Comparative transcriptomics of the Djungarian hamster hypothalamus during short photoperiod acclimation and spontaneous torpor.

ABSTRACT: The energy-saving strategy of Djungarian hamsters (Phodopus sungorus, Cricetidae) to overcome harsh environmental conditions comprises of behavioral, morphological, and physiological adjustments, including spontaneous daily torpor, a metabolic downstate. These acclimatizations are triggered by short photoperiod and orchestrated by the hypothalamus. Key mechanisms of long-term photoperiodic acclimatizations have partly been described, but specific mechanisms that acutely control torpor remain incomplete. Here, we performed comparative transcriptome analysis on hypothalamus of normometabolic hamsters in their summer- and winter-like state to enable us to identify changes in gene expression during photoperiodic acclimations. Comparing nontorpid and torpid hamsters may also be able to pin down

SUBMITTER: Haugg E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8804604 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature