{"id":{"repo_id":"uwo","oai_identifier":"oai:uwo.scholaris.ca:20.500.14721/31744"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/uwo/oai:uwo.scholaris.ca:20.500.14721/31744","repository":{"repo_id":"uwo","name":"Western University","base_url":"https://uwo.scholaris.ca/server/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Hibernation is super complex: dynamics of electron transport system supercomplexes","abstract":"The electron transport system complexes form supercomplexes (SCs) within mitochondrial membranes, perhaps increasing respiratory capacity or reducing reactive oxygen species production. My project aimed to determine the abundance, composition, and stability of SCs in a hibernator. Hibernators have dynamic metabolisms that change greatly during the winter. I isolated mitochondria from rats and thirteen-lined ground squirrels (TLGS) in different hibernation states and measured mitochondrial respiration. I extracted mitochondrial proteins using two detergents of different strengths, and quantified SC abundance using 2-dimensional gel electrophoresis and immunoblotting. Rats had fewer SCs than TLGS. SCs are dynamic in hibernation and the complex III composition of different SCs differed between hibernation states and seasons. There was no correlation between SC abundance and mitochondrial respiration. The stability of SCs differed: torpor SCs were most stable. This is the first report of SC changes during hibernation, and the first to demonstrate their dynamics on a short timescale.","abstract_html":"The electron transport system complexes form supercomplexes (SCs) within mitochondrial membranes, perhaps increasing respiratory capacity or reducing reactive oxygen species production. My project aimed to determine the abundance, composition, and stability of SCs in a hibernator. Hibernators have dynamic metabolisms that change greatly during the winter. I isolated mitochondria from rats and thirteen-lined ground squirrels (TLGS) in different hibernation states and measured mitochondrial respiration. I extracted mitochondrial proteins using two detergents of different strengths, and quantified SC abundance using 2-dimensional gel electrophoresis and immunoblotting. Rats had fewer SCs than TLGS. SCs are dynamic in hibernation and the complex III composition of different SCs differed between hibernation states and seasons. There was no correlation between SC abundance and mitochondrial respiration. The stability of SCs differed: torpor SCs were most stable. This is the first report of SC changes during hibernation, and the first to demonstrate their dynamics on a short timescale.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Hutchinson, Amalie J"],"institution":"The University of Western Ontario","degree_name":"M Sc","degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":"Biology","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":["Staples, James F."],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2021,"date_issued":"2021-12-13","date_published":"2021-12-13","updated_at":"2026-07-27T21:56:18Z","subjects":["Thermoregulation","Mitochondria","Heterothermy","Torpor"],"languages":["en_ca"],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14721/31744","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["Staples, James F."]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Hutchinson, Amalie J"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2025-07-10T19:21:39Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2025-07-10T19:21:39Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2021-12-13"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["The University of Western Ontario"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Biology"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["M Sc"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Thermoregulation","Mitochondria","Heterothermy","Torpor"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["en_ca"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14721/31744"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description","label":"Description","values":["The thesis cover page in the PDF document includes references to Western University’s previous institutional repository platform, known as Scholarship@Western, and links to that platform (beginning with ir.lib.uwo.ca). In citing or referring to this thesis, use the DOI or handle from this page instead. Sample citation: Author name, \"Thesis title.\" (Year). Western University Open Repository. https://doi.org/10.71858/123456."]},{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["The electron transport system complexes form supercomplexes (SCs) within mitochondrial membranes, perhaps increasing respiratory capacity or reducing reactive oxygen species production. My project aimed to determine the abundance, composition, and stability of SCs in a hibernator. Hibernators have dynamic metabolisms that change greatly during the winter. I isolated mitochondria from rats and thirteen-lined ground squirrels (TLGS) in different hibernation states and measured mitochondrial respiration. I extracted mitochondrial proteins using two detergents of different strengths, and quantified SC abundance using 2-dimensional gel electrophoresis and immunoblotting. Rats had fewer SCs than TLGS. SCs are dynamic in hibernation and the complex III composition of different SCs differed between hibernation states and seasons. There was no correlation between SC abundance and mitochondrial respiration. The stability of SCs differed: torpor SCs were most stable. This is the first report of SC changes during hibernation, and the first to demonstrate their dynamics on a short timescale."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Hibernation is super complex: dynamics of electron transport system supercomplexes"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.advisor":["Staples, James F."],"dc:creator":["Hutchinson, Amalie J"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2025-07-10T19:21:39Z"],"dc:date.available":["2025-07-10T19:21:39Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2021-12-13"],"dc:description":["The thesis cover page in the PDF document includes references to Western University’s previous institutional repository platform, known as Scholarship@Western, and links to that platform (beginning with ir.lib.uwo.ca). In citing or referring to this thesis, use the DOI or handle from this page instead. Sample citation: Author name, \"Thesis title.\" (Year). Western University Open Repository. https://doi.org/10.71858/123456."],"dc:description.abstract":["The electron transport system complexes form supercomplexes (SCs) within mitochondrial membranes, perhaps increasing respiratory capacity or reducing reactive oxygen species production. My project aimed to determine the abundance, composition, and stability of SCs in a hibernator. Hibernators have dynamic metabolisms that change greatly during the winter. I isolated mitochondria from rats and thirteen-lined ground squirrels (TLGS) in different hibernation states and measured mitochondrial respiration. I extracted mitochondrial proteins using two detergents of different strengths, and quantified SC abundance using 2-dimensional gel electrophoresis and immunoblotting. Rats had fewer SCs than TLGS. SCs are dynamic in hibernation and the complex III composition of different SCs differed between hibernation states and seasons. There was no correlation between SC abundance and mitochondrial respiration. The stability of SCs differed: torpor SCs were most stable. This is the first report of SC changes during hibernation, and the first to demonstrate their dynamics on a short timescale."],"dc:identifier.uri":["https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14721/31744"],"dc:language.iso":["en_ca"],"dc:publisher":["The University of Western Ontario"],"dc:subject":["Thermoregulation","Mitochondria","Heterothermy","Torpor"],"dc:title":["Hibernation is super complex: dynamics of electron transport system supercomplexes"],"dc:type":["thesis"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Biology"],"thesis:degree_name":["M Sc"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-27T21:56:18Z"}