (ROS) clearance significantly increased iron uptake by restoring the expression of iron metabolism genes in the midgut and subsequently attenuated Pb toxicity. This study highlights the role of ROS in Pb induced iron dyshomeostasis and provides unique insights into understanding the mechanism of Pb toxicity and suggests ideal ways to attenuate Pb toxicity by iron supplementation therapy or ROS clearance.