Naked mole-rats reduce the expression of ATP-dependent but not ATP-independent heat shock proteins in acute hypoxia.

Naked mole-rats are one of the most hypoxia-tolerant mammals identified, and putatively experience intermittent and severe hypoxia in their underground burrows. Systemic physiological adaptions to hypoxia have begun to be investigated in this species; however, the cellular adaptations that underlie this tolerance remain poorly understood. Hypoxia compromises cellular energy production, and the maintenance of protein integrity when ATP generation is limited poses a major challenge.