Data from: Transcriptomics in the wild: hibernation physiology in free‐ranging dwarf lemurs

Hibernation is an adaptive strategy some mammals use to survive highly seasonal or unpredictable environments. We present the first investigation on the transcriptomics of hibernation in a natural population of primate hibernators: Crossley's dwarf lemurs (Cheirogaleus crossleyi). Using capture–mark–recapture techniques to track the same animals over a period of 7 months in Madagascar, we used RNA‐seq to compare gene expression profiles in white adipose tissue (WAT) during three distinct physiological states. We focus on pathway analysis to assess the biological significance of transcriptional changes in dwarf lemur WAT and, by comparing and contrasting what is known in other model hibernating species, contribute to a broader understanding of genomic contributions of hibernation across Mammalia. The hibernation signature is characterized by a suppression of lipid biosynthesis, pyruvate metabolism and mitochondrial‐associated functions, and an accumulation of transcripts encoding ribosomal components and iron‐storage proteins. The data support a key role of pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase isoenzyme 4 (PDK4) in regulating the shift in fuel economy during periods of severe food deprivation. This pattern of PDK4 holds true across representative hibernating species from disparate mammalian groups, suggesting that the genetic underpinnings of hibernation may be ancestral to mammals.

冬眠是部分哺乳动物为适应高度季节性或不可预测的环境而演化出的生存策略。本研究首次针对天然种群中的冬眠灵长类——克氏倭狐猴（Cheirogaleus crossleyi）的冬眠转录组学展开系统性探究。研究团队于马达加斯加采用标记-重捕技术对同一批个体进行了为期7个月的追踪监测，并借助RNA测序（RNA-seq）对比了其白色脂肪组织（WAT）在三种不同生理状态下的基因表达谱。本研究重点通过通路分析评估倭狐猴白色脂肪组织中转录变化的生物学意义，并结合其他典型冬眠模式物种的已有研究结果开展对比分析，以期全面阐明哺乳纲冬眠行为的基因组调控机制。冬眠的转录特征表现为脂质生物合成、丙酮酸代谢及线粒体相关功能受到抑制，同时编码核糖体组分与铁储存蛋白的转录本丰度显著升高。研究数据证实，丙酮酸脱氢酶激酶同工酶4（PDK4）在食物严重匮乏时期对能量代谢的转换过程发挥关键调控作用。这一丙酮酸脱氢酶激酶同工酶4的表达模式在不同哺乳动物类群的代表性冬眠物种中均存在，表明冬眠行为的遗传基础可能是哺乳动物的祖先性状。