SRA

Physical inactivity leads to losses of bone mass and strength in most mammalian species. In contrast, hibernating bears show no bone loss over the prolonged periods (4 - 6 months) of immobility during winter, which suggests that they have adaptive mechanisms to preserve bone mass. To identify transcriptional changes that underlie molecular mechanisms preventing disuse osteoporosis, we conducted a large-scale gene expression screening in the trabecular bone and bone marrow, comparing hibernating and summer active bears through sequencing of the transcriptome.