Temporal patterns of tissue glycogen, glucose, and glycogen phosphorylase activity prior to hibernation in freeze-tolerant chorus frogs, Pseudacris triseriata

Abstract

Freezing survival may differ among winters in chorus frogs ( Pseudacris triseriata (Wied-Neuwied, 1838)), and low freezing survival is associated with low hepatic glycogen stores. The pattern of prehibernation liver glycogen accumulation in chorus frogs is unknown. Frogs might accumulate hepatic glycogen stores until a threshold level sufficient for winter survival is attained, after which frogs enter hibernation (critical threshold hypothesis). According to this model, frogs active late in the season should only be those with low hepatic glycogen stores. Alternatively, hepatic glycogen levels might continue to increase throughout the fall as long as frogs remain active (continuous increase hypothesis). We tested these hypotheses by measuring liver and leg muscle glycogen, glucose, and glycogen phosphorylase activities in chorus frogs throughout the fall prehibernation period in southeastern South Dakota. Hepatic glycogen levels were significantly related to date and increased throughout the fall period, consistent with the continuous increase hypothesis. This suggests that hepatic glycogen levels do not serve as a cue for entrance into hibernation. Liver phosphorylase activity did not vary significantly with progression of the fall season and activity was lower than in winter, suggesting that the winter increment of phosphorylase activity requires some stimulus during hibernation (e.g., low temperatures).