The molecular basis was sought for the previously observed drop in the synthesis of elongation factor one (EF-1) and subsequent decline in overall protein synthesis in aging Drosophila melanogaster. It has been found that translatable poly(A+)RNA for EF-1 disappears at about the same time that EF-1 synthesis decreases. This disappearance is specific for EF-1, since overall poly(A+)RNA levels and their translation to cellular proteins remain constant over the life-span of the organism. The disappearance of translatable RNA is not the result of a specific loss of the polyadenylate segment of poly(A+)RNA, since poly(A-)RNA exhibits a similar specific loss of translation ability for EF-1.