Hot take on a cool topic: is there really a need for a systemic master mediator of metabolic suppression in mouse daily torpor?

Authors

Mike Ambler, Anthony Pickering, Steven Swoap

Published in

Wellcome open research. Volume 11. Pages 561. Epub Aug 28, 2026.

Abstract

We argue in this perspective that daily torpor in the mouse, induced by a lack of caloric intake and a relatively cool environment, does not require a dedicated "master mediator" for systemic metabolic rate (MR) suppression. Instead, a set of centrally mediated changes, most notably: cessation of physical activity; dramatically reduced thermogenesis, along with a lowering of the defended minimum body temperature (Tb); and, reduced cardiovascular work, together drive the substantial drop in metabolic rate at the initiation of daily torpor in the mouse. That is, rather than invoking a global, organism-wide suppression of metabolism across all tissues, we argue that MR reduction during mouse daily torpor is selective and physiologically organized, targeting a small number of energetically dominant organ systems. Once Tb has declined in response to the initial physiological adaptations, temperature-dependent effects on biochemical reaction rates can account for much of the further reduction in whole-animal MR during the torpid state, resulting in an ultimate fall in MR of 75-80% in daily torpor of the mouse. This framework also aligns torpor with the normal ultradian rhythm of sleep-associated reductions in MR and Tb, differing mainly in the much deeper nadir reached.

PMID:
42802767
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 28 Sep 2026.

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