title: Aestivation: signaling and hypometabolism.
abstract: Aestivation is a survival strategy used by many vertebrates and invertebrates to endure arid environmental conditions. Key features of aestivation include strong metabolic rate suppression, strategies to retain body water, conservation of energy and body fuel reserves, altered nitrogen metabolism, and mechanisms to preserve and stabilize organs, cells and macromolecules over many weeks or months of dormancy. Cell signaling is crucial to achieving both a hypometabolic state and reorganizing multiple metabolic pathways to optimize long-term viability during aestivation. This commentary examines the current knowledge about cell signaling pathways that participate in regulating aestivation, including signaling cascades mediated by the AMP-activated kinase, Akt, ERK, and FoxO1.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biochemistry, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON, Canada, K1S 5B6. kenneth_storey@carleton.ca
authors.forename: Kenneth B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Storey
authors.forename: Janet M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Storey
mesh_terms: D055372:AMP-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism; D001481:Basal Metabolism; D002450:Cell Communication; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D004956:Estivation / Q000502:physiology*; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006801:Humans; D007448:Invertebrates; D008954:Models, Biological; D010766:Phosphorylation; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / Q000378:metabolism; D012621:Seasons; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014714:Vertebrates; D014982:Xenopus laevis
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases; D055372:AMP-Activated Protein Kinases