Death of Unfit Cells Extends Lifespan
Next, we checked if the shortened longevity observed in azot/
flies could be also rescued by killing azot-expressing cells
with hid in the absence of Azot protein. We found that azot
{KO; hid} homozygous flies had dramatically improved lifespan
with a median survival of 27 days at 29C, which represented
a 125% increase when compared to azot/ flies, and a
maximum lifespan of 34 days, 41% more than mutant flies (Figures
7K and 7L).