Tissue-specific telomere dynamics in hibernating arctic ground squirrels (Urocitellus parryii).

ABSTRACT: Hibernation is used by a variety of mammals to survive seasonal periods of resource scarcity. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) released during periodic rewarming throughout hibernation, however, may induce oxidative damage in some tissues. Telomeres, which are the terminal sequences of linear chromosomes, may shorten in the presence of ROS, and thus the telomere length of an individual reflects the degree of accrued oxidative damage. This study quantified telomere length dynamics throughout hibernation in arctic ground squirrels (Urocitellus parryii). We hypothesized that telomere dynamics are tissue specific and predicted that telomere shortening would be most pronounced in brown adipose tissue (BAT), the organ that directly supports non-shivering thermogenesis during arousals. We used qPCR

SUBMITTER: Wilbur SM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6765172 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature