Involvement of Prx3, a Drosophila ortholog of the thiol-dependent peroxidase PRDX3, in age-dependent oxidative stress resistance.

Peroxiredoxins (Prxs) are a family of multifunctional antioxidant thioredoxin-dependent peroxidases. We used Drosophila melanogaster to examine the function of Prx3, the Drosophila homolog of human PRDX3. The oxidative stress response in adult Drosophila is age-dependent. RNAiinduced Prx3 knockdown in adult flies did not change their phenotype in normal conditions, but they had a shorter survival than the Prx3(+) controls in the presence of H2O2. The expression levels of the Prx3 were reduced by aging. These results suggest that Prx3 plays an important role in the oxidative stress response and is involved in the age-dependent competence of the oxidative stress response.