ABSTRACT Different polymorphic elements of the enzyme glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) are favoured under selection for long versus short life span. Replicate independently selected

populations of short-lived individuals exhibit a more rapidly migrating and less actively staining allozyme, while long-lived populations have a slower migrating and more active allozyme.

These correspond to the common ZwA and ZwB variants of the G6PD locus Zw. _In vitro_ measurements show G6PD activity varies with allozymes and life span. Long-lived males have 64 per cent

greater activity in G6PD, while females of long-lived strains are 108 per cent higher than those of short-lived strains. Previous studies of these strains have repeatedly demonstrated

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AND AFFILIATIONS * Department of Biological Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, 48202, MI, USA L S Luckinbill, V Riha & S Rhine * Department of Biological Sciences, Oakland

University, Rochester, 48309, MI, USA T A Grudzien Authors * L S Luckinbill View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * V Riha View author

publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * S Rhine View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * T A Grudzien View

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Rhine, S. _et al._ The role of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase in the evolution of longevity in _Drosophila melanogaster_. _Heredity_ 65, 29–38 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1038/hdy.1990.66

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