hibernation – BioQuakes

Behold the tardigrade: the eight legged microscopic phenomenon sometimes known as the water bear. They have long been known for their fascinating resilience in extreme environments. And now, according to this article, scientists now believe that they have found the reason why they are so indestructible. It has to do with their ability to hibernate.

When under stress or in a dangerous environment, the tardigrades are able to curl up into a ball known as the “tun stage” and enter a dormant state. In these situations, their cells are able to detect when they are producing harmful substances called free radicals. These free radicals then come in contact with cysteines, an amino acid in our bodies. The cysteines oxidize the free radical, which oxidizes the signal that allows the tardigrades to enter their tun stage. The tardigrades can wake up from their tuns when the cysteine is no longer being oxidized, which can be seen when the conditions around them improve. According to this article these findings can provide plenty of insight about how tardigrades are able to withstand the conditions of space travel. If this process allows the tardigrades to survive in environments of extreme temperatures or stress, they would certainly be able to use the same strategies when they are sent to space.

In addition to these findings about tardigrade space travel, other research has been done about how these tardigrades can help us make advancements in medicine. This article states that they can be used to preserve biological materials such as cells or tissues. We use the information gathered from their resilient hibernation abilities to make this connection to the medical field. This can be very helpful in the healthcare industry because these advancements will allow us to keep these life-saving materials alive for longer periods of time.

In AP Bio, we spent time learning about tardigrades and even got to do our own search for them in class. My lab group was able to find tardigrades in a moss sample from our school’s campus, and it was so interesting to see them in the microscope after much intense searching. Because of this, I was very interested to read about these new findings, and it is so fascinating to see how such a tiny organism can be so powerful. I look forward to seeing what other advancements can be made with tardigrades and I would love to hear your thoughts!

https://www.flickr.com/photos/mandj98/7647426240

As we enter the heart of winter, puffy coats, hats, and gloves make it out of our closets to protect us from the frigid air. While we trudge along shivering, the ground squirrel lives happily in the cold weather, resistant to the low temperatures.

The Phenomenon:

A new study shows that when the ground squirrel wakes from hibernation, it is less sensitive to the cold than its non-hibernating relatives. Why? A cold-sensing protein, TRPM8, in the sensory nerve cells is partly responsible for the amazing phenomenon.

The Evidence:

In an experiment conducted with mice (non-hibernating), ground squirrels, and Syrian hamsters (hibernating animals closely related to the ground squirrel), the animals were given the choice between a hotter plate and a colder plate. Whereas the mice gravitated toward the hot plate, the ground squirrel and Syrian hamster did not react to the cold temperature of the plate until it dropped below 10 degrees Celsius.

The Biology:

Part of the squirrel’s and hamster’s intolerance to cold has to do with the TRPM8 protein. TRPM8 is a cold-sensing protein that sends a signal to the brain when something is too cold. Researchers turned to the gene responsible for turning on the TRPM8 protein to find the differences between a ground squirrel and a rat. They found a chain of six amino acids in the squirrel gene that caused the adaptation to cold. When they switched that section with one from a rat, the squirrel was more sensitive to the cold.

It is quite amazing that scientists can extract and switch such small portions of DNA to find the exact cause of a trait. What else do you think this technology could be used for?

The Effect on Life:

Tolerance to cold may help the squirrel and hamster transition from an awake state to hibernation state. This is true because if an animal senses or feels cold, it will expend a lot of energy trying to warm itself up. This process counters they physiological changes needed to transition into hibernation, a state of low metabolic activity. Hence, since the hamster and squirrel don’t sense the cold, it will be easier to hibernate.

Further Research:

There is still a lot unknown about the TRPM8 protein and ground squirrel temperature sensitivities. It is believed that TRPM8 is only a part of their intolerance to cold. Furthermore, the structure and function of TRPM8 is still being studied and could lead to more breakthroughs. Want to learn more about ground squirrels, hibernation, or the TRPM8 protein? Click here to read the full article!

BioQuakes

AP Biology class blog for discussing current research in Biology

Tag: hibernation

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