Fructose-driven glycolysis supports anoxia resistance in the naked mole-rat

• DOI: 10.1126/science.aab3896
• Publication Date: 2017-04-20T17:55:13Z
• Authors: Thomas J. Park; Jane Reznick; Bethany L. Peterson; Gregory Blass; Damir Omerbašić; Nigel C. Bennett; P. Henning J. L. ...; Christin Zasada; Brigitte M. Browe; Wiebke Hamann; Daniel T. Applegate; Michael H. Radke; Tetiana Kosten; Heike Lutermann; Victoria Gavaghan; Ole Eigenbrod; Valérie Bégay; Vince G. Amoroso; Vidya Govind; Richard D. Minshall; Ewan St. J. Smith; John Larson; Michael Gotthardt; Stefan Kempa; Gary R. Lewin
• Keywords: Anaerobic glycolysis; Hypoxia; Mole; Carbohydrate Metabolism

Safe anaerobic metabolism Naked mole-rats live in large colonies deep underground hypoxic conditions. Park et al. found that these animals fuel glycolysis with fructose by a rewired pathway avoids tissue damage (see the Perspective Storz and McClelland). These results provide insight into adaptations this strange social rodent has to make for life underground. They also have implications medical practice, particularly understanding how protect tissues from hypoxia. Science , issue p. 307 ; see 248