Octopamine-sensitive adenylyl cyclase and G proteins in Ceratitis capitata brain during aging

The loss of the ability in signalling transduction constitutes an attractive hypothesis to explain the age-related loss of functions in the nervous system. In this paper we have examined adenylyl cyclase and G proteins in Ceratitis capitata brain during aging. The intermediate level of complexity of the Mediterranean fruit fly and its short lifespan make it a particularly interesting system for aging studies. Adenylyl cyclase basal activity decreased in the course of aging. By contrast, neither guanine nucleotide-induced activation of adenylyl cyclase nor Gs protein levels were modified. However, adenylyl cyclase activation by octopamine, which is a major neurotransmitter, neuromodulator and neurohormone in insects, was lost during aging. This observation correlated with a decrease in octopamine binding to brain plasma membranes that was due to a decrease in both receptor affinity and binding sites. On the other hand, we observed an increase in the expression of C. capitata Go protein with age, as revealed by pertussis toxin-catalysed ADP-ribosylation and immunoblotting experiments, that was not correlated with an increase in beta subunit levels. This report constitutes the first direct evidence for the participation of a Go protein in aging in the nervous system.