Effects of cell growth and temperature on mitochondrial physiology of Drosophila melanogaster embryonic cell line

The fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster is a valuable model for studying cellular and metabolic processes conserved with mammals. Using its embryonic Schneider S2 cell line, commonly used for heterologous protein expression, we investigated how culture duration and slight temperature changes affect mitochondrial physiology via high-resolution respirometry. We assessed five mitochondrial bioenergetic parameters and two coupling parameters at early and late growth phases, and at two temperatures (26°C and 28°C). We observed that a moderate temperature increase coupled with late growth phase synergistically enhanced basal, OXPHOS, and leak respiration, with only minor impacts on mitochondrial coupling efficiency. Notably, spare and maximal respiratory capacities increased disproportionately with either cell growth progression or moderate temperature rise, suggestive of enhanced mitochondrial biogenesis. These results demonstrate that small temperature increases and cell maturation activate mitochondrial bioenergetic capacity through mechanisms consistent with mitochondrial biogenesis and functional remodeling. Such adaptations improve cellular metabolic resilience while maintaining energy conversion efficiency. These findings deepen understanding of mitochondrial plasticity in response to environmental and developmental signals. They may inform strategies to optimize mitochondrial physiology in various biological contexts, including aging, metabolic diseases, and stress adaptation.