Natures wonders: hibernating insects destroy & regrow muscle (Introduction)

by David Turell , Wednesday, July 20, 2022, 00:17 (856 days ago) @ David Turell

One one type of insect:

https://phys.org/news/2022-07-hibernating-insects-regrow-muscles-demand.html

"New research from Western University has found potato beetles can break down and regrow muscles on demand, allowing them to preserve energy over the winter.

"In a study published by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, a team of insect physiologists from Western showed that hibernating Colorado potato beetles break down mitochondria in their own flight muscle in preparation for the harsh winter climate.

"Often referred to as the powerhouses of the cell, mitochondria normally supply energy for flight and metabolism. In human muscles, mitochondria degrade when not in use (for example, in astronauts that spend a long time in zero gravity) and require exercise to stimulate regrowth.

"However, unlike humans, these beetles spontaneously regrow their mitochondria on demand and prepare their muscles for flight in the spring.

***

"When mitochondria disappear in disease, it's usually because of an irreversible process called mitophagy. Sometimes, this can be reversed with exercise in humans.

"Sinclair and Lebenzon showed that mitophagy did cause the mitochondria to go missing, but when they looked at the beetles at the end of winter, all of the mitochondria were back, even though the beetles hadn't flexed a muscle.

"'This ability to simply regrow an entire muscle's worth of mitochondria is completely novel, and explains how beetles are able to save energy all winter, yet be ready fly and mate immediately in the spring," said Lebenzon."

Comment: it is a neat trick not likely designed by chance.