Characterization of brown adipose tissue thermogenesis in the naked mole-rat (Heterocephalus glaber), a heterothermic mammal

The naked mole-rat (NMR) is a heterothermic mammal that forms eusocial colonies consisting of one reproductive female (queen), several reproductive males, and subordinates. Despite their heterothermy, NMRs possess brown adipose tissue (BAT), which generally induces thermogenesis in cold and some non...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Scientific reports 2020-11, Vol.10 (1), p.19488, Article 19488
Main Authors: Oiwa, Yuki, Oka, Kaori, Yasui, Hironobu, Higashikawa, Kei, Bono, Hidemasa, Kawamura, Yoshimi, Miyawaki, Shingo, Watarai, Akiyuki, Kikusui, Takefumi, Shimizu, Atsushi, Okano, Hideyuki, Kuge, Yuji, Kimura, Kazuhiro, Okamatsu-Ogura, Yuko, Miura, Kyoko
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adipose tissue (brown)
Adipose Tissue, Brown - diagnostic imaging
Adipose Tissue, Brown - drug effects
Adipose Tissue, Brown - metabolism
Adrenergic beta-3 Receptor Antagonists - pharmacology
Adrenergic receptors
Animals
Body temperature
Body Temperature - drug effects
Body Temperature - physiology
Body Temperature Regulation - genetics
Body Temperature Regulation - physiology
Cold
Cold Temperature
Colonies
Female
Gene Expression Regulation - drug effects
Male
Mole Rats
Norepinephrine
Norepinephrine - pharmacology
Oxygen Consumption - drug effects
Positron Emission Tomography Computed Tomography
Propanolamines - pharmacology
Queens
Receptors, Adrenergic, beta-3 - metabolism
Thermogenesis
Thermogenesis - genetics
Thermogenesis - physiology
Thermoregulation
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Summary:The naked mole-rat (NMR) is a heterothermic mammal that forms eusocial colonies consisting of one reproductive female (queen), several reproductive males, and subordinates. Despite their heterothermy, NMRs possess brown adipose tissue (BAT), which generally induces thermogenesis in cold and some non-cold environments. Previous studies suggest that NMR-BAT induces thermogenesis by cold exposure. However, detailed NMR-BAT characteristics and whether NMR-BAT thermogenesis occurs in non-cold environments are unknown. Here, we show beta-3 adrenergic receptor (ADRB3)-dependent thermogenic potential of NMR-BAT, which contributes to thermogenesis in the isolated queen in non-cold environments (30 °C). NMR-BAT expressed several brown adipocyte marker genes and showed noradrenaline-dependent thermogenic activity in vitro and in vivo. Although our ADRB3 inhibition experiments revealed that NMR-BAT thermogenesis slightly delays the decrease in body temperature in a cold environment (20 °C), it was insufficient to prevent the decrease in the body temperatures. Even at 30 °C, NMRs are known to prevent the decrease of and maintain their body temperature by heat-sharing behaviors within the colony. However, isolated NMRs maintained their body temperature at the same level as when they are in the colony. Interestingly, we found that queens, but not subordinates, induce BAT thermogenesis in this condition. Our research provides novel insights into NMR thermoregulation.
ISSN:2045-2322
2045-2322
DOI:10.1038/s41598-020-74929-6