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Rogers EJ, Gerson AR. Water restriction increases oxidation of endogenous amino acids in house sparrows (Passer domesticus). J Exp Biol 2024; 227:jeb246483. [PMID: 38380522 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.246483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024]
Abstract
Animals can cope with dehydration in a myriad of ways, both behaviorally and physiologically. The oxidation of protein produces more metabolic water per kilojoule than that of fat or carbohydrate, and it is well established that birds increase protein catabolism in response to high rates of water loss. However, the fate of amino acids mobilized in response to water restriction has not been explicitly determined. While protein catabolism releases bound water, we hypothesized that water-restricted birds would also oxidize the resulting amino acids, producing additional water as a product of oxidative phosphorylation. To test this, we fed captive house sparrows (Passer domesticus) 13C-labeled leucine for 9 weeks to label endogenous proteins. We conducted weekly trials during which we measured the physiological response to water restriction as changes in lean mass, fat mass, metabolism and the enrichment of 13C in exhaled CO2 (δ13Cbreath). If water-restricted birds catabolized proteins and oxidized the resulting amino acids, we expected to simultaneously observe greater lean mass loss and elevated δ13Cbreath relative to control birds. We found that water-restricted birds catabolized more lean tissue and also had enriched δ13Cbreath in response to water restriction, supporting our hypothesis. δ13Cbreath, however, varied with metabolic rate and the length of the water restriction period, suggesting that birds may spare protein when water balance can be achieved using other physiological strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth J Rogers
- Organismic and Evolutionary Biology Program, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Alexander R Gerson
- Organismic and Evolutionary Biology Program, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
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Elowe CR, Stager M, Gerson AR. Sarcolipin relates to fattening, but not sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase uncoupling, in captive migratory gray catbirds. J Exp Biol 2024; 227:jeb246897. [PMID: 38044822 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.246897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/24/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023]
Abstract
In order to complete their energetically demanding journeys, migratory birds undergo a suite of physiological changes to prepare for long-duration endurance flight, including hyperphagia, fat deposition, reliance on fat as a fuel source, and flight muscle hypertrophy. In mammalian muscle, SLN is a small regulatory protein which binds to sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase (SERCA) and uncouples Ca2+ transport from ATP hydrolysis, increasing energy consumption, heat production, and cytosolic Ca2+ transients that signal for mitochondrial biogenesis, fatigue resistance and a shift to fatty acid oxidation. Using a photoperiod manipulation of captive gray catbirds (Dumetella carolinensis), we investigated whether SLN may play a role in coordinating the development of the migratory phenotype. In response to long-day photostimulation, catbirds demonstrated migratory restlessness and significant body fat stores, alongside higher SLN transcription while SERCA2 remained constant. SLN transcription was strongly correlated with h-FABP and PGC1α transcription, as well as fat mass. However, SLN was not significantly correlated with HOAD or CD36 transcripts or measurements of SERCA activity, SR membrane Ca2+ leak, Ca2+ uptake rates, pumping efficiency or mitochondrial biogenesis. Therefore, SLN may be involved in the process of storing fat and shifting to fat as a fuel, but the mechanism of its involvement remains unclear.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cory R Elowe
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts, 221 Morrill Science Center III, 611 North Pleasant Street, Amherst, MA 01003-9297, USA
- Organismic and Evolutionary Biology Graduate Program, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003-9316, USA
| | - Maria Stager
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts, 221 Morrill Science Center III, 611 North Pleasant Street, Amherst, MA 01003-9297, USA
- Organismic and Evolutionary Biology Graduate Program, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003-9316, USA
| | - Alexander R Gerson
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts, 221 Morrill Science Center III, 611 North Pleasant Street, Amherst, MA 01003-9297, USA
- Organismic and Evolutionary Biology Graduate Program, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003-9316, USA
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Elowe CR, Babbitt C, Gerson AR. White-throated sparrow ( Zonotrichia albicollis) liver and pectoralis flight muscle transcriptomic changes in preparation for migration. Physiol Genomics 2023; 55:544-556. [PMID: 37694280 DOI: 10.1152/physiolgenomics.00018.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2023] [Revised: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Migratory songbirds undertake challenging journeys to reach their breeding grounds each spring. They accomplish these nonstop flapping feats of endurance through a suite of physiological changes, including the development of substantial fat stores and flight muscle hypertrophy and an increased capacity for fat catabolism. In addition, migratory birds may show large reductions in organ masses during flight, including the flight muscle and liver, which they must rapidly rebuild during their migratory stopover before replenishing their fat stores. However, the molecular basis of this capacity for rapid tissue remodeling and energetic output has not been thoroughly investigated. We performed RNA-sequencing analysis of the liver and pectoralis flight muscle of captive white-throated sparrows in experimentally photostimulated migratory and nonmigratory condition to explore the mechanisms of seasonal change to metabolism and tissue mass regulation that may facilitate these migratory journeys. Based on transcriptional changes, we propose that tissue-specific adjustments in preparation for migration may alleviate the damaging effects of long-duration activity, including a potential increase to the inflammatory response in the muscle. Furthermore, we hypothesize that seasonal hypertrophy balances satellite cell recruitment and apoptosis, while little evidence appeared in the transcriptome to support myostatin-, insulin-like growth factor 1-, and mammalian target of rapamycin-mediated pathways for muscle growth. These findings can encourage more targeted molecular studies on the unique integration of pathways that we find in the development of the migratory endurance phenotype in songbirds.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Migratory songbirds undergo significant physiological changes to accomplish their impressive migratory journeys. However, we have a limited understanding of the regulatory mechanisms underlying these changes. Here, we explore the transcriptomic changes to the flight muscle and liver of white-throated sparrows as they develop the migratory condition. We use these patterns to develop hypotheses about metabolic flexibility and tissue restructuring in preparation for migration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cory R Elowe
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, United States
- Organismic and Evolutionary Biology Graduate Program, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, United States
| | - Courtney Babbitt
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, United States
- Organismic and Evolutionary Biology Graduate Program, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, United States
| | - Alexander R Gerson
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, United States
- Organismic and Evolutionary Biology Graduate Program, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, United States
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Pani P, Swalsingh G, Pani S, Senapati U, Sahu B, Pati B, Rout S, Bal NC. Seasonal cold induces divergent structural/biochemical adaptations in different skeletal muscles of Columba livia: evidence for nonshivering thermogenesis in adult birds. Biochem J 2023; 480:1397-1409. [PMID: 37622342 DOI: 10.1042/bcj20230245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2023] [Revised: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023]
Abstract
Birds are endothermic homeotherms even though they lack the well-studied heat producing brown adipose tissue (BAT), found in several clades of eutherian mammals. Earlier studies in ducklings have demonstrated that skeletal muscle is the primary organ of nonshivering thermogenesis (NST) plausibly via futile calcium (Ca2+)-handling through ryanodine receptor (RyR) and sarco-endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase (SERCA). However, recruitment of futile Ca2+-cycling in adult avian skeletal muscle has not been documented. Studies in mammals show remarkable mitochondrial remodeling concurrently with muscle NST during cold. Here, we wanted to define the mitochondrial and biochemical changes in the muscles in free-ranging adult birds and whether different skeletal muscle groups undergo similar seasonal changes. We analyzed four different muscles (pectoralis, biceps, triceps and iliotibialis) from local pigeon (Columba livia) collected during summer and winter seasons in two consecutive years. Remarkable increase in mitochondrial capacity was observed as evidenced from succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) and cytochrome c oxidase (COX) activity staining in all the muscles. Interestingly, fibers with low SDH activity exhibited greater cross-sectional area during winter in all muscles except iliotibialis and became peripherally arranged in individual fascicles of pectoralis, which might indicate increased shivering. Furthermore, gene expression analysis showed that SERCA, sarcolipin and RyR are up-regulated to different levels in the muscles analyzed indicating muscle NST via futile Ca2+-cycling is recruited to varying degrees in winter. Moreover, proteins of mitochondrial-SR-tethering and biogenesis also showed differential alterations across the muscles. These data suggest that tropical winter (∼15°C) is sufficient to induce distinct remodeling across muscles in adult bird.
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Affiliation(s)
- Punyadhara Pani
- School of Biotechnology, KIIT University, Bhubaneswar, Odisha 751024, India
| | | | - Sunil Pani
- School of Biotechnology, KIIT University, Bhubaneswar, Odisha 751024, India
| | - Unmod Senapati
- School of Biotechnology, KIIT University, Bhubaneswar, Odisha 751024, India
| | - Bijayashree Sahu
- School of Biotechnology, KIIT University, Bhubaneswar, Odisha 751024, India
| | - Benudhara Pati
- School of Biotechnology, KIIT University, Bhubaneswar, Odisha 751024, India
| | - Subhasmita Rout
- School of Biotechnology, KIIT University, Bhubaneswar, Odisha 751024, India
| | - Naresh C Bal
- School of Biotechnology, KIIT University, Bhubaneswar, Odisha 751024, India
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Pereira PDC, Henrique EP, da Costa ER, Falcão ADJ, de Melo MAD, Schneider MPC, Burbano RMR, Diniz DG, Magalhães NGDM, Sherry DF, Diniz CWP, Guerreiro-Diniz C. Molecular Changes in the Brain of the Wintering Calidris pusilla in the Mangroves of the Amazon River Estuary. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:12712. [PMID: 37628893 PMCID: PMC10454129 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241612712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Revised: 07/30/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Migrant birds prepare differently to fly north for breeding in the spring and for the flight to lower latitudes during autumn, avoiding the cold and food shortages of the Northern Hemisphere's harsh winter. The molecular events associated with these fundamental stages in the life history of migrants include the differential gene expression in different tissues. Semipalmated sandpipers (Calidris pusilla) are Arctic-breeding shorebirds that migrate to the coast of South America during the non-breeding season. In a previous study, we demonstrated that between the beginning and the end of the wintering period, substantial glial changes and neurogenesis occur in the brain of C. pusilla. These changes follow the epic journey of the autumn migration when a 5-day non-stop transatlantic flight towards the coast of South America and the subsequent preparation for the long-distance flight of the spring migration takes place. Here, we tested the hypothesis that the differential gene expressions observed in the brains of individuals captured in the autumn and spring windows are consistent with the previously described cellular changes. We searched for differential gene expressions in the brain of the semipalmated sandpiper, of recently arrived birds (RA) from the autumnal migration, and that of individuals in the premigratory period (PM) in the spring. All individuals were collected in the tropical coastal of northern Brazil in the mangrove region of the Amazon River estuary. We generated a de novo neurotranscriptome for C. pusilla individuals and compared the gene expressions across libraries. To that end, we mapped an RNA-Seq that reads to the C. pusilla neurotranscriptome in four brain samples of each group and found that the differential gene expressions in newly arrived and premigratory birds were related with neurogenesis, metabolic pathways (ketone body biosynthetic and the catabolic and lipid biosynthetic processes), and glial changes (astrocyte-dopaminergic neuron signaling, astrocyte differentiation, astrocyte cell migration, and astrocyte activation involved in immune response), as well as genes related to the immune response to virus infections (Type I Interferons), inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, IL-1β, TNF, and NF-κB), NLRP3 inflammasome, anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-10), and cell death pathways (pyroptosis- and caspase-related changes).
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Douglas Corrêa Pereira
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular e Neuroecologia, Campus Bragança, Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia do Pará, Bragança 68600-000, PA, Brazil; (P.D.C.P.)
| | - Ediely Pereira Henrique
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular e Neuroecologia, Campus Bragança, Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia do Pará, Bragança 68600-000, PA, Brazil; (P.D.C.P.)
| | - Emanuel Ramos da Costa
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular e Neuroecologia, Campus Bragança, Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia do Pará, Bragança 68600-000, PA, Brazil; (P.D.C.P.)
| | - Anderson de Jesus Falcão
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular e Neuroecologia, Campus Bragança, Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia do Pará, Bragança 68600-000, PA, Brazil; (P.D.C.P.)
| | - Mauro André Damasceno de Melo
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular e Neuroecologia, Campus Bragança, Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia do Pará, Bragança 68600-000, PA, Brazil; (P.D.C.P.)
| | | | | | - Daniel Guerreiro Diniz
- Laboratório de Investigações em Neurodegeneração e Infecção, Hospital Universitário João de Barros Barreto, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém 66075-110, PA, Brazil
- Laboratório de Microscopia Eletrônica, Seção de Hepatologia, Instituto Evandro Chagas, Belém 66093-020, PA, Brazil
| | - Nara Gyzely de Morais Magalhães
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular e Neuroecologia, Campus Bragança, Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia do Pará, Bragança 68600-000, PA, Brazil; (P.D.C.P.)
| | - David Francis Sherry
- Department of Psychology, Advanced Facility for Avian Research, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6G 1G9, Canada
| | - Cristovam Wanderley Picanço Diniz
- Laboratório de Investigações em Neurodegeneração e Infecção, Hospital Universitário João de Barros Barreto, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém 66075-110, PA, Brazil
| | - Cristovam Guerreiro-Diniz
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular e Neuroecologia, Campus Bragança, Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia do Pará, Bragança 68600-000, PA, Brazil; (P.D.C.P.)
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Elowe CR, Groom DJE, Slezacek J, Gerson AR. Long-duration wind tunnel flights reveal exponential declines in protein catabolism over time in short- and long-distance migratory warblers. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2216016120. [PMID: 37068245 PMCID: PMC10151508 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2216016120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 04/19/2023] Open
Abstract
During migration, long-distance migratory songbirds may fly nonstop for days, whereas shorter-distance migrants complete flights of 6 to 10 h. Fat is the primary fuel source, but protein is also assumed to provide a low, consistent amount of energy for flight. However, little is known about how the use of these fuel sources differs among bird species and in response to flight duration. Current models predict that birds can fly until fat stores are exhausted, with little consideration of protein's limits on flight range or duration. We captured two related migratory species-ultra long-distance blackpoll warblers (Setophaga striata) and short-distance yellow-rumped warblers (Setophaga coronata)-during fall migration and flew them in a wind tunnel to examine differences in energy expenditure, overall fuel use, and fuel mixture. We measured fat and fat-free body mass before and after flight using quantitative magnetic resonance and calculated energy expenditure from body composition changes and doubly labeled water. Three blackpolls flew voluntarily for up to 28 h-the longest wind tunnel flight to date-and ended flights with substantial fat reserves but concave flight muscle, indicating that protein loss, rather than fat, may actually limit flight duration. Interestingly, while blackpolls had significantly lower mass-specific metabolic power in flight than that of yellow-rumped warblers and fuel use was remarkably similar in both species, with consistent fat use but exceptionally high rates of protein loss at the start of flight that declined exponentially over time. This suggests that protein may be a critical, dynamic, and often overlooked fuel for long-distance migratory birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cory R. Elowe
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA01003-9297
- Organismic and Evolutionary Biology Graduate Program, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA01003-9297
| | - Derrick J. E. Groom
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA01003-9297
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA94132
| | - Julia Slezacek
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna1160, Austria
| | - Alexander R. Gerson
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA01003-9297
- Organismic and Evolutionary Biology Graduate Program, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA01003-9297
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La Sorte FA, Lepczyk CA, Aronson MFJ. Light pollution enhances ground-level exposure to airborne toxic chemicals for nocturnally migrating passerines. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2023; 29:57-68. [PMID: 36281768 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2022] [Revised: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 09/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Anthropogenic activities generate different forms of environmental pollution, including artificial light at night (ALAN) and airborne toxic chemicals (ATCs). Nocturnally migrating birds are attracted to ALAN during migration and if ALAN occurs in unison with ATC, the chances of ground-level ATC contamination occurring at stopover sites could increase. Here, we document the relationship between ALAN and ATC within the contiguous United States based on 479 toxic chemicals from 15,743 releasing facilities. Using weekly diurnal estimates of relative abundance for 165 nocturnally migrating passerine (NMP) bird species, we assess how the species richness and relative abundance of NMP species are correlated with ALAN and ATC across the annual cycle. The concentration of ATC increased with increasing ALAN levels, except at the highest ALAN levels. The species richness of NMP species was positively correlated with ATC during the non-breeding season and migration, and negatively correlated during the breeding season. The relative abundance of NMP species was negatively correlated with ATC during the breeding and non-breeding seasons and the correlation did not differ from zero during migration. Through the disorienting influence of ALAN, our findings suggest large numbers of NMP species are being exposed to higher ATC concentrations at stopover sites. Outside of migration, large numbers of NMP species that winter along the US Gulf Coast are being exposed for an extended period of time to higher ATC concentrations. Initiatives designed to decrease ALAN during migration have the potential to reduce the acute and chronic effects of ATC contamination, lower the maternal transfer of toxic chemicals to eggs, and decrease the biologically mediated transport of toxic chemicals across regions. However, these initiatives will not benefit species that experience prolonged ATC exposure during the non-breeding season along the US Gulf Coast, a region that could be a significant source of ATC contamination for North American birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frank A La Sorte
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Christopher A Lepczyk
- College of Forestry, Wildlife and Environment, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, USA
| | - Myla F J Aronson
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Natural Resources, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA
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Pani P, Bal NC. Avian adjustments to cold and non-shivering thermogenesis: whats, wheres and hows. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2022; 97:2106-2126. [PMID: 35899483 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2021] [Revised: 06/27/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Avian cold adaptation is hallmarked by innovative strategies of both heat conservation and thermogenesis. While minimizing heat loss can reduce the thermogenic demands of body temperature maintenance, it cannot eliminate the requirement for thermogenesis. Shivering and non-shivering thermogenesis (NST) are the two synergistic mechanisms contributing to endothermy. Birds are of particular interest in studies of NST as they lack brown adipose tissue (BAT), the major organ of NST in mammals. Critical analysis of the existing literature on avian strategies of cold adaptation suggests that skeletal muscle is the principal site of NST. Despite recent progress, isolating the mechanisms involved in avian muscle NST has been difficult as shivering and NST co-exist with its primary locomotory function. Herein, we re-evaluate various proposed molecular bases of avian skeletal muscle NST. Experimental evidence suggests that sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum Ca2+ -ATPase (SERCA) and ryanodine receptor 1 (RyR1) are key in avian muscle NST, through their mediation of futile Ca2+ cycling and thermogenesis. More recent studies have shown that SERCA regulation by sarcolipin (SLN) facilitates muscle NST in mammals; however, its role in birds is unclear. Ca2+ signalling in the muscle seems to be common to contraction, shivering and NST, but elucidating its roles will require more precise measurement of local Ca2+ levels inside avian myofibres. The endocrine control of avian muscle NST is still poorly defined. A better understanding of the mechanistic details of avian muscle NST will provide insights into the roles of these processes in regulatory thermogenesis, which could further inform our understanding of the evolution of endothermy among vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Punyadhara Pani
- School of Biotechnology, KIIT University, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, 751024, India
| | - Naresh C Bal
- School of Biotechnology, KIIT University, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, 751024, India
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