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January 22nd, 2025
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East Tennessee State University
ecology
biorxiv

Ketone body b-Hydroxybutyrate does not extend lifespan, but upregulates fecundity in food-limited Daphnia, with a transgenerational effect

C. Pearson, A. C.Open in Google Scholar•Bharda, S. C.Open in Google Scholar•Yampolsky, L. Y.Open in Google Scholar

Ketone bodies accumulate on ketogenic diets and are known to have numerous beneficial health and longevity effects. Here we investigate the effects of exposure to environmental b-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), a ketone body, on longevity and fecundity of a model organism Daphnia magna, a plankton crustacean, maintained at limited food availability. We report that exposure to continuous or intermittent lifetime exposure to 2.5 - 10 mM of BHB reduces Daphnia lifespan, while intermittent exposure administered for 20-day periods has little effect on post-exposure survival, regardless of the age at exposure onset. On the other hand, various BHB exposure regimes significantly increased fecundity, including fecundity up to 100 days past a 20-day exposure. We further demonstrate that even relatively brief early life maternal exposure to BHB can increase daughters\' fecundity, although this transgenerational effect is genotype-specific. We argue that this effect must have a signaling nature rather than simply manifestation of additional source of energy provided by BHB and discuss potential significance of genetic variation in transmission of such signals.

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