Always a Price to Pay: Hibernation at Low Temperatures Comes with a Trade-off Between Energy Savings and Telomere Damage

Overview

Journal Biol Lett

Specialty Biology

Date 2019 Oct 2

PMID 31573426

Citations 17

Authors

Julia Nowack

Iris Tarmann

Franz Hoelzl

Steve Smith

Sylvain Giroud

Thomas Ruf

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

We experimentally tested the costs of deep torpor at low temperatures by comparing telomere dynamics in two species of rodents hibernating at either 3 or 14°C. Our data show that hibernators kept at the warmer temperature had higher arousal frequencies, but maintained longer telomeres than individuals hibernating at the colder temperature. We suggest that the high-energy demand of frequent arousals is counteracted by a lower temperature differential between torpid and euthermic body temperature and that telomere length is restored during arousals when the body temperature is returned to normothermic values. Taken together, our study shows that hibernation at low body temperatures comes with costs on a cellular level and that hibernators need to actively counterbalance the shortening of telomeres.

Citing Articles

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Blanco M, Smith D, Greene L, Lin J, Klopfer P Biol Lett. 2025; 21(2):20240531.

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Microbial urea-nitrogen recycling in arctic ground squirrels: the effect of ambient temperature of hibernation.

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Telomere dynamics during hibernation in a tropical primate.

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Seasonal variation in telomerase activity and telomere dynamics in a hibernating rodent, the garden dormouse ().

Galindo-Lalana C, Hoelzl F, Zahn S, Habold C, Cornils J, Giroud S Front Physiol. 2023; 14:1298505.

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Comparative transcriptomics of the garden dormouse hypothalamus during hibernation.

Haugg E, Borner J, Stalder G, Kubber-Heiss A, Giroud S, Herwig A FEBS Open Bio. 2023; 14(2):241-257.

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