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Ontogeny of muscle bioenergetic processes in Adélie penguin chicks (Pygoscelis adeliae)
Author(s) -
Fongy Anaïs,
Romestaing Caroline,
Blanc Coralie,
LacostGaranger Nicolas,
Raccurt Mireille,
Rouanet JeanLouis,
Duchamp Claude
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.27.1_supplement.1202.27
Subject(s) - biology , ontogeny , bioenergetics , mfn2 , pygoscelis , atrophy , skeletal muscle , anatomy , mitochondrial fusion , mitochondrion , endocrinology , microbiology and biotechnology , ecology , biochemistry , mitochondrial dna , genetics , foraging , gene
Rapid growth characterizes Adélie penguin chicks reared during the short Antarctic summer but requires a maturation of energetic processes that remains unexplored. The ontogeny of bioenergetics was therefore studied in skeletal muscle of growing chicks during the first month after hatching and compared with adults. Pectoralis muscle biopsies were surgically obtained at different ages and the respiration of intact mitochondrial networks was measured on permeabilized fibers using carbohydrate or lipidderived substrates. Two fusion proteins involved in mitochondrial network assembly, Mitofusin 2 (Mfn2) and Optic Atrophy 1 (OPA1), were detected by western blots. Whatever the substrate, fiber respiratory activity markedly increased during chick growth (+198%; p<0.05) and further rose in adults (+40%; p<0.05). Muscle fiber respiratory activity was positively related with Mfn2 and OPA1 relative abundance (r 2 = 0.89 and 0.79; p < 0.01). The successive rises in muscle oxidative capacity during penguin life may represent key steps to face both thermal emancipation and growth in childhood and marine life in adulthood. The concurrent rise in mitochondrial fusion protein abundance suggests a remodeling of mitochondrial networks that may contribute to the muscle bioenergetic processes enabling penguins to overcome harsh environmental constraints. Research was funded by IPEV, CNRS and Lyon University.