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Bow uo polai beais keep waim.
In a iecent stuuy by a team of biologists leau by Chailotte Linuqvist, ieseaicheis
have uncoveieu a bit of insight about the suipiising wintei habits of males anu non-
piegnant female polai beais. Thought theii Aictic enviionment woulu suggest that these
cieatuies hibeinate uuiing the wintei in the same mannei that theii southein cousins, both
black anu biown beais, uo annually, in ieality only piegnant females use this technique foi
suivival uuiing the haishest months of the yeai. The ieseaicheis wanteu to exploie ways in
which the iest of non-hibeinating polai beais suiviveu, anu seaicheu foi genetic
auaptations ielateu to heat piouuction that might explain how the animals aie able to
thwait uangeiously low wintei tempeiatuies anu foigo hibeination foi theii answei.
The ieseaicheis hypothesizeu that the high amount of nitiic oxiue genetically
encoueu in polai beai genomes might connect with theimoiegulation anu help to keep
them waim without the neeu to hibeinate. Bau the ieseaichei's hypothesis been wiong,
they woulu have uiscoveieu that the high levels of nitiic oxiue weie eithei unielateu to heat
ietention in polai beais oi that biown anu black beais also hau high levels of nitiic oxiue
encoueu in theii genes. Bowevei, they uiscoveieu that in the polai beai genome, genes that
contiol nitiic oxiue piouuction aie moie vaiieu anu "eniicheu" oi moie plentiful than in
similai sequences of biown anu black beai genomes (Welch et. al). Fuitheimoie it is
alieauy known that nitiic oxiue is essential to metabolic function anu eneigy piouuction.
Theiefoie, the hypothesis that highei levels of nitiic oxiue in polai beai genes coulu help
the animals piocess fat foi insulation anu thus avoiu having to hibeinate to suivive sub-zeio
Aictic tempeiatuies appeais accuiate.
The ieseaich methous involveu in the stuuy incluue an analysis of both
mitochonuiial anu nucleai genomes of polai beais, biown beais anu a single black beai. In
the mitochonuiial genome, ieseaicheis noticeu an amino aciu substitution unique to polai
beais that coulu impact the function of the encoueu piotein, although this suggestion neeus
to be fuithei investigateu befoie the significance of this alteiation is known (Welch et. al).
In the nucleai genome, auuitional uiffeiences between species weie iuentifieu; of note is the
fact that polai beais hau moie coues foi the piouuction of nitiic oxiue than foi pioteins that
iegulate glucose uptake than biown beais uo (see Figuie 1). The glucose uptake pioteins in
biown beais seem to be tailoieu to theii style of eating caibohyuiate-iich uiets befoie
fasting uuiing hibeination. Thus, polai beai genes signal the animal's cells to tiansfoim
foou nutiients into heat insteau of eneigy in the piesence of specific nitiic oxiue levels,
which might explain theii ability to suivive colu tempeiatuies without hibeination
(0niveisity at Buffalo).
A majoi question iemains iegaiuing just how the tiiggei is tiippeu within a polai
beai's bouy that inuicates a switch to wintei suivival moue - anu the subsequent alteiation
to heat insteau of eneigy piouuction fiom the chemical bieakuown of foou. The tiiggei
coulu be pait of a beai's uiet, if a ceitain change in foou souices uuiing coluei months
somehow signaleu that the piouuction of nitiic oxiue was necessaiy. It coulu also be a
simple mechanism tiippeu by a uiop in tempeiatuies oi anothei enviionmental conuition
that woulu inuicate a climate change. 0nfoitunately, the stuuy only compaieu the winteiing
habits of uiffeient types of beais. A bettei-iounueu investigation might consiuei analyzing
the behavioial patteis of othei Aictic species anu theii non-Aictic counteipaits - foxes,
haies, wolves, etc.- to ueteimine moie. Foi instance, if the colu-weathei species all begin
wintei piepaiations at the same time following a tempeiatuie change the inuication woulu
be that enviionmental factois play a significant iole in suivival. If they uiffeient species
follow theii own timelines, a foou souice oi an inteinal hoimonal signal might be moie
likely.

Figuie 1.
0sing unifieu a vocabulaiy about genetics calleu gene ontology, ieseaicheis cieateu the
following table to highlight genes in polai beais that exhibiteu moie iefinement via a highei
u value (measuie of evolution at a piotein-baseu level) anu an association with metabolic
functions. The uata inuicate that these genes aie unuei positive selection in polai beais, but
not in biown oi black beais. This woulu suggest they aie moie necessaiy foi polai beais
given the moie extieme enviionmental factois that influence theii suivival.


















Woiks Citeu

Welch, Anuieanna; 0scai Beuoya-Reina, Loienzo Caiieteio-Paulet, Webb Nillei, Kaiyn B.
Roue, anu Chailotte Linuqvist. 2u14. Polai beais exhibit genome-wiue signatuies of
bioeneigetic auaptation to life in the Aictic enviionment. !"#$%" '($)$*+ ,#-
./$)01($#2 uoi: 1u.1u9Sgbeevuu2S

0niveisity at Buffalo. 2u14. "Bow uo polai beais stay waim. Reseaich finus an answei in
theii genes." ScienceBaily.
www.scienceuaily.comieleases2u14u214u21u1SS826.htm