Transcriptional co-activator PGC-1 alpha drives the formation of slow-twitch muscle fibres

Mitochondrial biogenesis by NO yields functionally active mitochondria in mammals

We recently found that long-term exposure to nitric oxide (NO) triggers mitochondrial biogenesis in mammalian cells and tissues by activation of guanylate cyclase and generation of cGMP. Here, we report that the NO/cGMP-dependent mitochondrial biogenesis is associated with enhanced coupled respiration and content of ATP in U937, L6, and PC12 cells. The observed increase in ATP content depended entirely on oxidative phosphorylation, because ATP formation by glycolysis was unchanged. Brain, kidney, liver, heart, and gastrocnemius muscle from endothelial NO synthase null mutant mice displayed markedly reduced mitochondrial content associated with significantly lower oxygen consumption and ATP content. In these tissues, ultrastructural analyses revealed significantly smaller mitochondria. Furthermore, a significant reduction in the number of mitochondria was observed in the subsarcolemmal region of the gastrocnemius muscle. We conclude that NO/cGMP stimulates mitochondrial biogenesis, both in vitro and in vivo, and that this stimulation is associated with increased mitochondrial function, resulting in enhanced formation of ATP.

Disruption of either the Nfkb1 or the Bcl3 gene inhibits skeletal muscle atrophy

The intracellular signals that mediate skeletal muscle protein loss and functional deficits due to muscular disuse are just beginning to be elucidated. Previously we showed that the activity of an NF-kappaB-dependent reporter gene was markedly increased in unloaded muscles, and p50 and Bcl-3 proteins were implicated in this induction. In the present study, mice with a knockout of the p105/p50 (Nfkb1) gene are shown to be resistant to the decrease in soleus fiber cross-sectional area that results from 10 days of hindlimb unloading. Furthermore, the marked unloading-induced activation of the NF-kappaB reporter gene in soleus muscles from WT mice was completely abolished in soleus muscles from Nfkb1 knockout mice. Knockout of the B cell lymphoma 3 (Bcl3) gene also showed an inhibition of fiber atrophy and an abolition of NF-kappaB reporter activity. With unloading, fast fibers from WT mice atrophied to a greater extent than slow fibers. Resistance to atrophy in both strains of knockout mice was demonstrated clearly in fast fibers, while slow fibers from only the Bcl3(-/-) mice showed atrophy inhibition. The slow-to-fast shift in myosin isoform expression due to unloading was also abolished in both Nfkb1 and Bcl3 knockout mice. Like the soleus muscles, plantaris muscles from Nfkb1(-/-) and Bcl3(-/-) mice also showed inhibition of atrophy with unloading. Thus both the Nfkb1 and the Bcl3 genes are necessary for unloading-induced atrophy and the associated phenotype transition.

Hedgehog signaling is required for commitment but not initial induction of slow muscle precursors

In zebrafish, skeletal muscle precursors can adopt at least three distinct fates: fast, non-pioneer slow, or pioneer slow muscle fibers. Slow muscle fibers develop from adaxial cells and depend on Hedgehog signaling. We analyzed when precursors become committed to their fates and the step(s) along their differentiation pathway affected by Hedgehog. Unexpectedly, we find that embryos deficient in Hedgehog signaling still contain postmitotic adaxial cells that differentiate into fast muscle fibers instead of slow. We show that by the onset of gastrulation, slow and fast muscle precursors are already spatially segregated but uncommitted to their fates until much later, in the segmental plate when slow precursors become independent of Hedgehog. In contrast, pioneer and non-pioneer slow muscle precursors share a common lineage from the onset of gastrulation. Our results demonstrate that slow muscle precursors form independently of Hedgehog signaling and further provide direct evidence for a multipotent muscle precursor population whose commitment to the slow fate depends on Hedgehog at a late stage of development when postmitotic adaxial cells differentiate into slow muscle fibers.

Skeletal muscle adaptation in response to voluntary running in Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase IV-deficient mice

Mammalian skeletal muscles undergo adaptation in response to alteration in functional demands by means of a variety of cellular signaling events. Previous experiments in transgenic mice showed that an active form of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase IV (CaMKIV) is capable of stimulating peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ-coactivator 1α (PGC-1α) gene expression, promoting fast-to-slow fiber type switching and augmenting mitochondrial biogenesis in skeletal muscle. However, a role for endogenous CaMKIV in skeletal muscle has not been investigated rigorously. We report that genetically modified mice devoid of CaMKIV have normal fiber type composition and mitochondrial enzyme expression in fast-twitch skeletal muscles and responded to long-term (4 wk) voluntary running with increased expression of myosin heavy chain type IIa, myoglobin, PGC-1α, and cytochrome c oxidase IV proteins in plantaris muscle in a manner similar to that of wild-type mice. Short-term motor nerve stimulation (2 h at 10 Hz) likewise increased PGC-1α mRNA expression in tibialis anterior muscles in both Camk4−/−and wild-type mice. In addition, we have confirmed that no detectable CaMKIV protein is expressed in murine skeletal muscle. Thus CaMKIV is not required for the maintenance of slow-twitch muscle phenotype and endurance training-induced mitochondrial biogenesis and IIb-to-IIa fiber type switching in murine skeletal muscle. Other protein kinases sharing substrates with constitutively active CaMKIV may function as endogenous mediators of activity-dependent changes in myofiber phenotype.

Cyclin-Dependent Kinase-9

Over the past decade and a half, the paradigm has emerged of cardiac hypertrophy and ensuing heart failure as fundamentally a problem in signal transduction, impinging on the altered expression or function of gene-specific transcription factors and their partners, which then execute the hypertrophic phenotype. Strikingly, RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) is itself a substrate for two protein kinases—the cyclin-dependent kinases Cdk7 and Cdk9—that are activated by hypertrophic cues. Phosphorylation of RNAPII in the carboxyl terminal domain (CTD) of its largest subunit controls a number of critical steps subsequent to transcription initiation, among them enabling RNAPII to overcome its stalling in the promoter-proximal region and to engage in efficient transcription elongation. Here, we summarize our current understanding of the RNAPII-directed protein kinases in cardiac hypertrophy. Cdk9 activation is essential in tissue culture for myocyte enlargement and sufficient in transgenic mice for hypertrophy to occur and yet is unrelated to the “fetal” gene program that is typical of pathophysiological heart growth. Although this trophic effect of Cdk9 appears benign superficially, pathophysiological levels of Cdk9 activity render myocardium remarkably susceptible to apoptotic stress. Cdk9 interacts adversely with Gq-dependent pathways for hypertrophy, impairing the expression of numerous genes for mitochondrial proteins, and, in particular, suppressing master regulators of mitochondrial biogenesis and function, perioxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator-1 (PGC-1), and nuclear respiratory factor-1 (NRF-1). Given the dual transcriptional roles of Cdk9 in hypertrophic growth and mitochondrial dysfunction, we suggest the potential usefulness of Cdk9 as a target in heart failure drug discovery.

Skeletal muscle fiber type: influence on contractile and metabolic properties

Zierath and Hawley discuss how different fiber types affect muscle metabolism and what the signals are that regulate muscle phenotype

Phosphorylation and alternative pre-mRNA splicing converge to regulate myocyte enhancer factor 2C activity

Myocyte enhancer factor 2 (MEF2) transcription factors play pivotal roles in cardiac, muscle, and neuron gene expression. All products of MEF2 genes have a common amino-terminal DNA binding and dimerization domain, but the four vertebrate MEF2 gene transcripts are alternatively spliced among coding exons to produce splicing isoforms. In MEF2C alone, alternative splice acceptors in the last exon give forms that include or exclude a short domain that we designate gamma. We show that MEF2C is expressed exclusively as gamma- isoforms in heart tissue and predominantly as gamma- in other adult tissues and in differentiating myocytes. MEF2C gamma- isoforms are much more robust than gamma+ forms in activating MEF2-responsive reporters in transfected fibroblasts despite indistinguishable expression levels, and they better synergize with MyoD in promoting myogenic conversion. One-hybrid transcription assays using Gal4-MEF2C fusions give similar distinctions between gamma- and gamma+ isoforms in all cell types tested, including myocytes. Cis effects of gamma on MEF2C DNA binding, dimerization, protein stability, or response to CaM or p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling are not apparent, and the isolated gamma domain represses transcription when fused to Gal4. One phosphoserine residue is present within the gamma domain according to tandem mass spectrometry, and mutation of this residue abolishes gamma-mediated transrepression. A similar activity is present in the constitutive gamma domain and serine phosphoacceptor of MEF2A. Our findings indicate that gamma functions autonomously as a phosphoserine-dependent transrepressor to downregulate transactivation function of MEF2 factors and that alternative splicing and serine phosphorylation converge to provide complex combinatorial control of MEF2C activity.

Cold-induced PGC-1alpha expression modulates muscle glucose uptake through an insulin receptor/Akt-independent, AMPK-dependent pathway

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma coactivator-1alpha (PGC-1alpha) participates in control of expression of genes involved in adaptive thermogenesis, muscle fiber type differentiation, and fuel homeostasis. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the participation of cold-induced PGC-1alpha expression in muscle fiber type-specific activity of proteins that belong to the insulin-signaling pathway. Rats were exposed to 4 degrees C for 4 days and acutely treated with insulin in the presence or absence of an antisense oligonucleotide to PGC-1alpha. Cold exposure promoted a significant increase of PGC-1alpha and uncoupling protein-3 protein expression in type I and type II fibers of gastrocnemius muscle. In addition, cold exposure led to higher glucose uptake during a hyperinsulinemic clamp, which was accompanied by higher expression and membrane localization of GLUT4 in both muscle fiber types. Cold exposure promoted significantly lower insulin-induced tyrosine phosphorylation of the insulin receptor (IR) and Ser473 phosphorylation of acute transforming retrovirus thymoma (Akt) and an insulin-independent increase of Thr172 phosphorylation of adenosine 5'-monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK). Inhibition of PGC-1alpha expression in cold-exposed rats by antisense oligonucleotide treatment diminished glucose clearance rates during a hyperinsulinemic clamp and reduced expression and membrane localization of GLUT4. Reduction of PGC-1alpha expression resulted in no modification of insulin-induced tyrosine phosphorylation of the IR and Ser473 phosphorylation of Akt. Finally, reduction of PGC-1alpha resulted in lower Thr172 phosphorylation of AMPK. Thus cold-induced hyperexpression of PGC-1alpha participates in control of skeletal muscle glucose uptake through a mechanism that controls GLUT4 expression and subcellular localization independent of the IR and Akt activities but dependent on AMPK.

Regulation of muscle fiber type and running endurance by PPARdelta

Endurance exercise training can promote an adaptive muscle fiber transformation and an increase of mitochondrial biogenesis by triggering scripted changes in gene expression. However, no transcription factor has yet been identified that can direct this process. We describe the engineering of a mouse capable of continuous running of up to twice the distance of a wild-type littermate. This was achieved by targeted expression of an activated form of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor delta (PPARdelta) in skeletal muscle, which induces a switch to form increased numbers of type I muscle fibers. Treatment of wild-type mice with PPARdelta agonist elicits a similar type I fiber gene expression profile in muscle. Moreover, these genetically generated fibers confer resistance to obesity with improved metabolic profiles, even in the absence of exercise. These results demonstrate that complex physiologic properties such as fatigue, endurance, and running capacity can be molecularly analyzed and manipulated.

Nuclear receptor signaling and cardiac energetics

The heart has a tremendous capacity for ATP generation, allowing it to function as an efficient pump throughout the life of the organism. The adult myocardium uses either fatty acid or glucose oxidation as its main energy source. Under normal conditions, the adult heart derives most of its energy through oxidation of fatty acids in mitochondria. However, the myocardium has a remarkable ability to switch between carbohydrate and fat fuel sources so that ATP production is maintained at a constant rate in diverse physiological and dietary conditions. This fuel selection flexibility is important for normal cardiac function. Although cardiac energy conversion capacity and metabolic flux is modulated at many levels, an important mechanism of regulation occurs at the level of gene expression. The expression of genes involved in multiple energy transduction pathways is dynamically regulated in response to developmental, physiological, and pathophysiological cues. This review is focused on gene transcription pathways involved in short- and long-term regulation of myocardial energy metabolism. Much of our knowledge about cardiac metabolic regulation comes from studies focused on mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation. The genes involved in this key energy metabolic pathway are transcriptionally regulated by members of the nuclear receptor superfamily, specifically the fatty acid-activated peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) and the nuclear receptor coactivator, PPARgamma coactivator-1alpha (PGC-1alpha). The dynamic regulation of the cardiac PPAR/PGC-1 complex in accordance with physiological and pathophysiological states will be described.

Six1 and Eya1 expression can reprogram adult muscle from the slow-twitch phenotype into the fast-twitch phenotype

Muscle fibers show great differences in their contractile and metabolic properties. This diversity enables skeletal muscles to fulfill and adapt to different tasks. In this report, we show that the Six/Eya pathway is implicated in the establishment and maintenance of the fast-twitch skeletal muscle phenotype. We demonstrate that the MEF3/Six DNA binding element present in the aldolase A pM promoter mediates the high level of activation of this promoter in fast-twitch glycolytic (but not in slow-twitch) muscle fibers. We also show that among the Six and Eya gene products expressed in mouse skeletal muscle, Six1 and Eya1 proteins accumulate preferentially in the nuclei of fast-twitch muscles. The forced expression of Six1 and Eya1 together in the slow-twitch soleus muscle induced a fiber-type transition characterized by the replacement of myosin heavy chain I and IIA isoforms by the faster IIB and/or IIX isoforms, the activation of fast-twitch fiber-specific genes, and a switch toward glycolytic metabolism. Collectively, these data identify Six1 and Eya1 as the first transcriptional complex that is able to reprogram adult slow-twitch oxidative fibers toward a fast-twitch glycolytic phenotype.

Metabolic responses to low temperature in fish muscle

For most fish, body temperature is very close to that of the habitat. The diversity of thermal habitats exploited by fish as well as their capacity to adapt to thermal change makes them excellent organisms in which to examine the evolutionary and phenotypic responses to temperature. An extensive literature links cold temperatures with enhanced oxidative capacities in fish tissues, particularly skeletal muscle. Closer examination of inter-species comparisons (i.e. the evolutionary perspective) indicates that the proportion of muscle fibres occupied by mitochondria increases at low temperatures, most clearly in moderately active demersal species. Isolated muscle mitochondria show no compensation of protein-specific rates of substrate oxidation during evolutionary adaptation to cold temperatures. During phenotypic cold acclimation, mitochondrial volume density increases in oxidative muscle of some species (striped bass Morone saxatilis, crucian carp Carassius carassius), but remains stable in others (rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss). A role for the mitochondrial reticulum in distributing oxygen through the complex architecture of skeletal muscle fibres may explain mitochondrial proliferation. In rainbow trout, compensatory increases in the protein-specific rates of mitochondrial substrate oxidation maintain constant capacities except at winter extremes. Changes in mitochondrial properties (membrane phospholipids, enzymatic complement and cristae densities) can enhance the oxidative capacity of muscle in the absence of changes in mitochondrial volume density. Changes in the unsaturation of membrane phospholipids are a direct response to temperature and occur in isolated cells. This fundamental response maintains the dynamic phase behaviour of the membrane and adjusts the rates of membrane processes. However, these adjustments may have deleterious consequences. For fish living at low temperatures, the increased polyunsaturation of mitochondrial membranes should raise rates of mitochondrial respiration which would in turn enhance the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), increase proton leak and favour peroxidation of these membranes. Minimisation of mitochondrial oxidative capacities in organisms living at low temperatures would reduce such damage.

Real-time imaging of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator-1α promoter activity in skeletal muscles of living mice

In response to sustained increase in contractile activity, mammalian skeletal muscle undergoes adaptation with enhanced mitochondrial biogenesis and fiber type switching. The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator-1α (PGC-1α) was recently identified as a key regulator for these adaptive processes. To investigate the sequence elements in the PGC-1α gene that are responsible for activity-dependent transcriptional activation, we have established a unique system to analyze promoter activity in skeletal muscle of living mice. Expression of PGC-1α-firefly luciferase reporter gene in mouse tibialis anterior muscle transfected by electric pulse-mediated gene transfer was assessed repeatedly in the same muscle by using optical bioluminescence imaging analysis before and after low-frequency (10 Hz) motor nerve stimulation. Nerve stimulation (2 h) resulted in a transient 3-fold increase ( P < 0.05) in PGC-1α promoter activity along with a 1.6-fold increase ( P < 0.05) in endogenous PGC-1α mRNA. Mutation of two consensus myocyte enhancer factor 2 (MEF2) binding sites (−2901 and −1539) or a cAMP response element (CRE) (−222) completely abolished nerve stimulation-induced increase in PGC-1α promoter activity. These findings provide direct evidence that contractile activity-induced PGC-1α promoter activity in skeletal muscle is dependent on the MEF2 and the CRE sequence elements. The experimental methods used in the present study have general applicability to studies of gene regulation in muscle.

Fiber type- and fatty acid composition-dependent effects of high-fat diets on rat muscle triacylglyceride and fatty acid transporter protein-1 content

Intramuscular triacylglyceride (TAG) is considered an independent marker of insulin resistance in humans. Here, we examined the effect of high-fat diets, based on distinct fatty acid compositions (saturated, monounsaturated or n-6 polyunsaturated), on TAG levels and fatty acid transporter protein (FATP-1) expression in 2 rat muscles that differ in their fiber type, soleus, and gastrocnemius; the relationship to whole body glucose intolerance was also studied. Compared with carbohydrate-fed rats, the groups subjected to any one of the high-fat diets consistently exhibited enhanced body weight gain and adiposity, elevated plasma free fatty acids and TAG in the fed condition, hyperinsulinemia, and glucose intolerance. TAG content was consistently higher in soleus than in gastrocnemius, but was only significantly elevated by the n-6 polyunsaturated-based diet. FATP-1 levels in soleus were double those in gastrocnemius muscle in carbohydrate-fed animals. High-fat diets caused an elevation in FATP-1 protein content in soleus, but a reduction in gastrocnemius. In conclusion, the hyperinsulinemic hyperlipidemic condition upregulates FATP-1 expression in soleus and downregulates that of gastrocnemius. Hypercaloric saturated, monounsaturated, or n-6 polyunsaturated lipid diets cause equivalent whole body insulin resistance in rats, but only an n-6 polyunsaturated acid-based diet triggers intramuscular TAG accumulation.

Compartment-specific perturbation of protein handling activates genes encoding mitochondrial chaperones

Protein folding in the mitochondria is assisted by nuclear-encoded compartment-specific chaperones but regulation of the expression of their encoding genes is poorly understood. We found that the mitochondrial matrix HSP70 and HSP60 chaperones, encoded by the Caenorhabditis elegans hsp-6 and hsp-60 genes, were selectively activated by perturbations that impair assembly of multi-subunit mitochondrial complexes or by RNAi of genes encoding mitochondrial chaperones or proteases, which lead to defective protein folding and processing in the organelle. hsp-6 and hsp-60 induction was specific to perturbed mitochondrial protein handling, as neither heat-shock nor endoplasmic reticulum stress nor manipulations that impair mitochondrial steps in intermediary metabolism or ATP synthesis activated the mitochondrial chaperone genes. These observations support the existence of a mitochondrial unfolded protein response that couples mitochondrial chaperone gene expression to changes in the protein handling environment in the organelle.

Skeletal muscle FOXO1 (FKHR) transgenic mice have less skeletal muscle mass, down-regulated Type I (slow twitch/red muscle) fiber genes, and impaired glycemic control

FOXO1, a member of the FOXO forkhead type transcription factors, is markedly up-regulated in skeletal muscle in energy-deprived states such as fasting and severe diabetes, but its functions in skeletal muscle have remained poorly understood. In this study, we created transgenic mice specifically overexpressing FOXO1 in skeletal muscle. These mice weighed less than the wild-type control mice, had a reduced skeletal muscle mass, and the muscle was paler in color. Microarray analysis revealed that the expression of many genes related to the structural proteins of type I muscles (slow twitch, red muscle) was decreased. Histological analyses showed a marked decrease in size of both type I and type II fibers and a significant decrease in the number of type I fibers in the skeletal muscle of FOXO1 mice. Enhanced gene expression of a lysosomal proteinase, cathepsin L, which is known to be up-regulated during skeletal muscle atrophy, suggested increased protein degradation in the skeletal muscle of FOXO1 mice. Running wheel activity (spontaneous locomotive activity) was significantly reduced in FOXO1 mice compared with control mice. Moreover, the FOXO1 mice showed impaired glycemic control after oral glucose and intraperitoneal insulin administration. These results suggest that FOXO1 negatively regulates skeletal muscle mass and type I fiber gene expression and leads to impaired skeletal muscle function. Activation of FOXO1 may be involved in the pathogenesis of sarcopenia, the age-related decline in muscle mass in humans, which leads to obesity and diabetes.

Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Overexpression in Ischemic Skeletal Muscle Enhances Myoglobin Expression In Vivo

Therapeutic angiogenesis using vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is considered a promising new therapy for patients with arterial obstructive disease. Clinical improvements observed consist of improved muscle function and regression of rest pain or angina. However, direct evidence for improved vascularization, as evaluated by angiography, is weak. In this study, we report an angiogenesis-independent effect of VEGF on ischemic skeletal muscle, ie, upregulation of myoglobin after VEGF treatment. Mice received intramuscular injection with adenoviral VEGF-A or either adenoviral LacZ or PBS as control, followed by surgical induction of acute hindlimb ischemia at day 3. At day 6, capillary density was increased in calf muscle of Ad.VEGF-treated versus control mice ( P <0.01). However, angiographic score of collateral arteries was unchanged between Ad.VEGF-treated and control mice. More interestingly, an increase in myoglobin was observed in Ad.VEGF-treated mice. Active myoglobin was 1.5-fold increased in calf muscle of Ad.VEGF-treated mice ( P ≤0.01). In addition, the number of myoglobin-stained myofibers was 2.6-fold increased in Ad.VEGF-treated mice ( P =0.001). Furthermore, in ischemic muscle of 15 limb amputation patients, VEGF and myoglobin were coexpressed. Finally, in cultured C2C12 myotubes treated with rhVEGF, myoglobin mRNA was 2.8-fold raised as compared with PBS-treated cells ( P =0.02). This effect could be blocked with the VEGF receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor SU5416. In conclusion, we show that VEGF upregulates myoglobin in ischemic muscle both in vitro and in vivo. Increased myoglobin expression in VEGF-treated muscle implies an improved muscle oxygenation, which may, at least partly, explain observed clinical improvements in VEGF-treated patients, in the absence of improved vascularization.

Intramyocellular lipids and insulin resistance

Lipids are stored not only in adipocytes but also 'ectopically' in tissues such as muscle, liver, beta cells and others. From a metabolic perspective, intramyocellular lipids (IMCLs) have recently become a focus of interest. This review summarizes history, measurement techniques and interpretation of muscle lipid data. Problems in biopsies with the separation of those metabolically active lipid droplets in the cytoplasm of myocytes from further lipids in adipocytes are discussed as well as considerations important for analysis of correlations between IMCL content and insulin sensitivity under various circumstances. The relatively new approach to non-invasive assessment of the IMCL content by magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) is described in detail and exemplary spectra from different skeletal muscle types in humans are presented. The MRS technique allows human examinations of large cohorts for a detailed assessment of the interactions among metabolic parameters such as age, measures of adiposity, hormonal and ethnic factors and insulin resistance. IMCLs are generally positively correlated with measures of obesity and negatively with insulin sensitivity. Paradoxically, physical fitness (maximal aerobic capacity) increases both IMCL content and insulin sensitivity and therefore has to be taken into account as a confounding factor. Intervention studies with MRS further allowed to elucidate the regulation of IMCL. Molecular mechanisms and potential genetic factors on IMCL regulation are discussed as well as possible mechanisms of current treatment strategies for improving insulin sensitivity.

Muscle wastage in chronic heart failure, between apoptosis, catabolism and altered anabolism: a chimaeric view of inflammation?

PURPOSE OF THE REVIEW

The mechanisms involved in determining skeletal muscle wastage and cachexia in heart failure are complex and not unequivocal. There are however three different mechanisms that are in some way related to each other and play a very important role. These are inflammation, the catabolic/anabolic imbalance and apoptosis. We have tried to link these pathophysiological processes with the aim of giving a holistic view.

RECENT FINDINGS

Recent experiments have demonstrated that a major determinant of muscle atrophy in congestive heart failure is apoptosis of skeletal myocytes. Apoptosis is triggered by tumour necrosis factor alpha and its second messenger sphingosine. The source of tumour necrosis factor alpha has to be searched for in inflammation, which may have its origin in the bowel, in the heart, in peripheral hypoxic tissues or in neurohormonal activation. It has also been shown that the growth hormone/insulin-like growth factor 1 axis regulates contractile protein synthesis (transition from slow to fast fibres) and apoptosis, through calcineurin, FK506-FK506-binding protein, mitogen-activated protein kinase and nuclear factor kappaB. Tumour necrosis factor alpha also intervenes in this interplay by activating nuclear factor kappaB.

SUMMARY

According to these new pathophysiological insights, some strategies aiming to prevent or revert congestive heart failure myopathy with pharmacological interventions blocking inflammation, tumour necrosis factor alpha and apoptosis have been proposed. Future perspectives are based on stem cell implantation, transcription and gene therapy, for instance by overexpression of insulin-like growth factor 1.

Regulation of PPARgamma coactivator 1alpha (PGC-1alpha) signaling by an estrogen-related receptor alpha (ERRalpha) ligand

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARgamma) coactivator 1alpha (PGC-1alpha) is a transcriptional coactivator that is a key component in the regulation of energy production and utilization in metabolic tissues. Recent work has identified PGC-1alpha as a strong coactivator of the orphan nuclear receptor estrogen-related receptor alpha (ERRalpha), implicating ERRalpha as a potential mediator of PGC-1alpha action. To understand the role of ERRalpha in PGC-1alpha signaling, a parallel approach of high-throughput screening and gene-expression analysis was used to identify ERRalpha small-molecule regulators and target genes. We report here the identification of a potent and selective ERRalpha inverse agonist that interferes effectively with PGC-1alpha/ERRalpha-dependent signaling. This inverse agonist inhibits the constitutive activity of ERRalpha in both biochemical and cell-based assays. Also, we demonstrate that monoamine oxidase B is an ERRalpha target gene whose expression is regulated by PGC-1alpha and ERRalpha and inhibited by the ERRalpha inverse agonist. The discovery of potent and selective ERRalpha modulators and their effect on PGC-1alpha signaling provides mechanistic insight into gene regulation by PGC-1alpha. These findings validate ERRalpha as a promising therapeutic target in the treatment of metabolic disorders, including diabetes and obesity.

PPARs and the complex journey to obesity

Obesity and the related disorders of dyslipidemia and diabetes (components of syndrome X) have become global health epidemics. Over the past decade, the elucidation of key regulators of energy balance and insulin signaling have revolutionized our understanding of fat and sugar metabolism and their intimate link. The three 'lipid-sensing' peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPAR-alpha, PPAR-gamma and PPAR-delta) exemplify this connection, regulating diverse aspects of lipid and glucose homeostasis, and serving as bona fide therapeutic targets. With molecular underpinnings now in place, new pharmacologic approaches to metabolic disease and new questions are emerging.

Contributions of dysregulated energy metabolism to type 2 diabetes development in NZO/H1Lt mice with polygenic obesity

New Zealand Obese (NZO) male mice develop a polygenic juvenile-onset obesity and maturity-onset hyperinsulinemia and hyperglycemia (diabesity). Here we report on metabolic and molecular changes associated with the antidiabesity action of CL316,243 (CL), a beta(3)-adrenergic receptor agonist. Dietary CL treatment initiated at weaning reduced the peripubertal rise in body weight and adiposity while promoting growth without suppressing hyperphagia. The changes in adiposity, in turn, suppressed development of hyperinsulinemia, hyperleptinemia, hyperlipidemia, and hyperglycemia. These CL-induced alterations were reflected by decreased adipose tissue mass, increased expression of transcripts for uncoupling protein-1 (UCP-1), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARalpha), peroxisome proliferater-activated receptor coactivator-1 (PGC-1), and robust development of brown adipocyte function in white fat. Increased drug-mediated energy dissipation elicited a 1.5 degrees C increase in whole body temperature under conditions of increased food intake but with no change in physical activity. Indirect calorimetry of mice treated with CL showed both increased energy expenditure and a restoration of a prominent diurnal pattern in the respiratory exchange ratio suggesting improved nutrient sensing. Our data suggest that CL promotes increased energy dissipation in white and brown fat depots by augmenting thermogenesis and by metabolic re-partitioning of energy in a diabesity-protective fashion. This is the first report demonstrating the effects of dietary beta(3)-agonist in preventing the onset of diabesity in a polygenic rodent model of type 2 diabetes.

Oxidative capacity, lipotoxicity, and mitochondrial damage in type 2 diabetes

Recent evidence points toward decreased oxidative capacity and mitochondrial aberrations as a major contributor to the development of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. In this article we will provide an integrative view on the interrelation between decreased oxidative capacity, lipotoxicity, and mitochondrial aberrations in type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is characterized by disturbances in fatty acid metabolism and is accompanied by accumulation of fatty acids in nonadipose tissues. In metabolically active tissues, such as skeletal muscle, fatty acids are prone to so-called oxidative damage. In addition to producing energy, mitochondria are also a major source of reactive oxygen species, which can lead to lipid peroxidation. In particular, the mitochondrial matrix, which contains DNA, RNA, and numerous enzymes necessary for substrate oxidation, is sensitive to peroxide-induced oxidative damage and needs to be protected against the formation and accumulation of lipids and lipid peroxides. Recent evidence reports that mitochondrial uncoupling is involved in the protection of the mitochondrial matrix against lipid-induced mitochondrial damage. Disturbances in this protection mechanism can contribute to the development of type 2 diabetes.

Complex haplotypes of the PGC-1alpha gene are associated with carbohydrate metabolism and type 2 diabetes

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor coactivator-1alpha (PGC-1alpha) is a transcriptional coactivator implicated in transcriptional programs of hepatic gluconeogenesis, oxidative phosphorylation, and insulin release by beta-cells. To study associations of the PGC-1alpha gene locus with carbohydrate metabolism and type 2 diabetes in humans, we identified several polymorphisms in the promoter region that were located in a haplotype block distinct from a second haplotype block containing part of intron 2 and extending beyond exon 13. Each block contained five common haplotypes. Oral glucose tolerance testing revealed associations of promoter haplotype combinations with 30- and 60-min postload plasma glucose levels, whereas haplotypes in both blocks were associated with indexes of beta-cell function. The associations of promoter haplotypes are supported by functional studies showing that some polymorphisms are located in transcription factor binding sites and affect transactivation in an allele-specific manner. By comparing patients with type 2 diabetes and control subjects, we observed borderline significant differences of four-loci haplotype distributions in the downstream haplotype block. Moreover, the haplotype that was associated with the strongest insulin response to glucose conferred the lowest risk of type 2 diabetes (P < 0.01). Thus, the PGC-1alpha gene locus influences carbohydrate metabolism and contributes to type 2 diabetes in the population studied.

PGC-1alpha genotype modifies the association of volitional energy expenditure with [OV0312]O2max

Sedentary lifestyles are increasingly common and result in low cardiorespiratory fitness ([OV0312]O2max), a well-established predictor of early mortality and coronary heart disease (CHD). Adaptation in [OV0312]O2max after exercise training varies considerably between people. Because there are hereditary components to fitness, it is likely that genetic factors explain some of this variability. PPARGC1 (PGC-1alpha) coactivates genes involved in energy transduction and mitochondrial biogenesis. Transgenic mouse data demonstrate that overexpression of PGC-1alpha mRNA increases endurance capacity by transformation of nonoxidative to oxidative skeletal muscle tissue. Other murine studies demonstrate that exercise increases PGC-1alpha mRNA expression.

PURPOSE

To explore whether a candidate polymorphism in the PGC-1alpha gene modifies the association between physical activity energy expenditure (PAEE) and predicted [OV0312]O2max ([OV0312]O2max.pred).

METHOD

We examined whether the Gly482Ser polymorphism of PGC-1alpha modified the relationship between objectively measured PAEE and [OV0312]O2max.pred in a population-based sample of 599 healthy middle-aged people. PAEE was assessed using individual calibration with 4 d of heart rate monitoring. [OV0312]O2max.pred was measured during a submaximal exercise stress test on a bicycle ergometer.

RESULTS

Homozygosity at the Ser482 allele was found in 12.7% of the cohort, whereas 38.9% and 48.4% carried the Gly482Gly and Gly482Ser genotypes, respectively. The association between PAEE and [OV0312]O2max.pred (mL x kg(-1) x min(-1)) was strongest in people homozygous for the Ser482 allele (beta = 12.03; P < 0.00001) compared with carriers of the Gly allele (beta = 5.61; P < 0.00001). In a recessive model for the Ser482 allele, the interaction between PAEE and genotype on [OV0312]O2max.pred (L x min(-1)) was highly significant (P = 0.009).

CONCLUSION

Our results indicate that Ser482 homozygotes may be most capable of improving cardiorespiratory fitness when physically active, and that Gly482Ser may explain some of the between-person variance previously reported in cardiorespiratory adaptation after exercise training.

A polymorphic autoregulatory hormone response element in the human estrogen-related receptor alpha (ERRalpha) promoter dictates peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator-1alpha control of ERRalpha expression

The orphan nuclear estrogen-related receptor alpha (ERRalpha) and transcriptional cofactor peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator-1alpha (PGC-1alpha) are involved in the regulation of energy metabolism. Recently, extensive cross-talk between PGC-1alpha and ERRalpha has been demonstrated. The presence of PGC-1alpha is associated with an elevated expression of ERRalpha, and the two proteins can influence the transcriptional activities of one another. Using a candidate gene approach to detect regulatory variants within genes encoding nuclear receptors, we have identified a 23-bp sequence (ESRRA23) containing two nuclear receptor recognition half-site motifs that is present in 1-4 copies within the promoter of the human ESRRA gene encoding ERRalpha. The ESRRA23 sequence contains a functional ERR response element that is specifically bound by ERRalpha, and chromatin immunoprecipitation shows that endogenous ERRalpha occupies its own promoter in vivo. Strikingly, introduction of PGC-1alpha in HeLa cells by transient transfection induces the activity of the ESRRA promoter in a manner that is dependent on the presence of the ESRRA23 element and on its dosage. Coexpression of ERRalpha and PGC-1alpha results in a synergistic activation of the ESRRA promoter. In experiments using ERRalpha null fibroblasts, the ability of PGC-1alpha to stimulate the ESRRA promoter is considerably reduced but can be restored by addition of ERRalpha. Taken together, these results demonstrate that an interdependent ERRalpha/PGC-1alpha-based transcriptional pathway targets the ESRRA23 element to dictate the level of ERRalpha expression. This study further suggests that this regulatory polymorphism may provide differential responses to ERRalpha/PGC-1alpha-mediated metabolic cues in the human population.

Erralpha and Gabpa/b specify PGC-1alpha-dependent oxidative phosphorylation gene expression that is altered in diabetic muscle

Recent studies have shown that genes involved in oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) exhibit reduced expression in skeletal muscle of diabetic and prediabetic humans. Moreover, these changes may be mediated by the transcriptional coactivator peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator-1alpha (PGC-1alpha). By combining PGC-1alpha-induced genome-wide transcriptional profiles with a computational strategy to detect cis-regulatory motifs, we identified estrogen-related receptor alpha (Erralpha) and GA repeat-binding protein alpha as key transcription factors regulating the OXPHOS pathway. Interestingly, the genes encoding these two transcription factors are themselves PGC-1alpha-inducible and contain variants of both motifs near their promoters. Cellular assays confirmed that Erralpha and GA-binding protein a partner with PGC-1alpha in muscle to form a double-positive-feedback loop that drives the expression of many OXPHOS genes. By using a synthetic inhibitor of Erralpha, we demonstrated its key role in PGC-1alpha-mediated effects on gene regulation and cellular respiration. These results illustrate the dissection of gene regulatory networks in a complex mammalian system, elucidate the mechanism of PGC-1alpha action in the OXPHOS pathway, and suggest that Erralpha agonists may ameliorate insulin-resistance in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Controlling muscle mitochondrial content

Mitochondrial content, a chief determinant of aerobic capacity, varies widely among muscle types and species. Mitochondrial enzyme levels in vertebrate skeletal muscles vary more than 100-fold, from fish white muscle to bird flight muscles. Recent studies have shed light on the transcriptional regulators that control mitochondrial gene expression in muscle fiber differentiation and development, and in the context of pathological conditions such as neuromuscular disease and obesity. While the transcriptional co-activator PGC-1alpha (peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma co-activator 1) has emerged as a master controller of mitochondrial gene expression, it is important to consider other mechanisms by which coordinated changes in mitochondrial content could arise. These studies, largely using biomedical models, provide important information for comparative biologists interested in the mechanistic basis of inter-species variation in muscle aerobic capacity.

Obesity wars: molecular progress confronts an expanding epidemic

The worldwide prevalence of obesity is increasing at an alarming rate, with major adverse consequences for human health. This "obesity epidemic" is paralleled by a rapid and substantive increase in our understanding of molecular pathways and physiologic systems underlying the regulation of energy balance. While efforts to address the environmental factors that are responsible for the recent "epidemic" must continue, new molecular and physiologic insights into this system offer exciting possibilities for future development of successful therapies.

Suppression of mitochondrial respiration through recruitment of p160 myb binding protein to PGC-1alpha: modulation by p38 MAPK

The transcriptional coactivator PPAR gamma coactivator 1 alpha (PGC-1alpha) is a key regulator of metabolic processes such as mitochondrial biogenesis and respiration in muscle and gluconeogenesis in liver. Reduced levels of PGC-1alpha in humans have been associated with type II diabetes. PGC-1alpha contains a negative regulatory domain that attenuates its transcriptional activity. This negative regulation is removed by phosphorylation of PGC-1alpha by p38 MAPK, an important kinase downstream of cytokine signaling in muscle and beta-adrenergic signaling in brown fat. We describe here the identification of p160 myb binding protein (p160MBP) as a repressor of PGC-1alpha. The binding and repression of PGC-1alpha by p160MBP is disrupted by p38 MAPK phosphorylation of PGC-1alpha. Adenoviral expression of p160MBP in myoblasts strongly reduces PGC-1alpha's ability to stimulate mitochondrial respiration and the expression of the genes of the electron transport system. This repression does not require removal of PGC-1alpha from chromatin, suggesting that p160MBP is or recruits a direct transcriptional suppressor. Overall, these data indicate that p160MBP is a powerful negative regulator of PGC-1alpha function and provide a molecular mechanism for the activation of PGC-1alpha by p38 MAPK. The discovery of p160MBP as a PGC-1alpha regulator has important implications for the understanding of energy balance and diabetes.

Regulation of mitochondrial biogenesis in muscle by endurance exercise

Behavioural and hereditary conditions are known to decrease mitochondrial volume and function within skeletal muscle. This reduces endurance performance, and is manifest both at high- and low-intensity levels of exertion. A programme of regular endurance exercise, undertaken over a number of weeks, produces significant adaptations within skeletal muscle such that noticeable improvements in oxidative capacity are evident, and the related decline in endurance performance can be attenuated. Notwithstanding the important implications that this has for the highly trained endurance athlete, an improvement in mitochondrial volume and function through regular physical activity also endows the previously sedentary and/or aging population with an improved quality of life, and a greater functional independence. An understanding of the molecular and cellular mechanisms that govern the increases in mitochondrial volume with repeated bouts of exercise can provide insights into possible therapeutic interventions to care for those with mitochondrially-based diseases, and those unable to withstand regular physical activity. This review focuses on the recent developments in the molecular aspects of mitochondrial biogenesis in chronically exercising muscle. Specifically, we discuss the initial signalling events triggered by muscle contraction, the activation of transcription factors involved in both nuclear and mitochondrial DNA transcription, as well as the post-translational import mechanisms required for mitochondrial biogenesis. We consider the importance and relevance of chronic physical activity in the induction of mitochondrial biogenesis, with particular emphasis on how an endurance training programme could positively affect the age-related decline in mitochondrial content and delay the progression of age- and physical inactivity-related diseases.

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma coactivator 1alpha (PGC-1alpha) regulates triglyceride metabolism by activation of the nuclear receptor FXR

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma coactivator 1alpha (PGC-1alpha) has been shown to regulate adaptive thermogenesis and glucose metabolism. Here we show that PGC-1alpha regulates triglyceride metabolism through both farnesoid X receptor (FXR)-dependent and -independent pathways. PGC-1alpha increases FXR activity through two pathways: (1) it increases FXR mRNA levels by coactivation of PPARgamma and HNF4alpha to enhance FXR gene transcription; and (2) it interacts with the DNA-binding domain of FXR to enhance the transcription of FXR target genes. Ectopic expression of PGC-1alpha in murine primary hepatocytes reduces triglyceride secretion by a process that is dependent on the presence of FXR. Consistent with these in vitro studies, we demonstrate that fasting induces hepatic expression of PGC-1alpha and FXR and results in decreased plasma triglyceride levels in wild-type but not in FXR-null mice. Our data suggest that PGC-1alpha plays an important physiological role in maintaining energy homeostasis during fasting by decreasing triglyceride production/secretion while it increases fatty acid beta-oxidation to meet energy needs.

Quantitative trait loci for maximal exercise capacity phenotypes and their responses to training in the HERITAGE Family Study

The purpose of this study was to identify regions of the human genome linked to maximal oxygen uptake (V̇o2 max) and maximal power output (MPO), and their response to a standardized 20-wk endurance-training program in sedentary black and white subjects. A total of 509 polymorphic markers covering the 22 autosomes were used in the genome-wide linkage scan. Baseline phenotypes were adjusted for age, sex, and body mass, whereas the training responses were adjusted for age, sex, and the baseline values. Regression-based single- and multipoint linkage analyses were used. In the sedentary state, a total of 351 and 102 sibling pairs were available for whites and blacks, respectively, and 329 and 90 sibling pairs, respectively, for the training response phenotypes. Baseline V̇o2 maxshowed promising linkage ( P < 0.0023) with 11p15.1 (whites), and suggestive evidence of linkage (0.01 > P > 0.0023) was found on 1p31, 7q32, and 7q36 (blacks). Baseline MPO exhibited promising linkage on 10q23 and suggestive evidence of linkage on 13q33 and 18q11-q12 (whites). V̇o2 maxtraining response yielded promising linkages with markers on 1p31 (blacks) and suggestive on 4q27, 7q34, and 13q12 (whites) and on 16q22 and 20q13.1 (blacks). Training-induced changes in MPO showed promising linkages on 5q23 (whites) and suggestive on 1q21, 4p15.1, and 4p13 (whites) and on 1q22 and 13q11 (blacks). In conclusion, the strongest evidence of linkage was found on chromosomal regions 11p15 and 10q23 for V̇o2 maxand MPO in the sedentary state and on chromosomes 1p31 and 5q23 for their responsiveness to training. These chromosomal regions harbor several candidate genes that deserve further investigation.

Cardiac-specific induction of the transcriptional coactivator peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator-1alpha promotes mitochondrial biogenesis and reversible cardiomyopathy in a developmental stage-dependent manner

Recent evidence has identified the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator-1alpha (PGC-1alpha) as a regulator of cardiac energy metabolism and mitochondrial biogenesis. We describe the development of a transgenic system that permits inducible, cardiac-specific overexpression of PGC-1alpha. Expression of the PGC-1alpha transgene in this system (tet-on PGC-1alpha) is cardiac-specific in the presence of doxycycline (dox) and is not leaky in the absence of dox. Overexpression of PGC-1alpha in tet-on PGC-1alpha mice during the neonatal stages leads to a dramatic increase in cardiac mitochondrial number and size coincident with upregulation of gene markers associated with mitochondrial biogenesis. In contrast, overexpression of PGC-1alpha in the hearts of adult mice leads to a modest increase in mitochondrial number, derangements of mitochondrial ultrastructure, and development of cardiomyopathy. The cardiomyopathy in adult tet-on PGC-1alpha mice is characterized by an increase in ventricular mass and chamber dilatation. Surprisingly, removal of dox and cessation of PGC-1alpha overexpression in adult mice results in complete reversal of cardiac dysfunction within 4 weeks. These results indicate that PGC-1alpha drives mitochondrial biogenesis in a developmental stage-dependent manner permissive during the neonatal period. This unique murine model should prove useful for the study of the molecular regulatory programs governing mitochondrial biogenesis and characterization of the relationship between mitochondrial dysfunction and cardiomyopathy and as a general model of inducible, reversible cardiomyopathy.

PGC-1alpha mRNA expression is influenced by metabolic perturbation in exercising human skeletal muscle

Endurance training leads to many adaptational changes in several tissues. In skeletal muscle, fatty acid usage is enhanced and mitochondrial content is increased. The exact molecular mechanisms regulating these functional and structural changes remain to be elucidated. Contractile activity-induced metabolic perturbation has repeatedly been shown to be important for the induction of mitochondrial biogenesis. Recent reports suggest that the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1alpha (PGC-1alpha)/mitochondrial transcription factor A (Tfam) pathway is involved in exercise-induced mitochondrial biogenesis. In the present study, nine healthy men performed two 45-min bouts of one-legged knee extension exercise: one bout with restricted blood flow, and the other with nonrestricted blood flow to the working muscle. Muscle biopsies were obtained from the vastus lateralis muscle before exercise and at 0, 30, 120, and 360 min after the exercise bout. Biopsies were analyzed for whole muscle, as well as fiber-type specific mRNA expression of myocyte-enriched calcineurin interacting protein (MCIP)-1, PGC-1alpha, and downstream mitochondrial transcription factors. A novel finding was that, in human skeletal muscle, PGC-1alpha mRNA increased more after exercise with restricted blood flow than in the nonrestricted condition. No changes were observed for the mRNA of NRF-1, Tfam, mitochondrial transcription factor B1, and mitochondrial transcription factor B2. Muscle fiber type I and type II did not differ in the basal PGC-1alpha mRNA levels or in the expression increase after ischemic training. Another novel finding was that there was no difference between the restricted and nonrestricted exercise conditions in the increase of MCIP-1 mRNA, a marker for calcineurin activation. This suggests that calcineurin may be activated by exercise in humans and does not exclude that calcineurin could play a role in PGC-1 transcription activation in human skeletal muscle.

Decreased serum leptin and muscle oxidative enzyme activity with a dietary loss of intra-abdominal fat in rats

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the relationship among intra-abdominal adipose storage, adaptation in the serum leptin concentration and skeletal muscle enzyme activity after a 4-week energy restriction (ER). Thirty-one male Wistar rats were divided into 40% energy restricted (n=24) or ad libitum-fed control (CL) rats (n=7). The energy-restricted rats were grouped into the most fat (MF, n=7), medium (n 10) and the least fat (LF, n=7) by their intra-abdominal fat pads mass (epididymal, mesenteric, and perirenal) after ER. A superficial portion of M. gastrocnemius tissue obtained before and after the diet period were analyzed to determine the activities of hexokinase (HK), beta-hydroxyacyl CoA dehydrogenase (beta-HAD) and citrate synthase (CS). Blood samples were also collected for a serum leptin assay. At the baseline, no difference was found in either the leptin concentration or the enzyme activities among LF, MF and CL. The serum leptin concentration was positively correlated with the muscle activities of beta-HAD and CS, while it negatively correlated with HK/beta-HAD. After ER, the activities of HK, beta-HAD and CS were all significantly lower in LF than in CL. Among the energy-restricted rats, the intra-abdominal fat pad weight, leptin concentration and the activities of beta-HAD, CS, beta-HAD/CS all significantly correlated with one another. The changes in leptin and the activity of beta-HAD were also positively correlated. These findings indicate that parallel decreases in the serum leptin and skeletal muscle enzyme activities with the energy restriction-induced intra-abdominal adipose reduction, thus may suggest the leptin to have a regulative effect on the muscle enzyme activity during ER.

Regulation of Skeletal Muscle Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor .GAMMA. Expression by Exercise and Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibition in Fructose-Fed Hypertensive Rats

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of chronic exercise training and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibition on peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPAR gamma) expression in fat and skeletal muscle in fructose-fed spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). SHR were fed a fructose-rich diet over 16 weeks of either exercise training (Ex group: 20 m/min, 0% grade, 60 min/day, 5 days/week), ACE inhibitor administration (TM group: temocapril, 10 mg/kg/day), or a combination of both treatments (TM+Ex group). The systolic blood pressure was reduced exclusively in the temocapril-treated groups. Serum leptin level was positively correlated with the ratio of epididymal fat weight to body weight (p<0.001). Exercise training significantly upregulated the PPARgamma expression in all tissues, which was attenuated by temocapril. PPARgamma expression was significantly upregulated in skeletal muscles in the Ex group, and temocapril administration attenuated this effect in the Ex+TM group. The level of PPARgamma protein was significantly higher in the extensor digitorum longus muscle than in the soleus muscle. Both TM and Ex prevented the fructose diet-induced transitions of fiber type. These data suggested that PPARgamma expression is tissue-specific, and that alterations in PPARgamma expression in the skeletal muscle induced by either or both treatments may have contributed to reducing the fat mass via the regulation of metabolic homeostasis. Changes in muscle morphology were independent of PPARgamma expression, and the higher proportion of type I fiber might also explain some of the beneficial impact of exercise and ACE inhibition on energy metabolism.

Impaired expression of NADH dehydrogenase subunit 1 and PPARγ coactivator-1 in skeletal muscle of ZDF rats

Type 2 diabetes has been related to a decrease of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) content. In this study, we show increased expression of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-alpha (PPARalpha) and its target genes involved in fatty acid metabolism in skeletal muscle of Zucker Diabetic Fatty (ZDF) (fa/fa) rats. In contrast, the mRNA levels of genes involved in glucose transport and utilization (GLUT4 and phosphofructokinase) were decreased, whereas the expression of pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 4 (PDK-4), which suppresses glucose oxidation, was increased. The shift from glucose to fatty acids as the source of energy in skeletal muscle of ZDF rats was accompanied by a reduction of subunit 1 of complex I (NADH dehydrogenase subunit 1, ND1) and subunit II of complex IV (cytochrome c oxidase II, COII), two genes of the electronic transport chain encoded by mtDNA. The transcript levels of PPARgamma Coactivator 1 (PGC-1) showed a significant reduction. Treatment with troglitazone (30 mg/kg/day) for 15 days reduced insulin values and reversed the increase in PDK-4 mRNA levels, suggesting improved insulin sensitivity. In addition, troglitazone treatment restored ND1 and PGC-1 expression in skeletal muscle. These results suggest that troglitazone may avoid mitochondrial metabolic derangement during the development of diabetes mellitus 2 in skeletal muscle.

The B-cell maturation factor Blimp-1 specifies vertebrate slow-twitch muscle fiber identity in response to Hedgehog signaling

Vertebrate skeletal muscles comprise distinct fiber types that differ in their morphology, contractile function, mitochondrial content and metabolic properties. Recent studies identified the transcriptional coactivator PGC-1alpha as a key mediator of the physiological stimuli that modulate fiber-type plasticity in postembryonic development. Although myoblasts become fated to differentiate into distinct kinds of fibers early in development, the identities of regulatory proteins that determine embryonic fiber-type specification are still obscure. Here we show that the gene u-boot (ubo), a mutation in which disrupts the induction of embryonic slow-twitch fibers, encodes the zebrafish homolog of Blimp-1, a SET domain-containing transcription factor that promotes the terminal differentiation of B lymphocytes in mammals. Expression of ubo is induced by Hedgehog (Hh) signaling in prospective slow muscle precursors, and its activity alone is sufficient to direct slow-twitch fiber-specific development by naive myoblasts. Our data provide the first molecular insight into the mechanism by which a specific group of muscle precursors is driven along a distinct pathway of fiber-type differentiation in response to positional cues in the vertebrate embryo.

UTP transactivates epidermal growth factor receptors and promotes cardiomyocyte hypertrophy despite inhibiting transcription of the hypertrophic marker gene, atrial natriuretic peptide

In neonatal rat ventricular myocytes, activation of receptors that couple to the G(q) family of heterotrimeric G proteins causes hypertrophic growth, together with expression of "hypertrophic marker" genes, such as atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and myosin light chain 2 (MLC2). As reported previously for other G(q)-coupled receptors, stimulation of alpha(1)-adrenergic receptors with phenylephrine (50 microM) caused phosphorylation of epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptors as well as activation of ERK1/2, cellular growth, and ANP transcription. These responses depended on EGF receptor activation. In marked contrast, stimulation of G(q)-coupled purinergic receptors with UTP caused EGF receptor phosphorylation, ERK1/2 activation, and cellular growth but minimal increases in ANP transcription. UTP inhibited phenylephrine-dependent transcription from ANP and MLC2 promoters but not transcription from myoglobin promoters or from AP-1 elements. Myocardin is a muscle-specific transcription enhancer that activates transcription from ANP and MLC2 promoters but not myoglobin promoters or AP-1 elements. UTP inhibited ANP and MLC2 responses to overexpressed myocardin but did not inhibit responses to c-Jun, GATA4, or serum response factor, all of which are active in nonmuscle cells. Thus, UTP inhibits transcriptional responses to phenylephrine only at cardiac-specific promoters, and this may involve the muscle-specific transcription enhancer, myocardin. These studies show that EGF receptor activation is necessary but not sufficient for ANP and MLC2 responses to activation of G(q)-coupled receptors in ventricular myocytes, because inhibitory mechanisms can oppose such stimulation. ANP is a compensatory and protective factor in cardiac hypertrophy, and mechanisms that reduce its generation need to be defined.

Regulation of the human GLUT4 gene promoter: interaction between a transcriptional activator and myocyte enhancer factor 2A

The GLUT4 gene is subject to complex tissue-specific and metabolic regulation, with a profound impact on insulin-mediated glucose disposal. We have shown, by using transgenic mice, that the human GLUT4 promoter is regulated through the cooperative function of two distinct regulatory elements, domain 1 and the myocyte enhancer factor 2 (MEF2) domain. The MEF2 domain binds transcription factors MEF2A and MEF2D in vivo. Domain I binds a transcription factor, GLUT4 enhancer factor (GEF). In this report, we show a restricted pattern of GEF expression in human tissues, which overlaps with MEF2A only in tissues expressing high levels of GLUT4, suggesting the hypothesis that GEF and MEF2A function together to activate GLUT4 transcription. Data obtained from transiently transfected cells support this hypothesis. Neither GEF nor MEF2A alone significantly activated GLUT4 promoter activity, but increased promoter activity 4- to 5-fold when expressed together. Deletion of the GEF-binding domain (domain I) and the MEF2-binding domain prevented activation, strengthening the conclusion that promoter regulation occurs through these elements. GEF and MEF2A, isolated from nuclei of transfected cells, bound domain I and the MEF2 domain, respectively, which is consistent with activation through these regulatory elements. Finally, GEF and MEF2A coimmunoprecipitated in vivo, strongly supporting a mechanism of GLUT4 transcription activation that depends on this protein-protein interaction.

Induction of Drug Metabolism: The Role of Nuclear Receptors

Induction of drug metabolism was described more than 40 years ago. Progress in understanding the molecular mechanism of induction of drug-metabolizing enzymes was made recently when the important roles of the pregnane X receptor (PXR) and the constitutive androstane receptor (CAR), two members of the nuclear receptor superfamily of transcription factors, were discovered to act as sensors for lipophilic xenobiotics, including drugs. CAR and PXR bind as heterodimeric complexes with the retinoid X receptor to response elements in the regulatory regions of the induced genes. PXR is directly activated by xenobiotic ligands, whereas CAR is involved in a more complex and less well understood mechanism of signal transduction triggered by drugs. Most recently, analysis of these xenobiotic-sensing nuclear receptors and their nonmammalian precursors such as the chicken xenobiotic receptor suggests an important role of PXR and CAR also in endogenous pathways, such as cholesterol and bile acid biosynthesis and metabolism. In this review, recent findings regarding xenosensors and their target genes are summarized and are put into an evolutionary perspective in regard to how a living organism has derived a system that is able to deal with potentially toxic compounds it has not encountered before.

Endurance training in humans leads to fiber type-specific increases in levels of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma coactivator-1 and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-alpha in skeletal muscle

The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-gamma coactivator-1 (PGC-1) can induce mitochondria biogenesis and has been implicated in the development of oxidative type I muscle fibers. The PPAR isoforms alpha, beta/delta, and gamma control the transcription of genes involved in fatty acid and glucose metabolism. As endurance training increases skeletal muscle mitochondria and type I fiber content and fatty acid oxidative capacity, our aim was to determine whether these increases could be mediated by possible effects on PGC-1 or PPAR-alpha, -beta/delta, and -gamma. Seven healthy men performed 6 weeks of endurance training and the expression levels of PGC-1 and PPAR-alpha, -beta/delta, and -gamma mRNA as well as the fiber type distribution of the PGC-1 and PPAR-alpha proteins were measured in biopsies from their vastus lateralis muscle. PGC-1 and PPAR-alpha mRNA expression increased by 2.7- and 2.2-fold (P < 0.01), respectively, after endurance training. PGC-1 expression was 2.2- and 6-fold greater in the type IIa than in the type I and IIx fibers, respectively. It increased by 2.8-fold in the type IIa fibers and by 1.5-fold in both the type I and IIx fibers after endurance training (P < 0.015). PPAR-alpha was 1.9-fold greater in type I than in the II fibers and increased by 3.0-fold and 1.5-fold in these respective fibers after endurance training (P < 0.001). The increases in PGC-1 and PPAR-alpha levels reported in this study may play an important role in the changes in muscle mitochondria content, oxidative phenotype, and sensitivity to insulin known to be induced by endurance training.

Skeletal muscle reprogramming by activation of calcineurin improves insulin action on metabolic pathways

The protein phosphatase calcineurin is a signaling intermediate that induces the transformation of fast-twitch skeletal muscle fibers to a slow-twitch phenotype. This reprogramming of the skeletal muscle gene expression profile may have therapeutic applications for metabolic disease. Insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in skeletal muscle is both impaired in individuals with type II diabetes mellitus and positively correlated with the percentage of slow- versus fast-twitch muscle fibers. Using transgenic mice expressing activated calcineurin in skeletal muscle, we report that skeletal muscle reprogramming by calcineurin activation leads to improved insulin-stimulated 2-deoxyglucose uptake in extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscles compared with wild-type mice, concomitant with increased protein expression of the insulin receptor, Akt, glucose transporter 4, and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma co-activator 1. Transgenic mice exhibited elevated glycogen deposition, enhanced amino acid uptake, and increased fatty acid oxidation in EDL muscle. When fed a high-fat diet, transgenic mice maintained superior rates of insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in EDL muscle and were protected against diet-induced glucose intolerance. These results validate calcineurin as a target for enhancing insulin action in skeletal muscle.

Role of calcineurin in striated muscle: development, adaptation, and disease

Striated muscles, cardiac and skeletal muscles, use calcium as a second messenger to respond and adapt to environmental stimuli. Elevations in intracellular calcium activate calcineurin, a serine/threonine phosphatase, resulting in expression of a set of genes involved in remodeling striated muscle. Activation of calcineurin in hearts produces cardiac hypertrophy, and in skeletal muscle promotes cell differentiation and transforms fiber type specificity. In this review we discuss the effects of calcineurin activity on development, adaptation, and disease of striated muscle.