Protein modifications associated with hibernation.
EMSL Project ID
25890
Abstract
Liver samples from the hibernator, golden-mantled ground squirrel, when separated by 2D gel electrophoresis, demonstrate a quantifiable and as yet undefined physical modification that manifests itself as fuzzy protein spots. All evidence suggests that this subtle modification accumulates during the time that the animal is in torpor and reverses upon winter arousal as a normal part of the hibernation cycle. EMSL high performance mass spectrometry may enable determination of both the site of this modification and its chemical identity. We postulate that the modification is disabling to protein function, and that the reversal of its accumulation may be essential for surviving hibernation. This natural ability to reverse such damage may also have broader implications for other systems in which deleterious protein adducts accumulate, such as in aging and diabetes.
Project Details
Project type
Limited Scope
Start Date
2007-04-19
End Date
2007-06-05
Status
Closed
Released Data Link
Team
Principal Investigator
Team Members