Presentation Information
[SS11-04]A data-driven approach to understanding mammalian hibernation
*Gen Kurosawa1 (1. RIKEN iTHEMS (Japan))
Keywords:
hibernation,body temperature,torpor-interbout arousal cycle,frequency modulation,circaanual
In small mammalian hibernators, body temperature (Tb) drops to near ambient levels during hibernation. However, this low-temperature state does not persist continuously; instead, the body temperature fluctuates multiple times between near-ambient levels and normal physiological temperatures throughout hibernation. This pattern, known as the torpor-interbout arousal cycle, remains poorly understood in terms of both its physiological significance and the mechanisms controlling it.
In this study, we analyzed long-term, high-resolution Tb datasets using a data-driven approach combined with mathematical modeling. We discovered that the torpor-interbout arousal cycle is governed by a concerted action of a shorter period (several days) and, unexpectedly, a longer period (several hundred days). Strikingly, this conclusion was derived for two distinct hibernating species: Syrian hamsters and 13-lined ground squirrels. Moreover, our frequency modulation model not only reproduced Tb fluctuation of 13-lined ground squirrels but allowed us to deduce when next hibernation will occur in the next year. To our knowledge, this is the first study to demonstrate that a simple and common principle, namely “frequency modulation by the circannual period”, exists behind the torpor-interbout arousal cycle across multiple hibernators.
In this study, we analyzed long-term, high-resolution Tb datasets using a data-driven approach combined with mathematical modeling. We discovered that the torpor-interbout arousal cycle is governed by a concerted action of a shorter period (several days) and, unexpectedly, a longer period (several hundred days). Strikingly, this conclusion was derived for two distinct hibernating species: Syrian hamsters and 13-lined ground squirrels. Moreover, our frequency modulation model not only reproduced Tb fluctuation of 13-lined ground squirrels but allowed us to deduce when next hibernation will occur in the next year. To our knowledge, this is the first study to demonstrate that a simple and common principle, namely “frequency modulation by the circannual period”, exists behind the torpor-interbout arousal cycle across multiple hibernators.