Administration of Essential Phospholipids Prevents <i>Drosophila Melanogaster</i> Oocytes from Responding to Change in Gravity

Abstract

The aim of this study was to prevent initial changes in Drosophila melanogaster oocytes under simulated weightlessness and hypergravity at the 2 g level. Phospholipids with polyunsaturated fatty acids in the tail groups (essential phospholipids) at a concentration of 500 mg/kg of nutrient medium were used as a protective agent. Cell stiffness was determined using atomic force microscopy, the change in the oocytes’ area was assessed as a mark of deformation, and the contents of cholesterol and neutral lipids were determined using fluorescence microscopy. The results indicate that the administration of essential phospholipids leads to a decrease in the cholesterol content in the oocytes’ membranes by 13% (p p p < 0.05), respectively, compared to the control, but essential phospholipids prevented this effect.

Keywords

• mechanoreception
• weightlessness
• hypergravity
• oocyte
• cholesterol
• <i>Drosophila melanogaster</i>