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Surprising protein links dietary restriction to increased lifespan in flies

Published: 09/23/2026, 12:00 AM

Linda Partridge is at the Institute of Healthy Ageing, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK, and in the Research Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London. Search author on: PubMed Google Scholar Dietary restriction, which is a reduction in normal food intake short of malnutrition, can improve health and increase lifespan in a range of animals1 and can confer health benefits in humans2. Many systems in the body respond to nutrients and mediate the effects of dietary restriction3. Writing in Nature, Kosakamoto et al.4 and Wang et al.5 report experiments in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster that uncover molecular mechanisms underlying the effects of dietary restriction and raise intriguing questions. Access Nature and 54 other Nature Portfolio journals Get Nature+, our best-value online-access subscription Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout Fontana, L. & Partridge, L. Cell 161, 106–118 (2015). Article PubMed Google Scholar Dorling, J. L. et al. Nutr. Rev. 79, 98–113 (2021). Article PubMed Google Scholar