Age dependent gene and transposon expression in male wildtype (wDAH) and FOXO deletion (wDAH ?94) fly strains.

Transposable elements (TE) are mobile sequences of DNA that can become transcriptionally active as an animal ages. Activation of the stress response transcription factor FOXO can increase longevity in flies and worms. Research into the subject has centered on metabolism as the driver of aging. Whether TE activity is a byproduct of heterochromatin breakdown or can contribute towards the aging process is not known. Neither is the potential effect of FOXO on TE expression during aging. Here we examine dFOXO's effect on TE expression during aging by using bulk RNAseq of whole male flies. Overall design: Comparative gene expression analysis of RNA-seq data from male wildtype (wDAH) and dFOXO deletion (wDAH ?94) whole flies at 5 days-old and 30 days-old. 3 biological replicates were analyzed per timepoint.