Metabolic Hormone FGF21 Is Induced in Ground Squirrels during Hibernation but Its Overexpression Is Not Sufficient to Cause Torpor
Figure 2
FGF21 expression in thirteen-lined ground squirrels.
(A) FGF21 mRNA was measured by qRT-PCR relative to 18S RNA levels in multiple tissues of the thirteen-lined ground squirrel. RNA from 6 squirrels with 2 each from August active, winter torpid, and winter IBA were used. (B) Relative liver FGF21 mRNA levels during indicated activity states. (C) Concentration of serum FGF21 protein during indicated activity states. In panels B and C, fold change are shown relative to August active levels and data bars that do not share the same letter above the bar are significantly different from each other using ANOVA followed by Tukey's HSD (p<0.01). Errors bars show standard error of the mean. Abbreviations – n, number of animals; FC, fold change; AUG, August active; TOR, torpor; IBA, interbout arousal; MAR, March active; WAT, white adipose tissue.