The transcriptional cortical adaptations to daily torpor in Phodopus sungorus

While the hypothalamus is a key regulator of systemic adaptations to energy scarcity and reduced temperature, it remains unclear how the cortex, with its high metabolic demand, endures this state. Here, we performed RNA sequencing on neuronal and non-neuronal nuclei isolated from the cortex of Djungarian hamsters (Phodopus sungorus) across different seasonal and metabolic states.

We found that non-neuronal cells primarily adapt during the seasonal transition from summer to winter phenotype, with differential expression of genes linked to circadian rhythm. In contrast, cortical neurons exhibited major transcriptional changes only between normothermia and hypothermia, marked by increased expression of RNA catabolic pathways. Finally, comparison with published hypothalamic datasets revealed distinct transcriptional programs between the cortex and hypothalamus.