Early high-fat diet changes adult metabolism in fruit flies

Larval exposure to a high-fat diet is associated with extensive transcriptional changes in the adult fat body.

• Transcriptional changes include repression of genes related to energy production and increased accumulation of reactive oxygen species.
• The adult head showed a lesser transcriptional response compared to the fat body after high-fat diet exposure.
• Gut microbiota analysis revealed persistent changes in the microbial community structure and diversity following dietary exposure.
• Interventions with specific compounds and bacteria improved mitochondrial function and respiratory capacity in adults.
• Findings suggest that metabolic dysfunction and microbial alterations from early dietary stress may be partially reversible.

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