Maintenance of Neural Activities in Torpid Rhinolophus ferrumequinum Bats Revealed by 2D Gel-based Proteome Analysis

Bats are the only mammals capable of self-powered flying. Many bat species hibernate in winter. A reversible control of cerebral activities is critical for bats to accommodate a repeated torpor-arousal cycle during hibernation. Little is known about the molecular mechanism that regulates neuronal activities in torpid bats. In this study, brain proteins were fractionated and compared between torpid and active Rhinolophus ferrumequinum bats.