Abstract
Hibernation is a physiological adaptation to overcome extreme environmental conditions. It is characterized by prolonged periods of torpor interrupted by temporary arousals during winter. During torpor, body functions are suppressed and restored rapidly to almost pre-hibernation levels during arousal. Although molecular studies have been performed on hibernating rodents and bears, it is unclear how generalizable the results are among hibernating species with different physiology such as bats. As targeted blood proteomic analysis are lacking in small hibernators, we investigated the general plasma proteomic profile of European Myotis myotis and hibernation associated changes between torpid and active individuals by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. Results revealed an alternation of proteins involved in transport, fuel switching, innate immunity and blood coagulation between the two physiological states. The results suggest that metabolic changes during hibernation are associated with plasma proteomic changes. Further characterization of the proteomic plasma profile identified transport proteins, coagulation proteins and complement factors and detected a high abundance of alpha-fetoprotein. We were able to establish for the first time a basic myotid bat plasma proteomic profile and further demonstrated a modulated protein expression during torpor in Myotis myotis, indicating both novel physiological pathways in bats in general, and during hibernation in particular.
Highlights
Differences occur at the protein level in heart[10], intestine[11], liver[12] and skeletal muscles[13] of ground squirrels (Ictidomys tridecemlineatus)
Rodent hibernation is associated with immunosuppression[4], highlighting the importance of research on blood proteomics in small mammalian hibernators given the lack of a universal mammalian hibernation proteomic profile
We observed differential expression for 13 of 204 detectable spots between the active and torpid state representing 6.4% of the total detected protein spots, a similar proportion observed by targeted serum proteomic analysis in American black bears[21]
Summary
Differences occur at the protein level in heart[10], intestine[11], liver[12] and skeletal muscles[13] of ground squirrels (Ictidomys tridecemlineatus) In these tissues, increased expression levels of proteins involved in glycolysis, glycogenesis and amino acid catabolism were observed during the active state, while hibernation was characterized by increased expression of proteins involved in fatty acid catabolism. Bats are the only mammalian group capable of powered flight, which has selected for increased metabolic capacity and elevated antioxidant levels[24] They are unusually long-lived species[25], traits which are different from the hibernating rodents studied to date. In comparison to rodent hibernation we predict for bats similar pattern of protein expression in general regulatory mechanisms but differences in the regulation of proteins involved in specific physiological processes such as immune function or reproduction
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