Project: Aestivation Induction Triggers
Researcher: Sara Kayes

During aestivation, the green striped burrowing frog spends months, if not years in the complete absence of food and water. In order to survive the frogs drastically lower their metabolic rate (by about 80%) and live off endogenous water (in the bladder) and food (fat) stores. In addition to allowing the frog to survive, metabolic depression is thought to also protect against other potentially negative side effects of aestivation, such as muscle disuse atrophy.

It is a well known fact that metabolic depression is essential to survival in aestivating (and also hibernating) animals, but we are still virtually in the dark when it comes to understanding how an animal shuts down its metabolism. This project aims to identify potential chemical triggers produced by green striped burrowing frogs that allow them to initiate, maintain and reverse metabolic depression.

One potential set of candidates are the endogenous opioids, commonly known as endorphins, enkephalins and dynorphins. Endogenous opioids, while having many functions within the body, are typically produced in response to stress and regulate water balance and energy consumption. To investigate the role of opioids during metabolic depression we are using a variety of techniques including respirometry studies, blood analysis and gene expression.