The Metabolic Flexibility of Hovering Vertebrate Nectarivores

Kenneth C Welch Jr; Alexander M Myrka; Raafay Syed Ali; Morag F Dick

doi:10.1152/physiol.00001.2018

The Metabolic Flexibility of Hovering Vertebrate Nectarivores

Physiology (Bethesda). 2018 Mar 1;33(2):127-137. doi: 10.1152/physiol.00001.2018.

Authors

Kenneth C Welch Jr^{1

2

3}, Alexander M Myrka^{1

2}, Raafay Syed Ali^{1

2}, Morag F Dick^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough , Toronto, Ontario , Canada.
² Department of Cell & Systems Biology, University of Toronto , Toronto, Ontario , Canada.
³ Center for the Neurobiology of Stress, University of Toronto Scarborough , Toronto, Ontario , Canada.

PMID: 29412058
DOI: 10.1152/physiol.00001.2018

Abstract

Foraging hummingbirds and nectar bats oxidize both glucose and fructose from nectar at exceptionally high rates. Rapid sugar flux is made possible by adaptations to digestive, cardiovascular, and metabolic physiology affecting shared and distinct pathways for the processing of each sugar. Still, how these animals partition and regulate the metabolism of each sugar and whether this occurs differently between hummingbirds and bats remain unclear.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
Review

MeSH terms

Animals
Birds / metabolism*
Chiroptera / metabolism*
Energy Metabolism*
Flight, Animal*
Fructose / metabolism
Glucose / metabolism

Substances

Fructose
Glucose