Data from: Variation in albumin glycation rates in birds suggests resistance to relative hyperglycaemia rather than conformity to the pace of life syndrome hypothesis

Dataset from: Variation in albumin glycation rates in birds suggests resistance to relative hyperglycaemia rather than conformity to the pace of life syndrome hypothesis
Abstract
The pace of life syndrome hypothesis (POLS) suggests that organisms’ life history, physiological and behavioural traits should co-evolve. In this framework, how glycaemia (i.e., blood glucose levels) and its reaction with proteins and other compounds (i.e. glycation) covary with life history traits remain relatively under-investigated, despite the well documented consequences of glucose and glycation on ageing, and therefore potentially on life history evolution. Birds are particularly relevant in this context given that they have the highest blood glucose levels within vertebrates and still higher mass-adjusted longevity when compared to organisms with similar physiology as mammals. We thus performed a comparative analysis on glucose and albumin glycation rates of 88 bird species from 22 orders, in relation to life history traits (body mass, clutch mass, maximum lifespan and developmental time) and diet. Glucose levels correlated positively with albumin glycation rates in a non-linear fashion, suggesting resistance to glycation in species with higher glucose levels. Plasma glucose levels decreased with increasing body mass but, contrary to what is predicted to the POLS hypothesis, glucose levels increased with maximum lifespan before reaching a plateau. Finally, terrestrial carnivores showed higher albumin glycation compared to omnivores despite not showing higher glucose, which we discuss may be related to additional factors as differential antioxidant levels or dietary composition in terms of fibres or polyunsaturated fatty acids. These results increase our knowledge about the diversity of glycaemia and glycation patterns across birds, pointing towards the existence of glycation resistance mechanisms within comparatively high glycaemic birds.

数据集源自论文《鸟类白蛋白（albumin）糖基化（glycation）速率的种间差异提示相对高血糖抗性，而非契合生命节律综合征假说（pace of life syndrome hypothesis, POLS）》。
摘要
生命节律综合征假说（POLS）提出，生物体的生活史、生理与行为性状应协同演化。在此研究框架中，尽管血糖（glycaemia，即血液葡萄糖浓度）及其与蛋白质等化合物的反应（即糖基化）对衰老的影响已有充分记载，进而可能作用于生活史演化，但血糖与糖基化如何随生活史性状协同变化的相关研究仍相对匮乏。
鸟类在该研究语境中尤为关键：它们是脊椎动物中血糖水平最高的类群，且相较于生理特征相似的哺乳动物，其经体重校正后的寿命更长。为此，我们针对22个目共88种鸟类的血糖与白蛋白糖基化速率开展比较分析，探究其与生活史性状（体重、窝卵质量、最大寿命及发育时长）以及饮食的关联。
研究发现，血糖水平与白蛋白糖基化速率呈非线性正相关，提示血糖水平更高的物种具备糖基化抗性。血浆葡萄糖浓度随体重增加而降低；但与生命节律综合征假说的预测相悖的是，血糖水平在达到平台期前会随最大寿命延长而升高。最后，相较于杂食性鸟类，陆生食肉鸟类的白蛋白糖基化水平更高，尽管其血糖水平并未更高——我们认为这一现象可能与其他因素相关，例如抗氧化水平差异，或膳食纤维、多不饱和脂肪酸等饮食组成差异。
本研究结果增进了学界对鸟类血糖与糖基化模式多样性的认知，表明在血糖水平相对较高的鸟类中存在糖基化抗性机制。