Circulating insulin-like growth factor system adaptations in hibernating brown bears indicate increased tissue IGF availability

Anne Mette Frøbert, Malene Brohus, Tinna S. Roesen, Jonas Kindberg, Ole Fröbert, Cheryl A. Conover, Michael T. Overgaard

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Brown bears conserve muscle and bone mass during 6 mo of inactive hibernation. The molecular mechanisms underlying hibernation physiology may have translational relevance for human therapeutics. We hypothesize that protective mechanisms involve increased tissue availability of insulin-like growth factors (IGFs). In subadult Scandinavian brown bears, we observed that mean plasma IGF-1 and IGF-2 levels during hibernation were reduced to 36 ± 10% and 56 ± 15%, respectively, compared with the active state (n = 12). Western ligand blotting identified IGF-binding protein (IGFBP)-3 as the major IGFBP in the active state, whereas IGFBP-2 was codominant during hibernation. Acid labile subunit (ALS) levels in hibernation were reduced to 41±16% compared with the active state (n = 6). Analysis of available grizzly bear RNA sequencing data revealed unaltered liver mRNA IGF-1, IGFBP- 2, and IGFBP-3 levels, whereas ALS levels were significantly reduced during hibernation (n = 6). Reduced ALS synthesis and circulating levels during hibernation should prompt a shift from ternary IGF/IGFBP/ALS to smaller binary IGF/IGFBP complexes, thereby increasing IGF tissue availability. Indeed, size-exclusion chromatography of bear plasma demonstrated a shift to lower molecular weight IGF-containing complexes in the hibernating versus the active state. Furthermore, we note that the major IGF-2 mRNA isoform expressed in livers in both Scandinavian brown bears and grizzly bears was an alternative splice variant in which Ser29 is replaced with a tetrapeptide possessing a positively charged Arg residue. Homology modeling of the bear IGF-2/ IGFBP-2 complex showed the tetrapeptide in proximity to the heparin-binding domain involved in bone-specific targeting of this complex. In conclusion, this study provides data which suggest that increased IGF tissue availability combined with tissue-specific targeting contribute to tissue preservation in hibernating bears.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)E307-E318
JournalAmerican Journal of Physiology - Endocrinology and Metabolism
Volume323
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Sep 2022

Keywords

  • IGF-binding protein (IGFBP)
  • Ursus arctos
  • acid labile subunit (ALS)
  • hibernation
  • insulin-like growth factor (IGF)

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism
  • Physiology
  • Physiology (medical)

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