TY - JOUR
T1 - Naked mole-rat brown fat thermogenesis is diminished during hypoxia through a rapid decrease in UCP1
AU - Cheng, H.
AU - Sebaa, R.
AU - Malholtra, N.
AU - Lacoste, B.
AU - El Hankouri, Z.
AU - Kirby, A.
AU - Bennett, N.C.
AU - van Jaarsveld, Barry
AU - Hart, D.W.
AU - Tattersall, G.J.
AU - Harper, M.-E.
AU - Pamenter, M.E.
PY - 2021/11/23
Y1 - 2021/11/23
N2 - Naked mole-rats are among the most hypoxia-tolerant mammals. During hypoxia, their body temperature (Tb) decreases via unknown mechanisms to conserve energy. In small mammals, non-shivering thermogenesis in brown adipose tissue (BAT) is critical to Tb regulation; therefore, we hypothesize that hypoxia decreases naked mole-rat BAT thermogenesis. To test this, we measure changes in Tb during normoxia and hypoxia (7% O2; 1–3 h). We report that interscapular thermogenesis is high in normoxia but ceases during hypoxia, and Tb decreases. Furthermore, in BAT from animals treated in hypoxia, UCP1 and mitochondrial complexes I-V protein expression rapidly decrease, while mitochondria undergo fission, and apoptosis and mitophagy are inhibited. Finally, UCP1 expression decreases in hypoxia in three other social African mole-rat species, but not a solitary species. These findings suggest that the ability to rapidly down-regulate thermogenesis to conserve oxygen in hypoxia may have evolved preferentially in social species.
AB - Naked mole-rats are among the most hypoxia-tolerant mammals. During hypoxia, their body temperature (Tb) decreases via unknown mechanisms to conserve energy. In small mammals, non-shivering thermogenesis in brown adipose tissue (BAT) is critical to Tb regulation; therefore, we hypothesize that hypoxia decreases naked mole-rat BAT thermogenesis. To test this, we measure changes in Tb during normoxia and hypoxia (7% O2; 1–3 h). We report that interscapular thermogenesis is high in normoxia but ceases during hypoxia, and Tb decreases. Furthermore, in BAT from animals treated in hypoxia, UCP1 and mitochondrial complexes I-V protein expression rapidly decrease, while mitochondria undergo fission, and apoptosis and mitophagy are inhibited. Finally, UCP1 expression decreases in hypoxia in three other social African mole-rat species, but not a solitary species. These findings suggest that the ability to rapidly down-regulate thermogenesis to conserve oxygen in hypoxia may have evolved preferentially in social species.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-85119833927&partnerID=MN8TOARS
U2 - 10.1038/s41467-021-27170-2
DO - 10.1038/s41467-021-27170-2
M3 - Article
SN - 2041-1723
VL - 12
SP - 1
EP - 14
JO - Nature Communications
JF - Nature Communications
M1 - 6801
ER -