Herps in the News: Fat-sensing hormone in tadpole metamorphosis

In a recent study done by the University of Michigan the influence of hormones on the developmental cycles of tadpoles was studied. This article discusses the findings of the article the University of Michigan, specifically relating to the eating habits of tadpoles and the hormones involved in these habits. The hormone leptin was studied, which influences the appetite of tadpoles during development. This chemical signals the brain that the organism is full and to stop leading. They found that this chemical is absent in tadpoles prior to metamorphosis as they are trying to digest and store as much energy from their environment as possible. Their insatiable appetite is evolutionarily advantageous because the more body mass they have before metamorphosis the better chance they have a surviving attacks from predators as well as becoming a more effective predator. As we know this energy comes form plant matter mainly as they are herbivores at this stage of their life. These tadpoles do not have any negative feedback controls, so their body never signals them to stop consuming. Through a study where they injected lectin vs. a saline control into the tadpoles they confirmed that leptin triggers this negative feedback signal for them to stop eating.

Leptin is also essential in metamorphosis as their is a peak in this hormone to stop the tadpoles from eating when they reach their metamorphosis peaks. The absence of food is necessary for their guts to develop and rearrange to be suited to consume animals for the next stage of their life as frogs. Interesting parallels have been drawn between the leptin pathway and regulatory function in both amphibians and mammals. Specifically neonatal rats maintain homeostasis in similar ways with leptin.

The intended audience for this article can range from a average interested news consumer with no scientific background to a well versed herpetologist. This article was very reader friendly and did a good job of communicating the information from the scientific study done in a "digestible" (pun intended) way. It also includes references and a link to the original article for a more experienced reader to take a look at the studies done. I do not believe there are any inherent biases in the article. It appears to be more of a summary and telling of an interesting new study done in the field of herpetology and its connection to mammals also makes it relatable to an everyday news reader. It could be interesting to look into this hormone and the obesity epidemic in america and do some research in it in humans and their eating habits.

Link:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/03/180329133110.htm