"The Iditarod Protein: Uniting Exercise, Cold Resistance, and Cell Repair in Fly Fitness"
Researchers have discovered a protein in fruit flies called Iditarod, which is related to human irisin and plays a crucial role in exercise benefits and cold adaptation. The gene, Iditarod, is involved in the autophagy process, which helps clean up damaged cells during intense exercise. Flies lacking the Iditarod gene had impaired exercise endurance and were unable to tolerate cold. This study highlights the evolutionary significance of this gene family in both invertebrates and mammals, emphasizing its role in muscle damage repair during exercise.