SGER: Death by Starvation: An Hypothesis Based Approach for Addressing White Nose Syndrome in Temperate-Zone Hibernating Bats

SGER：饥饿死亡：一种基于假设的解决温带冬眠蝙蝠白鼻综合症的方法

• 批准号: 0840762
• 负责人: Thomas Kunz
• 金额: $ 3.5万
• 依托单位: Trustees of Boston University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2009
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2009-04-01 至 2010-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0840762&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: SGER; Death; Starvation; Hypothesis; Based

White-Nose Syndrome has been linked to unprecedented morbidity and mortality among five of the nine species of bats in the northeastern United States, first observed in six hibernacula in New York State in the winter of 2006-2007, and subsequently reported from at least 33 caves and mines in four states (New York, Vermont, Massachusetts, and Connecticut) in the winter of 2007-2008, with mortality reported as high as 95% at some sites. The hypothesis being tested is that a reduction in the quantity and quality fat deposited by bats during the pre-hibernation period in autumn may compromise successful hibernation, and their ultimate reproductive success. White adipose tissue (WAT) is the primary source of energy that sustains bats (and other hibernators) throughout the winter when they have no access to food. Over-winter survival and subsequent reproductive success requires a sufficient quantity and quality of WAT deposited during the pre-hibernation period, and sufficient fat reserves to sustain deep torpor and periodic arousals throughout the winter, and a final arousal in spring. Because insectivorous bats cannot synthesize polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), deficiencies in dietary PUFAs during the pre-hibernation period in autumn may reduce the duration and depth of torpor during hibernation. Frequent arousals during hibernation may result in premature depletion of WAT before the end of the hibernation period. Moreover, depleted WAT at this time may contribute to a decrease in leptin production (necessary for ovulation and successful reproduction by females), or, in the worst cases, the inability to arouse from torpor or inability to mount an immune response to possible pathogens. Analyses of body composition (including PUFAs) of bats of little brown myotis (Myotis lucifugus) during the pre-hibernation period will be conducted at sites affected by and unaffected by WNS to test three hypotheses that may help reveal or rule out causes of premature deaths or compromise reproductive success in these hibernating bats. Body composition analysis provides the most accurate and reliable estimates of total body water, WAT, and lean dry mass, and analyses of PUFAs in WAT collected from bats during the pre-hibernation fattening period. These data promise to provide valuable insight for testing proposed hypotheses to help explain why hibernating bats are dying prematurely at hibernacula in the northeastern US, and in turn suggest directions for future study to better understand WNS. The proposed research will facilitate cross-disciplinary research between an ecologist, biochemical ecologist, and an endocrinologist to address an urgent environmental problem: unexpected mortality in hibernating insectivorous bats in the northeastern US. The proposed research will provide new insight into the mechanisms that influence winter survival and reproductive success in bats. Moreover, this research will provide an excellent opportunity to highlight the ecological and economic importance of bats in temperate ecosystems through print media, radio, TV, and web-based Internet blogs.

在美国东北部的9种蝙蝠中，有5种的发病率和死亡率都与白鼻综合征有关，这是2006-2007年冬季在纽约州的6个冬眠场中首次观察到的，随后在2007-2008年冬季在四个州（纽约州、佛蒙特州、马萨诸塞州和康涅狄格州）的至少33个洞穴和矿井中报告的，一些地点的死亡率高达95%。正在测试的假设是，蝙蝠在秋季冬眠前储存的脂肪数量和质量的减少可能会影响冬眠的成功，以及它们最终的繁殖成功。白色脂肪组织（WAT）是维持蝙蝠（和其他冬眠动物）整个冬天没有食物时的主要能量来源。越冬生存和随后的繁殖成功需要在冬眠前储存足够数量和质量的WAT，以及足够的脂肪储备来维持整个冬季的深度冬眠和周期性唤醒，并在春季最终唤醒。由于食虫蝙蝠不能合成多不饱和脂肪酸（PUFAs），秋季冬眠前饮食中PUFAs的缺乏可能会减少冬眠期间的冬眠时间和深度。冬眠期间频繁的觉醒可能导致冬眠期结束前WAT的过早消耗。此外，此时WAT的减少可能导致瘦素的产生减少（这是女性排卵和成功繁殖所必需的），或者在最坏的情况下，无法从昏睡中唤醒或无法对可能的病原体产生免疫反应。将在受WNS影响和未受WNS影响的部位对患有小褐肌炎（myotis lucifugus）的蝙蝠在冬眠前的身体成分（包括PUFAs）进行分析，以检验三种假设，这些假设可能有助于揭示或排除这些冬眠蝙蝠过早死亡或影响生殖成功的原因。身体成分分析提供了最准确和可靠的身体总水分、WAT和瘦干质量的估计，并分析了在冬眠前增肥期从蝙蝠身上收集的WAT中的PUFAs。这些数据有望为测试提出的假设提供有价值的见解，以帮助解释为什么冬眠的蝙蝠在美国东北部的冬眠地过早死亡，进而为未来的研究提供方向，以更好地了解WNS。拟议中的研究将促进生态学家、生化生态学家和内分泌学家之间的跨学科研究，以解决一个紧迫的环境问题：美国东北部冬眠食虫蝙蝠的意外死亡率。这项拟议的研究将为影响蝙蝠冬季生存和繁殖成功的机制提供新的见解。此外，这项研究将提供一个极好的机会，通过印刷媒体、广播、电视和基于网络的互联网博客来突出温带生态系统中蝙蝠的生态和经济重要性。