cert¹ mutants exhibit a greatly shortened lifespan compared with controls. The mutant flies begin to die by 10 days of age, with all male flies dying between 10 and 20 days of life. Although some of the females live up to 30 days, they also display premature death.

cert¹ mutant flies show decreased mobility with increasing age (as measured by a climbing assay). Old flies have a tendency to stay at the bottom of the vial and remain immobile for long periods of time.

cert¹ mutant cells exhibit a less dense, less stable plasma membrane. They are loosely packed, less homogenous, and non-discrete, and a significant fraction of the vesicles appear collapsed. cert¹ plasma membranes are more susceptible to reactive oxygen radicals and generate more lipid peroxide products than controls. There is a significant increase in hydroxynonenylation of cert¹ mutant fly proteins compared with controls. Similarly, there is increased protein carbonylation in older mutant flies.

Five-day old cert¹ flies only survive for 35 hours at 34[o]C (compared to 50 hours in 15-day old control flies). While 15-day old cert¹ flies die by 15 hours of exposure to 34[o]C. Thus, cert¹ flies show increased susceptibility to thermal stress that worsens with age.

cert¹ flies do not appear to undergo neuronal degeneration.