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.