Vinculin-Overexpressing Heart of a Fruit Fly (IMAGE)
Caption
A new discovery in how heart muscles maintain their shape in fruit flies sheds light on the crucial relationship between cardiac function, metabolism, and longevity. Researchers have discovered that maintaining high levels of the protein vinculin confers health benefits to fruit flies. Their work, published in APL Bioengineering, shows that fruit flies bred to produce 50 percent more vinculin enjoyed better cardiovascular health and lived a third of their average life span longer. This image shows the vinculin-overexpressing heart of a fruit fly at one week of adulthood with red stain showing the contractile part of the cells.
Credit
Ayla Sessions
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