Dataset Information

Biochemical Foundations of Health and Energy Conservation in Hibernating Free-Ranging Subadult Brown Bear Ursus arctos

ABSTRACT: Brown bears (Ursus arctos) hibernate for 5-7 months without eating, drinking, urinating and defecating at a metabolic rate of only 25% of the summer activity rate. Nonetheless, they emerge healthy and alert in spring. We analyzed the physiological adaptations for hibernation by comparing the proteome, metabolome, and hematologic features of blood from hibernating and active free-ranging sub-adult brown bears with a focus on conservation of health and energy. We found that the concentrations of most plasma proteins and white blood cell types decreased during hibernation. Strikingly, antimicrobial defense proteins increased in concentration. Central functions in hibernation involving the coagulation response and protease inhibition, as well as lipid transport and metabolism, were upheld by increased levels of very few key or broad-specificity proteins. A dramatic 45-fold increase in sex-hormone-binding-globulin SHBG levels during hibernation draws, for the first time, attention to its significant but unknown role in maintaining hibernation physiology. We propose that energy for the costly protein synthesis is reduced by three mechanisms, (i) dehydration, which increases protein concentration without de novo synthesis; (ii) reduced protein degradation rates due to a 6°C reduction in body temperature, decreased protease activity, and increased plasma viscosity; and (iii) a marked redistribution of energy resources only increasing de novo synthesis of few key proteins. This comprehensive global data identified novel biochemical strategies for bear adaptations to the extreme condition of hibernation, and have implications for our understanding of physiology in general.

INSTRUMENT(S): Q Exactive

ORGANISM(S): Ursus Arctos Arctos (european Brown Bear)

TISSUE(S): Blood Plasma

SUBMITTER: Malene Brohus

LAB HEAD: Karen G Welinder

PROVIDER: PXD003946 | Pride | 2016-09-27

REPOSITORIES: Pride

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Publications

Biochemical Foundations of Health and Energy Conservation in Hibernating Free-ranging Subadult Brown Bear Ursus arctos.

Welinder Karen Gjesing KG Hansen Rasmus R Overgaard Michael Toft MT Brohus Malene M Sønderkær Mads M von Bergen Martin M Rolle-Kampczyk Ulrike U Otto Wolfgang W Lindahl Tomas L TL Arinell Karin K Evans Alina L AL Swenson Jon E JE Revsbech Inge G IG Frøbert Ole O

The Journal of biological chemistry 20160908 43

Brown bears (Ursus arctos) hibernate for 5-7 months without eating, drinking, urinating, and defecating at a metabolic rate of only 25% of the summer activity rate. Nonetheless, they emerge healthy and alert in spring. We quantified the biochemical adaptations for hibernation by comparing the proteome, metabolome, and hematological features of blood from hibernating and active free-ranging subadult brown bears with a focus on conservation of health and energy. We found that total plasma protein ...[more]

PMID: 27609515

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Project description:Hibernation is energy saving adaptation involving suppression of activity to survive in highly seasonal environments. Immobility and disuse generate muscle loss in most mammalian species. In contrast to other mammals, bears and ground squirrels demonstrate limited muscle atrophy over the physical inactivity of winter hibernation. This suggests that hibernating mammals have adaptive mechanisms to prevent disuse muscle atrophy. To identify common transcriptional program underlying molecular mechanisms preventing muscle loss, we conducted a large-scale gene expression screening in hind limb muscles comparing hibernating and summer active black bears and arctic ground squirrels by the use of custom 9,600 probe cDNA microarrays. The molecular pathway analysis showed an elevated proportion of overexpressed genes involved in all stages of protein biosynthesis and ribosome biogenesis in muscle of both species during hibernation that implies induction of translation at different hibernation states. The induction of protein biosynthesis likely contributes to attenuation of disuse muscle atrophy through prolonged periods of immobility and starvation. This adaptive mechanism allows hibernating mammals to maintain full musculoskeletal function and preserve mobility during and immediately after hibernation, thus promoting survival. The lack of directional changes in genes of protein catabolic pathways does not support the importance of metabolic suppression for preserving muscle mass during winter. Coordinated reduction of multiply genes involved in oxidation reduction and glucose metabolism detected in both species is consistent with metabolic suppression and lower energy demand in skeletal muscle during inactivity of hibernation. Black bears sampled during winter hibernation were compared with the animals sampled during summer. Muscle tissue were hybridized on a custom 12,800 cDNA probe nylon membrane microarray platform . Six hibernating and six summer active bears were studied in the experiment.

Dataset Information

Biochemical Foundations of Health and Energy Conservation in Hibernating Free-Ranging Subadult Brown Bear Ursus arctos

Publications

Biochemical Foundations of Health and Energy Conservation in Hibernating Free-ranging Subadult Brown Bear Ursus arctos.

Similar Datasets

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