Dietary restriction is evolutionarily conserved on the phenotypic and mechanistic level.

Dietary restriction induces conserved phenotypic responses but involves largely species-specific genetic mechanisms across eight Drosophila species.

• Why it matters: Understanding whether the anti-aging effects of dietary restriction are driven by conserved mechanisms is crucial for translating findings across species, including humans, and for developing targeted interventions.
• What they did: The study examined longevity and fecundity responses to dietary restriction in eight Drosophila species and performed comparative transcriptomics on orthologous genes, focusing on the evolutionary history of gene expression changes.
• The result: While many transcriptional responses to dietary restriction are species-specific, 12 of 15 conserved genes tested influenced lifespan, indicating some core mechanisms are evolutionarily conserved and relevant for human aging research.