Aging and its relation to cell growth and differentiation in Drosophila imaginal discs: developmental response to growth restricting conditions.

The development of Drosophila organ discs can be arrested by culturing them in adult male flies. These aged discs lose some of their differentiation competence and form incomplete imaginal structures. The more advanced the aging, the greater the loss of competence. Discs made to differentiate prematurely show deficiencies similar to aged discs. The age-induced defects can be repaired in a larval milieu. Special hormonal conditions, but not cell multiplication, are apparently involved in the recovery process.