title: Environmental metabolomics reveal geographic variation in aerobic metabolism and metabolic substrates in Mongolian gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus).
abstract: Mongolian gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus) have a large-scale distribution in northern China. Geographic physiological variations which related to energy and water metabolism are critical to animals' local adaptation and distribution. However, the underlying biochemical mechanism of such variation and its role in adaptation remains largely unknown. We used GC-MS metabolomics approach to investigate the biochemical adaptation of Mongolian gerbils from xeric (desert), transition (desert steppe) and mesic (typical steppe) environments. Gerbils in desert population had lower resting metabolic rate (RMR) and total evaporative water loss (TEWL) than mesic population. Serum metabolomics revealed that concentrations of five tricarboxylic acid cycle intermediates (citrate, cis-aconitate, α-ketoglutarate, fumarate and malate) were lower in desert population than mesic population. Gastrocnemius metabolomics and citrate synthase activity analysis showed a lower concentration of citrate and lower citrate synthase activity in desert population. These findings suggest that desert dwelling gerbils decrease RMR and TEWL via down-regulation of aerobic respiration. Gastrocnemius metabolomics also revealed that there were higher concentrations of glucose and glycolytic intermediates, but lower concentrations of lipids, amino acids and urea in desert population than mesic population. This geographic variation in metabolic substrates may enhance metabolic water production per oxygen molecule for desert population while constraining aerobic respiration to reduce RMR and TEWL.
authors: State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
authors: Yao-Long
authors: YL
authors: Shi
authors: State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
authors: Qing-Sheng
authors: QS
authors: Chi
authors: State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
authors: Wei
authors: W
authors: Liu
authors: Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010018, China.
authors: He-Ping
authors: HP
authors: Fu
authors: State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China. Electronic address: wangdh@ioz.ac.cn.
authors: De-Hua
authors: DH
authors: Wang
mesh_terms: D000332:Aerobiosis; D000818:Animals; D001481:Basal Metabolism; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D005843:Geography; D005849:Gerbillinae / Q000378:metabolism*; D055432:Metabolomics
keywords: Evaporative water loss; GC–MS metabolomics; Geographic variation; Metabolic rate; Metabolic substrates