Restoration of insulin-sensitive glucose transporter (GLUT4) gene expression in muscle cells by the transcriptional coactivator PGC-1

Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent transcriptional pathways: potential mediators of skeletal muscle growth and development

The loss of muscle mass with age and disuse has a significant impact on the physiological and social well-being of the aged; this is an increasingly important problem as the population becomes skewed towards older age. Exercise has psychological benefits but it also impacts on muscle protein synthesis and degradation, increasing muscle tissue volume in both young and older individuals. Skeletal muscle hypertrophy involves an increase in muscle mass and cross-sectional area and associated increased myofibrillar protein content. Attempts to understand the molecular mechanisms that underlie muscle growth, development and maintenance, have focused on characterising the molecular pathways that initiate, maintain and regenerate skeletal muscle. Such understanding may aid in improving targeted interventional therapies for age-related muscle loss and muscle wasting associated with diseases. Two major routes through which skeletal muscle development and growth are regulated are insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) and Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent transcriptional pathways. Many reviews have focused on understanding the signalling pathways of IGF-I and its receptor, which govern skeletal muscle hypertrophy. However, alternative molecular signalling pathways such as the Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent transcriptional pathways should also be considered as potential mediators of muscle growth. These latter pathways have received relatively little attention and the purpose herein is to highlight the progress being made in the understanding of these pathways and associated molecules: calmodulin, calmodulin kinases (CaMKs), calcineurin and nuclear factor of activated T-cell (NFAT), which are involved in skeletal muscle regulation. We describe: (1) how conformational changes in the Ca(2+) sensor calmodulin result in the exposure of binding pockets for the target proteins (CaMKs and calcineurin). (2) How Calmodulin consequently activates either the Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent kinases pathways (via CaMKs) or calmodulin-dependent serine/threonine phosphatases (via calcineurin). (3) How calmodulin kinases alter transcription in the nucleus through the phosphorylation, deactivation and translocation of histone deacetylase 4 (HDAC4) from the nucleus to the cytoplasm. (4) How calcineurin transmits signals to the nucleus through the dephosphorylation and translocation of NFAT from the cytoplasm to the nucleus.

PGC-1α attenuates neointimal formation via inhibition of vascular smooth muscle cell migration in the injured rat carotid artery

Oxidative stress contributes significantly to the migration of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), the major pathogenic process of vascular diseases, but the mechanism remains unclear. In the present study, we explored the role of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator-1α (PGC-1α), a major regulator of mitochondrial biogenesis and energy balance, in VSMC migration in vitro and in vivo. Overexpression of PGC-1α in cultured VSMCs led to a 74.5% reduction of migration activity and mitochondrial ROS generation by the increased expression of antioxidative proteins such as SOD-2 in the mitochondria. The knockdown of PGC-1α by specific small interfering (si)RNA markedly augmented VSMC migration activity and greatly reduced mitochondrial antioxidative protein expression. Furthermore, knockdown of SOD-2 expression by siRNA greatly reversed the inhibitory effect of PGC-1α overexpression on VSMC migration. In a rat carotid balloon injury model, adenovirus-mediated overexpression of PGC-1α greatly reduced neointimal formation (ratio of intima to media: 0.78 ± 0.09 vs. 1.45 ± 0.18 in the adenovirus + green fluorescent protein gene- transfected group). Moreover, the expression of SOD-2 was significantly increased in vivo in local vessels after injury in the PGC-1α-overexpressing group. These data strongly suggest that PGC-1α inhibits VSMC migration and neointimal formation after vascular injury in rats, mainly by upregulating the expression of the mitochondrial antioxidant enzyme SOD-2.

Fat storage and the biology of energy expenditure

Excessive adiposity results from an imbalance in energy homeostasis, whereby the consequences of excessive food intake are not balanced by increased energy expenditure. The increasing prevalence of excessive adiposity now involves more than 1 billion individuals worldwide. Of these, one half is obese and susceptible to comorbidities such as insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and hypertension, which accelerate atherosclerosis. Lifestyle changes that have resulted largely in decreased physical activity now require a greater understanding of energy use that may allow better strategies for obesity control, because traditional methods of decreasing food intake and/or increasing exercise have not been successful without considerable behavioral counseling. This review focuses on the cell biology of white and brown fat tissue as well as on the central obesity that explains the comorbidities of the metabolic syndrome. Recent advances regarding the roles of central and autonomic nervous system regulation involved in fat remodeling are discussed, including the hypothalamic regulation of food intake and intestinal modulation, which affects satiety and peripheral energy expenditure. Finally, the new knowledge of cellular transcription factor regulation of energy expenditure is explained, whereby genes regulate mitochondriogenesis within adipocytes, liver, and muscle for both coupled and uncoupled oxidative phosphorylation-induced energy and heat expenditure, respectively. Newly discovered agonists of these transcription factors may now be realized that enhance energy expenditure. Strategies that combine such pharmacotherapies with lifestyle changes including enhanced physical activity and proper dietary intake may then provide the deterrents to excessive adiposity and its comorbidities, which now threaten human longevity.

Korean red ginseng (Panax ginseng) improves insulin sensitivity and attenuates the development of diabetes in Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima fatty rats

Ginseng has been reported to ameliorate hyperglycemia in experimental and clinical studies; however, its mechanism of action remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the metabolic effects and putative molecular mechanisms of Korean red ginseng (KRG, Panax ginseng) in animal models for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and peripheral insulin-responsive cell lines. Korean red ginseng was administered orally at a dose of 200 mg/(kg d) to Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima fatty rats for 40 weeks. Initially, chronic administration of KRG reduced weight gain and visceral fat mass in the early period without altering food intake. The KRG-treated Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima fatty rats showed improved insulin sensitivity and significantly preserved glucose tolerance compared with untreated control animals up to 50 weeks of age, implying that KRG attenuated the development of overt diabetes. KRG promoted fatty acid oxidation by the activation of adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and phosphorylation of acetyl-coenzyme A carboxylase in skeletal muscle and cultured C2C12 muscle cells. Increased expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma coactivator-1alpha, nuclear respiratory factor-1, cytochrome c, cytochrome c oxidase-4, and glucose transporter 4 by KRG treatment indicates that activated AMPK also enhanced mitochondrial biogenesis and glucose utilization in skeletal muscle. Although these findings suggest that KRG is likely to have beneficial effects on the amelioration of insulin resistance and the prevention of T2DM through the activation of AMPK, further clinical studies are required to evaluate the use of KRG as a supplementary agent for T2DM.

PGC-1alpha-induced improvements in skeletal muscle metabolism and insulin sensitivity

The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARgamma) coactivator 1alpha (PGC-1alpha), a nuclear encoded transcriptional coactivator, increases the expression of many genes in skeletal muscle, including those involved with fatty acid oxidation and oxidative phosphorylation. Exercise increases the expression of PGC-1alpha, and the exercise-induced upregulation of many genes is attributable, in part, to the preceding activation and upregulation of PGC-1alpha. Indeed, PGC-1alpha overexpression, like exercise training, increases exercise performance. PGC-1alpha reductions in humans have been observed in type 2 diabetes, while, in cell lines, PGC-1alpha mimics the exercise-induced improvement in insulin sensitivity. However, unexpectedly, in mammalian muscle, PGC-1alpha overexpression contributed to the development of diet-induced insulin resistance. This may have been related to the massive overexpression of PGC-1alpha, which induced the upregulation of the fatty acid transporter FAT/CD36 and led to an increase in intramuscular lipids, which interfere with insulin signalling. In contrast, when PGC-1alpha was overexpressed modestly, within physiological limits, mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation was increased, GLUT4 expression was upregulated, and insulin-stimulated glucose transport was increased. More recently, similar PGC-1alpha-induced improvements in the insulin-resistant skeletal muscle of obese Zucker rats have been observed. These studies suggest that massive PGC-1alpha overexpression, but not physiologic PGC-1alpha overexpression, induces deleterious metabolic effects, and that exercise-induced improvements in insulin sensitivity are induced, in part, by the exercise-induced upregulation of PGC-1alpha.

SIRT1 and insulin resistance

Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1), the mammalian homolog of SIR2, was originally identified as a NAD-dependent histone deacetylase, the activity of which is closely associated with lifespan under calorie restriction. Growing evidence suggests that SIRT1 regulates glucose or lipid metabolism through its deacetylase activity for over two dozen known substrates, and has a positive role in the metabolic pathway through its direct or indirect involvement in insulin signaling. SIRT1 stimulates a glucose-dependent insulin secretion from pancreatic beta cells, and directly stimulates insulin signaling pathways in insulin-sensitive organs. Furthermore, SIRT1 regulates adiponectin secretion, inflammatory responses, gluconeogenesis, and levels of reactive oxygen species, which together contribute to the development of insulin resistance. Moreover, overexpression of SIRT1 and several SIRT1 activators has beneficial effects on glucose homeostasis and insulin sensitivity in obese mice models. These findings suggest that SIRT1 might be a new therapeutic target for the prevention of disease related to insulin resistance, such as metabolic syndrome and diabetes mellitus, although direct evidence from clinical studies in humans is needed to prove this possibility. In this Review, we discuss the potential role and therapeutic promise of SIRT1 in insulin resistance on the basis of the latest experimental studies.

The role of the PGC1α Gly482Ser polymorphism in weight gain due to intensive diabetes therapy

The Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT) involved intensive diabetes therapy of subjects with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) for an average period of 6.5 years. A subset of these subjects gained excessive weight. We tested for association of polymorphisms in 8 candidate genes with the above trait. We found the Gly482Ser polymorphism in the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator-1α (PGC1α) to be significantly associated with weight gain in males (P = .0045) but not in females. The Ser allele was associated with greater weight gain than the Gly allele (P = .005). Subjects with a family history of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) were more common among those who gained excessive weight. We conclude that T2DM and the Gly482Ser polymorphism in PGC1α contribute to the effect of intensive diabetes therapy on weight gain in males with T1DM.

PGC-1alpha, SIRT1 and AMPK, an energy sensing network that controls energy expenditure

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator-1-alpha (PGC-1alpha) has been extensively described as a master regulator of mitochondrial biogenesis. However, PGC-1alpha activity is not constant and can be finely tuned in response to different metabolic situations. From this point of view, PGC-1alpha could be described as a mediator of the transcriptional outputs triggered by metabolic sensors, providing the idea that these sensors, together with PGC-1alpha, might be weaving a network controlling cellular energy expenditure. In this review, we will focus on how disorders such as type 2 diabetes and the metabolic syndrome might be related to an abnormal and improper function of this network.

RECENT FINDINGS

Two metabolic sensors, AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and SIRT1 have been described to directly affect PGC-1alpha activity through phosphorylation and deacetylation, respectively. Although the physiological relevance of these modifications and their molecular consequences are still largely unknown, recent insight from different in-vivo transgenic models clearly suggests that AMPK, SIRT1 and PGC-1alpha might act as an orchestrated network to improve metabolic fitness.

SUMMARY

Metabolic sensors such as AMPK and SIRT1, gatekeepers of the activity of the master regulator of mitochondria, PGC-1alpha, are vital links in a regulatory network for metabolic homeostasis. Together, these players explain many of the beneficial effects of physical activity and dietary interventions in our battle against type 2 diabetes and related metabolic disorders. Hence, understanding the mechanisms by which they act could guide us to identify and improve preventive and therapeutic strategies for metabolic diseases.

Whole body overexpression of PGC-1alpha has opposite effects on hepatic and muscle insulin sensitivity

Type 2 diabetes is characterized by fasting hyperglycemia, secondary to hepatic insulin resistance and increased glucose production. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma coactivator-1alpha (PGC-1alpha) is a transcriptional coactivator that is thought to control adaptive responses to physiological stimuli. In liver, PGC-1alpha expression is induced by fasting, and this effect promotes gluconeogenesis. To examine whether PGC-1alpha is involved in the pathogenesis of hepatic insulin resistance, we generated transgenic (TG) mice with whole body overexpression of human PGC-1alpha and evaluated glucose homeostasis with a euglycemic-hyperinsulinemic clamp. PGC-1alpha was moderately (approximately 2-fold) overexpressed in liver, skeletal muscle, brain, and heart of TG mice. In liver, PGC-1alpha overexpression resulted in increased expression of hepatocyte nuclear factor-4alpha and the gluconeogenic enzymes phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase and glucose-6-phosphatase. PGC-1alpha overexpression caused hepatic insulin resistance, manifested by higher glucose production and diminished insulin suppression of gluconeogenesis. Paradoxically, PGC-1alpha overexpression improved muscle insulin sensitivity, as evidenced by elevated insulin-stimulated Akt phosphorylation and peripheral glucose disposal. Content of myoglobin and troponin I slow protein was increased in muscle of TG mice, indicating fiber-type switching. PGC-1alpha overexpression also led to lower reactive oxygen species production by mitochondria and reduced IKK/IkappaB signaling in muscle. Feeding a high-fat diet to TG mice eliminated the increased muscle insulin sensitivity. The dichotomous effect of PGC-1alpha overexpression in liver and muscle suggests that PGC-1alpha is a fuel gauge that couples energy demands (muscle) with the corresponding fuel supply (liver). Thus, under conditions of physiological stress (i.e., prolonged fast and exercise training), increased hepatic glucose production may help sustain glucose utilization in peripheral tissues.

The role of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator-1 beta in the pathogenesis of fructose-induced insulin resistance

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator-1 beta (PGC-1beta) is known to be a transcriptional coactivator for SREBP-1, the master regulator of hepatic lipogenesis. Here, we evaluated the role of PGC-1beta in the pathogenesis of fructose-induced insulin resistance by using an antisense oligonucletoide (ASO) to knockdown PGC-1beta in liver and adipose tissue. PGC-1beta ASO improved the metabolic phenotype induced by fructose feeding by reducing expression of SREBP-1 and downstream lipogenic genes in liver. PGC-1beta ASO also reversed hepatic insulin resistance induced by fructose in both basal and insulin-stimulated states. Furthermore, PGC-1beta ASO increased insulin-stimulated whole-body glucose disposal due to a threefold increase in glucose uptake in white adipose tissue. These data support an important role for PGC-1beta in the pathogenesis of fructose-induced insulin resistance and suggest that PGC-1beta inhibition may be a therapeutic target for treatment of NAFLD, hypertriglyceridemia, and insulin resistance associated with increased de novo lipogenesis.

Identification of novel targets for PGC-1alpha and histone deacetylase inhibitors in neuroblastoma cells

Recent evidence suggests that the transcriptional coactivator peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma coactivator 1alpha (PGC-1alpha) is involved in the pathology of Huntington's Disease (HD). While animals lacking PGC-1alpha express lower levels of genes involved in antioxidant defense and oxidative phosphorylation in the brain, little is known about other targets for PGC-1alpha in neuronal cells and whether there are ways to pharmacologically target PGC-1alpha in neurons. Here, PGC-1alpha overexpression in SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells upregulated expression of genes involved in mitochondrial function, glucose transport, fatty acid metabolism, and synaptic function. Overexpression also decreased vulnerability to hydrogen peroxide-induced cell death and caspase 3 activation. Treatment of cells with the histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi's) trichostatin A and valproic acid upregulated PGC-1alpha and glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4). These results suggest that PGC-1alpha regulates multiple pathways in neurons and that HDACi's may be good candidates to target PGC-1alpha and GLUT4 in HD and other neurological disorders.

Two new splice variants in porcine PPARGC1A

Background

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator 1α (PPARGC1A) is a coactivator with a vital and central role in fat and energy metabolism. It is considered to be a candidate gene for meat quality in pigs and is involved in the development of obesity and diabetes in humans. How its many functions are regulated, is however still largely unclear. Therefore a transcription profile of PPARGC1A in 32 tissues and 4 embryonic developmental stages in the pig was constructed by screening its cDNA for possible splice variants with exon-spanning primers.

Findings

This led to the discovery of 2 new splice variants in the pig, which were subsequently also detected in human tissues. In these variants, exon 8 was either completely or partly (the last 66 bp were conserved) spliced out, potentially coding for a much shorter protein of respectively 337 and 359 amino acids (aa), of which the first 291 aa would be the same compared to the complete protein (796 aa).

Conclusion

Considering the functional domains of the PPARGC1A protein, it is very likely these splice variants considerably affect the function of the protein and alternative splicing could be one of the mechanisms by which the diverse functions of PPARGC1A are regulated.

Paradoxical effects of increased expression of PGC-1alpha on muscle mitochondrial function and insulin-stimulated muscle glucose metabolism

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma coactivator (PGC)-1alpha has been shown to play critical roles in regulating mitochondria biogenesis, respiration, and muscle oxidative phenotype. Furthermore, reductions in the expression of PGC-1alpha in muscle have been implicated in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes. To determine the effect of increased muscle-specific PGC-1alpha expression on muscle mitochondrial function and glucose and lipid metabolism in vivo, we examined body composition, energy balance, and liver and muscle insulin sensitivity by hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp studies and muscle energetics by using (31)P magnetic resonance spectroscopy in transgenic mice. Increased expression of PGC-1alpha in muscle resulted in a 2.4-fold increase in mitochondrial density, which was associated with an approximately 60% increase in the unidirectional rate of ATP synthesis. Surprisingly, there was no effect of increased muscle PGC-1alpha expression on whole-body energy expenditure, and PGC-1alpha transgenic mice were more prone to fat-induced insulin resistance because of decreased insulin-stimulated muscle glucose uptake. The reduced insulin-stimulated muscle glucose uptake could most likely be attributed to a relative increase in fatty acid delivery/triglyceride reesterfication, as reflected by increased expression of CD36, acyl-CoA:diacylglycerol acyltransferase1, and mitochondrial acyl-CoA:glycerol-sn-3-phosphate acyltransferase, that may have exceeded mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation, resulting in increased intracellular lipid accumulation and an increase in the membrane to cytosol diacylglycerol content. This, in turn, caused activation of PKC, decreased insulin signaling at the level of insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1) tyrosine phosphorylation, and skeletal muscle insulin resistance.

PGC-1alpha-mediated regulation of gene expression and metabolism: implications for nutrition and exercise prescriptions

The discovery 10 years ago of PGC-1alpha represented a major milestone towards understanding of the molecular processes regulating energy metabolism in many tissues, including skeletal muscle. PGC-1alpha orchestrates a metabolic program regulating oxidative lipid metabolism and insulin sensitivity. This is essentially the same metabolic program that is activated by exercise and down-regulated by sedentary lifestyles and high-fat diets, as well as in cases of obesity and type 2 diabetes. The present review examines the evidence in support of the key role for PGC-1alpha regulation of substrate metabolism and mitochondrial biogenesis in skeletal muscle. Surprisingly, studies with PGC-1alpha null and transgenic mice have revealed unexpected pathologies when PGC-1alpha is completely repressed (KO animals) or is massively overexpressed. In contrast, PGC-1alpha overexpression within normal physiological limits results in marked improvements in fatty acid oxidation and insulin-stimulated glucose transport. Exercise, sedentary lifestyles, and nutritional factors can regulate PGC-1alpha expression. We speculate that optimal targeting of PGC-1alpha upregulation, whether by diet, exercise, or a combination of both, could represent effective prophylactic or therapeutic means to improve insulin sensitivity. Indeed, using modern molecular tools, it may indeed be possible to prescribe optimally individualized nutrition and exercise programs.

Comparing and contrasting the roles of AMPK and SIRT1 in metabolic tissues

The ability to adapt and respond to nutrients is an ancient cellular function, conserved from unicellular to the most complex multicellular organisms, including mammals. Mammals adapt to changes in nutritional status through the modulation of tissue-specific metabolic pathways so as to maintain energy homeostasis. At least two proteins are activated in response to reduced nutrient availability: AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and NAD(+)-dependent deacetylase SIRT1. AMPK functions as a sensor of cellular energy status and as a master regulator of metabolism. When ATP levels decrease, AMPK is activated to boost ATP production and to inhibit ATP usage, thus restoring energy balance. Similarly, SIRT1 is activated in response to changes in the energy status to promote transcription of genes that mediate the metabolic response to stress, starvation or calorie restriction. Several observations support a model where, in response to stress and reduced nutrients, a metabolic pathway is activated within which AMPK and SIRT1 concordantly function to ensure an appropriate cellular response and adaptation to environmental modifications. In this perspective, we compare and contrast the roles of SIRT1 and AMPK in several metabolic tissues and propose a working model of how the AMPK-SIRT1 axis may be regulated to control functions relevant to organismal physiology and pathophysiology.

Western diet impairs metabolic remodelling and contractile efficiency in cardiac hypertrophy

AIMS

Metabolic remodelling in cardiac hypertrophy is underscored by a reduction in fatty acid (FA) oxidation. We tested whether this decline in FA oxidation in the presence of enhanced FA supply may predispose the hypertrophied myocardium to lipid accumulation, functional deterioration, and eventually heart failure.

METHODS

and results Left ventricular hypertrophy was induced surgically in Sprague-Dawley rats by inter-renal aortic constriction. Rats were fed a Western diet (WD, 45% kcal from lipids) or standard diet (SD, 12% kcal from fat) for 9 weeks post-surgery. Hearts were perfused in the isovolumic mode with a physiological mixture of substrates including 5 mM 1-(13)C glucose, 1 mM 3-(13)C lactate, and 0.3 mM U-(13)C palmitate, and cardiac function was monitored. Real-time PCR was used to determine transcript levels of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-alpha (PPARalpha) and PPARalpha-regulated metabolic enzymes. Palmitate oxidation and PPARalpha-regulated gene expression were markedly reduced in the hypertrophied myocardium of rats fed SD. However, 9 weeks of WD normalized both palmitate oxidation and PPARalpha-regulated gene expression but significantly increased glucose and lactate oxidation in the hypertrophied hearts. This was accompanied by cardiac triglyceride accumulation and a decline in ventricular function despite an increase in oxygen consumption.

CONCLUSION

These results highlight that WD-induced dysregulation of FA metabolism has deleterious functional consequences in cardiac hypertrophy.

PPAR transcriptional activator complex polymorphisms and the promise of individualized therapy for heart failure

The PPAR gene pathway consists of interrelated genes that encode transcription factors, enzymes, and downstream targets which coordinately act to regulate cellular processes central to glucose and lipid metabolism. The pathway includes the PPAR genes themselves, other class II nuclear hormone receptor transcription factors within the PPAR family, PPAR co-activators, PPAR co-repressors, and downstream metabolic gene targets. This review focuses on the transcription factors that comprise the PPAR transcriptional activator complex--the PPARs (PPARalpha, PPARbeta, or PPARgamma), PPAR heterodimeric partners, such as RXRalpha, and PPAR co-activators, such as PPARgamma coactivator 1alpha (PGC-1alpha) and the estrogen-related receptors (ERRalpha, ERRbeta, and ERRgamma). These transcription factors have been implicated in the development of myocardial hypertrophy and dilated cardiomyopathy as well as response to myocardial ischemia/infarction and, by association, ischemic cardiomyopathy. Human expression studies and animal data are presented as the background for a discussion of the emerging field of pharmacogenetics as it applies to these genes and the consequent implications for the individualization of therapy for patients with heart failure.

AMP-activated protein kinase-regulated activation of the PGC-1alpha promoter in skeletal muscle cells

The mechanisms by which PGC-1α gene expression is controlled in skeletal muscle remains largely undefined. Thus, we sought to investigate the transcriptional regulation of PGC-1α using AICAR, an activator of AMPK, that is known to increase PGC-1α expression. A 2.2 kb fragment of the human PGC-1α promoter was cloned and sequence analysis revealed that this TATA-less sequence houses putative consensus sites including a GC-box, a CRE, several IRSs, a SRE, binding sites for GATA, MEF2, p 53, NF-κB, and EBox binding proteins. AMPK activation for 24 hours increased PGC-1α promoter activity with concomitant increases in mRNA expression. The effect of AICAR on transcriptional activation was mediated by an overlapping GATA/EBox binding site at −495 within the PGC-1α promoter based on gel shift analyses that revealed increases in GATA/EBox DNA binding. Mutation of the EBox within the GATA/EBox binding site in the promoter reduced basal promoter activity and completely abolished the AICAR effect. Supershift analyses identified USF-1 as a DNA binding transcription factor potentially involved in regulating PGC-1α promoter activity, which was confirmed in vivo by ChIP. Overexpression of either GATA-4 or USF-1 alone increased the p851 PGC-1α promoter activity by 1.7- and 2.0-fold respectively, while co-expression of GATA-4 and USF-1 led to an additive increase in PGC-1α promoter activity. The USF-1-mediated increase in PGC-1α promoter activation led to similar increases at the mRNA level. Our data identify a novel AMPK-mediated regulatory pathway that regulates PGC-1α gene expression. This could represent a potential therapeutic target to control PGC-1α expression in skeletal muscle.

Chronic elevated calcium blocks AMPK-induced GLUT-4 expression in skeletal muscle

Muscle contraction stimulates glucose transport independent of insulin. Glucose uptake into muscle cells is positively related to skeletal muscle-specific glucose transporter (GLUT-4) expression. Therefore, our objective was to determine the effects of the contraction-mediated signals, calcium and AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), on glucose uptake and GLUT-4 expression under acute and chronic conditions. To accomplish this, we used pharmacological agents, cell culture, and pigs possessing genetic mutations for increased cytosolic calcium and constitutively active AMPK. In C2C12 myotubes, caffeine, a sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium-releasing agent, had a biphasic effect on GLUT-4 expression and glucose uptake. Low-concentration (1.25 to 2 mM) or short-term (4 h) caffeine treatment together with the AMPK activator, 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide-1-beta-D-ribonucleoside (AICAR), had an additive effect on GLUT-4 expression. However, high-concentration (2.5 to 5 mM) or long-term (4 to 30 h) caffeine treatment decreased AMPK-induced GLUT-4 expression without affecting cell viability. The negative effect of caffeine on AICAR-induced GLUT-4 expression was reduced by dantrolene, which desensitizes the ryanodine receptor. Consistent with cell culture data, increases in GLUT-4 mRNA and protein expression induced by AMPK were blunted in pigs possessing genetic mutations for both increased cytosolic calcium and constitutively active AMPK. Altogether, these data suggest that chronic exposure to elevated cytosolic calcium concentration blocks AMPK-induced GLUT-4 expression in skeletal muscle.

PGC-1 coactivators and skeletal muscle adaptations in health and disease

Skeletal muscle adapts to physiological demands by altering a number of programs of gene expression, including those driving mitochondrial biogenesis, angiogenesis, and fiber composition. Recently, the PGC-1 transcriptional coactivators have emerged as key players in the regulation of these adaptations. Many signaling cascades important in muscle physiology impinge directly on PGC-1 expression or activity. In turn, the PGC-1s powerfully activate many of the programs of muscle adaptation. These findings have implications for our understanding of muscle responses to physiological conditions like exercise, as well as in pathological conditions such as cachexia, dystrophy, and peripheral vascular disease.

Rapid exercise-induced changes in PGC-1α mRNA and protein in human skeletal muscle

The mRNA of the nuclear coactivator peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator-1α (PGC-1α) increases during prolonged exercise and is influenced by carbohydrate availability. It is unknown if the increases in mRNA reflect the PGC-1α protein or if glycogen stores are an important regulator. Seven male subjects [23 ± 1.3 yr old, maximum oxygen uptake (V̇o2 max) 48.4 ± 0.8 ml·kg−1·min−1] exercised to exhaustion (∼2 h) at 65% V̇o2 max followed by ingestion of either a high-carbohydrate (HC) or low-carbohydrate (LC) diet (7 or 2.9 g·kg−1·day−1, respectively) for 52 h of recovery. Glycogen remained depressed in LC ( P < 0.05) while returning to resting levels by 24 h in HC. PGC-1α mRNA increased both at exhaustion (3-fold) and 2 h later (6.2-fold) ( P < 0.05) but returned to rest levels by 24 h. PGC-1α protein increased ( P < 0.05) 23% at exhaustion and remained elevated for at least 24 h ( P < 0.05). While there was no direct treatment effect (HC vs. LC) for PGC-1α mRNA or protein, there was a linear relationship between the changes in glycogen and those in PGC-1α protein during exercise and recovery ( r = −0.68, P < 0.05). In contrast, PGC-1β did not increase with exercise but rather decreased ( P < 0.05) below rest level at 24 and 52 h, and the decrease was greater ( P < 0.05) in LC. PGC-1α protein content increased in prolonged exercise and remained upregulated for 24 h, but this could not have been predicted by the changes in mRNA. The β-isoform declined rather than increasing, and this was greater when glycogen was not resynthesized to rest levels.

Prep1 deficiency induces protection from diabetes and increased insulin sensitivity through a p160-mediated mechanism

We have examined glucose homeostasis in mice hypomorphic for the homeotic transcription factor gene Prep1. Prep1-hypomorphic (Prep1(i/i)) mice exhibit an absolute reduction in circulating insulin levels but normal glucose tolerance. In addition, these mice exhibit protection from streptozotocin-induced diabetes and enhanced insulin sensitivity with improved glucose uptake and insulin-dependent glucose disposal by skeletal muscle. This muscle phenotype does not depend on reduced expression of the known Prep1 transcription partner, Pbx1. Instead, in Prep1(i/i) muscle, we find normal Pbx1 but reduced levels of the recently identified novel Prep1 interactor p160. Consistent with this reduction, we find a muscle-selective increase in mRNA and protein levels of PGC-1alpha, accompanied by enhanced expression of the GLUT4 transporter, responsible for insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in muscle. Indeed, using L6 skeletal muscle cells, we induced the opposite effects by overexpressing Prep1 or p160, but not Pbx1. In vivo skeletal muscle delivery of p160 cDNA in Prep1(i/i) mice also reverses the molecular phenotype. Finally, we show that Prep1 controls the stability of the p160 protein. We conclude that Prep1 controls insulin sensitivity through the p160-GLUT4 pathway.

Transcriptional coactivators PGC-1alpha and PGC-lbeta control overlapping programs required for perinatal maturation of the heart

Oxidative tissues such as heart undergo a dramatic perinatal mitochondrial biogenesis to meet the high-energy demands after birth. PPARgamma coactivator-1 (PGC-1) alpha and beta have been implicated in the transcriptional control of cellular energy metabolism. Mice with combined deficiency of PGC-1alpha and PGC-1beta (PGC-1alphabeta(-/-) mice) were generated to investigate the convergence of their functions in vivo. The phenotype of PGC-1beta(-/-) mice was minimal under nonstressed conditions, including normal heart function, similar to that of PGC-1alpha(-/-) mice generated previously. In striking contrast to the singly deficient PGC-1 lines, PGC-1alphabeta(-/-) mice died shortly after birth with small hearts, bradycardia, intermittent heart block, and a markedly reduced cardiac output. Cardiac-specific ablation of the PGC-1beta gene on a PGC-1alpha-deficient background phenocopied the generalized PGC-1alphabeta(-/-) mice. The hearts of the PGC-1alphabeta(-/-) mice exhibited signatures of a maturational defect including reduced growth, a late fetal arrest in mitochondrial biogenesis, and persistence of a fetal pattern of gene expression. Brown adipose tissue (BAT) of PGC-1alphabeta(-/-) mice also exhibited a severe abnormality in function and mitochondrial density. We conclude that PGC-1alpha and PGC-1beta share roles that collectively are necessary for the postnatal metabolic and functional maturation of heart and BAT.

Transcriptional regulation of the insulin-responsive glucose transporter GLUT4 gene: from physiology to pathology

The insulin-responsive glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) plays a key role in glucose uptake and metabolism in insulin target tissues. Being a rate-limiting step in glucose metabolism, the expression and function of the GLUT4 isoform has been extensively studied and found to be tightly regulated at both mRNA and protein levels. Adaptation to states of enhanced metabolic demand is associated with increased glucose metabolism and GLUT4 gene expression, whereas states of insulin resistance such as type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2), obesity, and aging are associated with impaired regulation of GLUT4 gene expression and function. The present review focuses on the interplay among hormonal, nutritional, and transcription factors in the regulation of GLUT4 transcription in health and sickness.

Endurance exercise increases the SIRT1 and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator-1alpha protein expressions in rat skeletal muscle

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator-1alpha (PGC-1alpha) is considered to play a pivotal role in the exercise-induced metabolic adaptation of skeletal muscle. Although the oxidized form of nicotinamide adenine dinucloetide (NAD(+))-dependent histone deacetylase SIRT1 has been shown to mediate PGC-1alpha-induced metabolic adaptation, the effect of endurance exercise on the SIRT1 protein remains to be elucidated. The purposes of this study were (1) to investigate the distribution of SIRT1 and PGC-1alpha proteins in skeletal muscle and (2) to examine the effects of acute endurance exercise and low- or high-intensity exercise training on SIRT1 and PGC-1alpha protein expressions and on the metabolic components in rat skeletal muscle. Both the SIRT1 and PGC-1alpha proteins preferentially accumulate in red oxidative muscles. Acute endurance exercise on a motor-driven treadmill (20 m/min, 18.5% incline, 45 minutes) increases the PGC-1alpha protein expression at 18 hours after exercise and the SIRT1 protein expression at 2 hours after exercise in the soleus muscle. In the training experiment, the rats were divided into control, low-intensity (20 m/min, 18.5% incline, 90 min/d), and high-intensity (30 m/min, 18.5% incline, 60 min/d) training groups. After 14 days of training, the SIRT1 and PGC-1alpha proteins, hexokinase activity, mitochondrial proteins and enzyme activities, and glucose transporter 4 protein in the soleus muscle were increased by both trainings. In the plantaris muscle, SIRT1, hexokinase activity, mitochondrial proteins and enzyme activities, and glucose transporter 4 were increased by high-intensity training whereas the PGC-1alpha was not. These results suggest that endurance exercise increases the skeletal muscle SIRT1 protein content. In addition, the findings also raise the possibility that the SIRT1 protein expression may play a potentially important role in such adaptations, whereas an increase in the PGC-1alpha protein expression is not necessary for such adaptations.

Association between PPARGC1A gene polymorphisms and coronary artery disease in a Chinese population

Peroxisome proliferrator-activated receptor gamma coactivator-1alpha (PGC-1alpha; PPARGC1A) is a coactivator of the nuclear hormone receptor family that participates in the transcriptional programme of lipid metabolism and oxidative stress implicated in atherogenesis. Therefore, in the present study, we investigated PPARGC1A polymorphisms in the prevalence of coronary artery disease (CAD). A case-control study comprising 342 patients with CAD and 334 controls was performed in a Chinese population. Two single nucleotide polymorphisms (Gly482Ser and Thr394Thr) in the PPARGC1A gene were genotyped and compared using the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism method. The XA (GA + AA) genotype of Gly482Ser displayed a higher frequency in CAD patients than that in control subjects (P = 0.019; adjusted odds ratio = 1.53; 95% confidence interval 1.06-2.20). No significant difference in Thr394Thr genotype distribution or in Gly482Ser-Thr394Thr haplotype combinations was found between CAD patients and controls. Furthermore, we found that the significantly increased risk of CAD associated with the XA genotypes of Gly482Ser was more evident among subjects who were younger than 64 years of age, female, overweight and with hypertension. The results indicate that the PPARGC1A Gly482Ser polymorphism may contribute to the risk of CAD in the Chinese population investigated.

PGC-1alpha increases skeletal muscle lactate uptake by increasing the expression of MCT1 but not MCT2 or MCT4

We examined the relationship between PGC-1alpha protein; the monocarboxylate transporters MCT1, 2, and 4; and CD147 1) among six metabolically heterogeneous rat muscles, 2) in chronically stimulated red (RTA) and white tibialis (WTA) muscles (7 days), and 3) in RTA and WTA muscles transfected with PGC-1alpha-pcDNA plasmid in vivo. Among rat hindlimb muscles, there was a strong positive association between PGC-1alpha and MCT1 and CD147, and between MCT1 and CD147. A negative association was found between PGC-1alpha and MCT4, and CD147 and MCT4, while there was no relationship between PGC-1alpha or CD147 and MCT2. Transfecting PGC-1alpha-pcDNA plasmid into muscle increased PGC-1alpha protein (RTA +23%; WTA +25%) and induced the expression of MCT1 (RTA +16%; WTA +28%), but not MCT2 and MCT4. As a result of the PGC-1alpha-induced upregulation of MCT1 and its chaperone CD147 (+29%), there was a concomitant increase in the rate of lactate uptake (+20%). In chronically stimulated muscles, the following proteins were upregulated, PGC-1alpha in RTA (+26%) and WTA (+86%), MCT1 in RTA (+61%) and WTA (+180%), and CD147 in WTA (+106%). In contrast, MCT4 protein expression was not altered in either RTA or WTA muscles, while MCT2 protein expression was reduced in both RTA (-14%) and WTA (-10%). In these studies, whether comparing oxidative capacities among muscles or increasing their oxidative capacities by PGC-1alpha transfection and chronic muscle stimulation, there was a strong relationship between the expression of PGC-1alpha and MCT1, and PGC-1alpha and CD147 proteins. Thus, MCT1 and CD147 belong to the family of metabolic genes whose expression is regulated by PGC-1alpha in skeletal muscle.

Histone code modifications repress glucose transporter 4 expression in the intrauterine growth-restricted offspring

We examined transcriptional and epigenetic mechanism(s) behind diminished skeletal muscle GLUT4 mRNA in intrauterine growth-restricted (IUGR) female rat offspring. An increase in MEF2D (inhibitor) with a decline in MEF2A (activator) and MyoD (co-activator) binding to the glut4 promoter in IUGR versus control was observed. The functional role of MEF2/MyoD-binding sites and neighboring three CpG clusters in glut4 gene transcription was confirmed in C2C12 muscle cells. No differential methylation of these three and other CpG clusters in the glut4 promoter occurred. DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) in postnatal, DNMT3a, and DNMT3b in adult was differentially recruited with increased MeCP2 (methyl CpG-binding protein) concentrations to bind the IUGR glut4 gene. Covalent modifications of the histone (H) code consisted of H3.K14 de-acetylation by recruitment of histone deacetylase (HDAC) 1 and enhanced association of HDAC4 enzymes. This set the stage for Suv39H1 methylase-mediated di-methylation of H3.K9 and increased recruitment of heterochromatin protein 1alpha, which partially inactivates postnatal and adult IUGR glut4 gene transcription. Further increased interactions in the adult IUGR between DNMT3a/DNMT3b and HDAC1 and MEF2D and HDAC1/HDAC4 and decreased association between MyoD and MEF2A existed. We conclude that epigenetic mechanisms consisting of histone code modifications repress skeletal muscle glut4 transcription in the postnatal period and persist in the adult female IUGR offspring.

Functional interaction of regulatory factors with the Pgc-1alpha promoter in response to exercise by in vivo imaging

Real-time optical bioluminescence imaging is a powerful tool for studies of gene regulation in living animals. To elucidate exercise-induced signaling/transcriptional control of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma coactivator-1alpha (Pgc-1alpha) gene in skeletal muscle, we combined this technology with electric pulse-mediated gene transfer to cotransfect the Pgc-1alpha reporter gene with plasmid DNA encoding mutant/deletion forms of putative regulatory factors and, thereby, assess the responsiveness of the promoter to skeletal muscle contraction. We show that each of the myocyte enhancer factor 2 sites on the Pgc-1alpha promoter is required for contractile activity-induced Pgc-1alpha transcription. The responsiveness of the Pgc-1alpha promoter to contractile activity could be completely blocked by overexpression of the dominant-negative form of activating transcription factor 2 (ATF2), the signaling-resistant form of histone deacetylase (HDAC) 5 (HDAC5), or protein kinase D (PKD), but not by HDAC4. These findings provide in vivo evidence for functional interactions between PKD/HDAC5 and ATF2 regulatory factors and the Pgc-1alpha gene in adult skeletal muscle.

The tangle of nuclear receptors that controls xenobiotic metabolism and transport: crosstalk and consequences

The expression of many genes involved in xenobiotic/drug metabolism and transport is regulated by at least three nuclear receptors or xenosensors: aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), constitutive androstane receptor (CAR), and pregnane X receptor (PXR). These receptors establish crosstalk with other nuclear receptors or transcription factors controlling signaling pathways that regulate the homeostasis of bile acids, lipids, glucose, inflammation, vitamins, hormones, and others. These crosstalks are expected to modify profoundly our vision of xenobiotic/drug disposition and toxicity. They provide molecular mechanisms to explain how physiopathological stimuli affect xenobiotic/drug disposition, and how xenobiotics/drugs may affect physiological functions and generate toxic responses. In addition, the possibility that xenosensors may control other signaling pathways opens the way to new pharmacological opportunities.

Pharmacogenetics of glucose-lowering drug treatment: a systematic review

Intensive blood glucose lowering can significantly reduce the risk of micro- and macrovascular complications in patients with diabetes mellitus. However, 30% of all treated patients do not achieve optimal blood glucose levels. Genetic factors may influence the response to glucose-lowering medication. A search of MEDLINE-indexed literature published between January 1966 and July 2007 revealed 37 studies reporting data on genetic polymorphisms and response to glucose-lowering drugs. Most studies involving cytochrome P450 (CYP) genes had small sample sizes (21 studies <50 subjects) and were among healthy volunteers. Multiple studies indicated that the CYP2C9 *3 allele (Ile359Leu polymorphism) was associated with decreased clearance of sulfonylurea drugs. Supporting this, one study reported an increased insulin secretion in CYP2C9*3 allele carriers when using the sulfonylurea agent glyburide. The CYP2C9*3 allele was also associated with a decreased clearance of meglitinides, whereas the CYP2C8*3 (Arg139Lys; Lys399Arg) variant increased the clearance of meglitinides. Polymorphisms in genes encoding the inwardly rectifying potassium channel Kir6.2 (KCNJ11) and the insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS1) were reported to be associated with an increased risk of (secondary) failure to respond to sulfonylurea therapy. A significant decrease in fasting plasma glucose and hemoglobin A(1c) (HbA(1c)) in response to rosiglitazone was seen in subjects carrying the Pro12Ala polymorphism of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPARG) gene. Conversely, carriers of this polymorphism also had a higher conversion to diabetes mellitus when treated with acarbose; this effect was also seen in adiponectin (ADIPOQ) gene polymorphism carriers. Future studies with adequate sample sizes in which several SNPs in multiple candidate genes are genotyped in patients with diabetes should provide reliable information on genetic variants and response to glucose-lowering drugs.

Enhancement of muscle mitochondrial function by growth hormone

CONTEXT

Although GH promotes growth and protein anabolism, which are ATP-dependent processes, the GH effect on mitochondrial regulation remains to be determined.

OBJECTIVE

Our objective was to determine the acute effect of GH on mitochondrial oxidative capacity in skeletal muscle of healthy subjects.

DESIGN AND SETTING

The study was a randomized crossover design at an academic medical center.

PARTICIPANTS

Nine healthy men and women completed the study.

INTERVENTION

GH (150 microg/h) or saline was infused for 14 h on separate days, and muscle biopsies were obtained.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Outcome measures included mitochondrial function, gene expression, and protein metabolism.

RESULTS

The 4-fold increase in plasma GH caused elevations in plasma IGF-I, insulin, glucose, and free fatty acids and a shift in fuel selection, with less carbohydrate (-69%) and leucine (-43%) oxidation and 29% more fat oxidation. Muscle mitochondrial ATP production rate and citrate synthase activity were increased 16-35% in response to GH. GH also resulted in higher abundance of muscle mRNAs encoding IGF-I, mitochondrial proteins from the nuclear (cytochrome c oxidase subunit 4) and mitochondrial (cytochrome c oxidase subunit 3) genomes, the nuclear-derived mitochondrial transcription factor A, and glucose transporter 4. Although GH increased whole-body protein synthesis (nonoxidative disposal of leucine), no effect on synthesis rate of muscle mitochondrial proteins was observed.

CONCLUSIONS

These results demonstrate that acute GH action promotes an increase in mitochondrial oxidative capacity and abundance of several mitochondrial genes. These events may occur through direct or indirect effects of GH on intracellular signaling pathways but do not appear to involve a change in mitochondrial protein synthesis rate.

Skeletal muscle adaptation to fatty acid depends on coordinated actions of the PPARs and PGC1 alpha: implications for metabolic disease

Dyslipidemia and intramuscular accumulation of fatty acid metabolites are increasingly recognized as core features of obesity and type 2 diabetes. Emerging evidence suggests that normal physiological adaptations to a heavy lipid load depend on the coordinated actions of broad transcriptional regulators such as the peroxisome proliferator activated receptors (PPARs) and PPAR gamma coactivator 1 alpha (PGC1 alpha). The application of transcriptomics and targeted metabolic profiling tools based on mass spectrometry has led to our finding that lipid-induced insulin resistance is a condition in which upregulation of PPAR-targeted genes and high rates of beta-oxidation are not supported by a commensurate upregulation of tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle activity. In contrast, exercise training enhances mitochondrial performance, favoring tighter coupling between beta-oxidation and the TCA cycle, and concomitantly restores insulin sensitivity in animals fed a chronic high-fat diet. The exercise-activated transcriptional coactivator, PGC1 alpha, plays a key role in coordinating metabolic flux through these 2 intersecting metabolic pathways, and its suppression by overfeeding may contribute to diet-induced mitochondrial dysfunction. Our emerging model predicts that muscle insulin resistance arises from a mitochondrial disconnect between beta-oxidation and TCA cycle activity. Understanding of this "disconnect" and its molecular basis may lead to new therapeutic approaches to combatting metabolic disease.

Nuclear respiratory factor 1 controls myocyte enhancer factor 2A transcription to provide a mechanism for coordinate expression of respiratory chain subunits

Nuclear respiratory factors NRF1 and NRF2 regulate the expression of nuclear genes encoding heme biosynthetic enzymes, proteins required for mitochondrial genome transcription and protein import, and numerous respiratory chain subunits. NRFs thereby coordinate the expression of nuclear and mitochondrial genes relevant to mitochondrial biogenesis and respiration. Only two of the nuclear-encoded respiratory chain subunits have evolutionarily conserved tissue-specific forms: the cytochrome c oxidase (COX) subunits VIa and VIIa heart/muscle (H) and ubiquitous (L) isoforms. We used genome comparisons to conclude that the promoter regions of COX6A(H) and COX7A(H) lack NRF sites but have conserved myocyte enhancer factor 2 (MEF2) elements. We show that MEF2A mRNA is induced with forced expression of NRF1 and that the MEF2A 5'-regulatory region contains an evolutionarily conserved canonical element that binds endogenous NRF1 in chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays. NRF1 regulates MEF2A promoter-reporters according to overexpression, RNA interference underexpression, and promoter element mutation studies. As there are four mammalian MEF2 isotypes, we used an isoform-specific antibody in ChIP to confirm MEF2A binding to the COX6A(H) promoter. These findings support a role for MEF2A as an intermediary in coordinating respiratory chain subunit expression in heart and muscle through a NRF1 --> MEF2A --> COX(H) transcriptional cascade. MEF2A also bound the MEF2A and PPARGC1A promoters in ChIP, placing it within a feedback loop with PGC1alpha in controlling NRF1 activity. Interruption of this cascade and loop may account for striated muscle mitochondrial defects in mef2a null mice. Our findings also account for the previously described indirect regulation by NRF1 of other MEF2 targets in muscle such as GLUT4.

A role for the transcriptional coactivator PGC-1alpha in muscle refueling

The transcriptional coactivator peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator-1alpha (PGC-1alpha) has been identified as an inducible regulator of mitochondrial function. Skeletal muscle PGC-1alpha expression is induced post-exercise. Therefore, we sought to determine its role in the regulation of muscle fuel metabolism. Studies were performed using conditional, muscle-specific, PGC-1alpha gain-of-function and constitutive, generalized, loss-of-function mice. Forced expression of PGC-1alpha increased muscle glucose uptake concomitant with augmentation of glycogen stores, a metabolic response similar to post-exercise recovery. Induction of muscle PGC-1alpha expression prevented muscle glycogen depletion during exercise. Conversely, PGC-1alpha-deficient animals exhibited reduced rates of muscle glycogen repletion post-exercise. PGC-1alpha was shown to increase muscle glycogen stores via several mechanisms including stimulation of glucose import, suppression of glycolytic flux, and by down-regulation of the expression of glycogen phosphorylase and its activating kinase, phosphorylase kinase alpha. These findings identify PGC-1alpha as a critical regulator of skeletal muscle fuel stores.

Modest PGC-1alpha overexpression in muscle in vivo is sufficient to increase insulin sensitivity and palmitate oxidation in subsarcolemmal, not intermyofibrillar, mitochondria

PGC-1alpha overexpression in skeletal muscle, in vivo, has yielded disappointing and unexpected effects, including disrupted cellular integrity and insulin resistance. These unanticipated results may stem from an excessive PGC-1alpha overexpression in transgenic animals. Therefore, we examined the effects of a modest PGC-1alpha overexpression in a single rat muscle, in vivo, on fuel-handling proteins and insulin sensitivity. We also examined whether modest PGC-1alpha overexpression selectively targeted subsarcolemmal (SS) mitochondrial proteins and fatty acid oxidation, because SS mitochondria are metabolically more plastic than intermyofibrillar (IMF) mitochondria. Among metabolically heterogeneous rat hindlimb muscles, PGC-1alpha was highly correlated with their oxidative fiber content and with substrate transport proteins (GLUT4, FABPpm, and FAT/CD36) and mitochondrial proteins (COXIV and mTFA) but not with insulin-signaling proteins (phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, IRS-1, and Akt2), nor with 5'-AMP-activated protein kinase, alpha2 subunit, and HSL. Transfection of PGC-1alpha into the red (RTA) and white tibialis anterior (WTA) compartments of the tibialis anterior muscle increased PGC-1alpha protein by 23-25%. This also induced the up-regulation of transport proteins (FAT/CD36, 35-195%; GLUT4, 20-32%) and 5'-AMP-activated protein kinase, alpha2 subunit (37-48%), but not other proteins (FABPpm, IRS-1, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, Akt2, and HSL). SS and IMF mitochondrial proteins were also up-regulated, including COXIV (15-75%), FAT/CD36 (17-30%), and mTFA (15-85%). PGC-1alpha overexpression also increased palmitate oxidation in SS (RTA, +116%; WTA, +40%) but not in IMF mitochondria, and increased insulin-stimulated phosphorylation of AKT2 (28-43%) and rates of glucose transport (RTA, +20%; WTA, +38%). Thus, in skeletal muscle in vivo, a modest PGC-1alpha overexpression up-regulated selected plasmalemmal and mitochondrial fuel-handling proteins, increased SS (not IMF) mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation, and improved insulin sensitivity.

Cardiomyocyte expression of PPARgamma leads to cardiac dysfunction in mice

Three forms of PPARs are expressed in the heart. In animal models, PPARgamma agonist treatment improves lipotoxic cardiomyopathy; however, PPARgamma agonist treatment of humans is associated with peripheral edema and increased heart failure. To directly assess effects of increased PPARgamma on heart function, we created transgenic mice expressing PPARgamma1 in the heart via the cardiac alpha-myosin heavy chain (alpha-MHC) promoter. PPARgamma1-transgenic mice had increased cardiac expression of fatty acid oxidation genes and increased lipoprotein triglyceride (TG) uptake. Unlike in cardiac PPARalpha-transgenic mice, heart glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) mRNA expression and glucose uptake were not decreased. PPARgamma1-transgenic mice developed a dilated cardiomyopathy associated with increased lipid and glycogen stores, distorted architecture of the mitochondrial inner matrix, and disrupted cristae. Thus, while PPARgamma agonists appear to have multiple beneficial effects, their direct actions on the myocardium have the potential to lead to deterioration in heart function.

Targeting PGC-1 alpha to control energy homeostasis

The prevalence of Type 2 diabetes is increasing at an alarming rate in most parts of the world. Effective therapeutic drugs are urgently needed, not only to control the disease but also to prevent or delay its progression. Therapies that target the underlying pathogenesis could, in theory, hold such potential. Recent evidence strongly suggests that impaired mitochondrial function is part of the underlying pathogenesis of insulin resistance and Type 2 diabetes. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma co-activator-1 alpha (PGC-1alpha) is a transcription co-activator that plays a key role in regulating mitochondrial biogenesis and energy metabolism in multiple tissues. Thus, improvement and restoration of mitochondrial function and oxidative capacity through activation of PGC-1alpha could provide new treatments for metabolic diseases. A diverse array of proteins has been shown to regulate PGC-1alpha transcription and/or activity, some of which represent promising targets for pharmaceutical intervention.

Upregulation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator gene (PGC1A) during weight loss is related to insulin sensitivity but not to energy expenditure

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS

We investigated whether skeletal muscle peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator-1 (PGC1A; also known as PPARGC1A) and its target mitofusin-2 (MFN2), as well as carnitine palmitoyltransferase-1 (CPT1; also known as carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1A [liver] [CPT1A]) and uncoupling protein (UCP)3, are involved in the improvement of insulin resistance and/or in the modification of energy expenditure during surgically induced massive weight loss.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Seventeen morbidly obese women (mean BMI: 45.9 +/- 4 kg/m(2)) were investigated before, and 3 and 12 months after, Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB). We evaluated insulin sensitivity by the euglycaemic-hyperinsulinaemic clamp, energy expenditure and substrate oxidation by indirect calorimetry, and muscle mRNA expression by PCR.

RESULTS

Post-operatively, PGC1A was enhanced at 3 (p = 0.02) and 12 months (p = 0.03) as was MFN2 (p = 0.008 and p = 0.03 at 3 and 12 months respectively), whereas UCP3 was reduced (p = 0.03) at 12 months. CPT1 did not change. The expression of PGC1A and MFN2 were strongly (p < 0.0001) related. Insulin sensitivity, which increased after surgery (p = 0.002 at 3, p = 0.003 at 12 months), was significantly related to PGC1A and MFN2, but only MFN2 showed an independent influence in a multiple regression analysis. Energy expenditure was reduced at 3 months post-operatively (p = 0.001 vs before RYGB), remaining unchanged thereafter until 12 months. CPT1 and UCP3 were not significantly related to the modifications of energy expenditure or of lipid oxidation rate.

CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION

Weight loss upregulates PGC1A, which in turn stimulates MFN2 expression. MFN2 expression significantly and independently contributes to the improvement of insulin sensitivity. UCP3 and CPT1 do not seem to influence energy expenditure after RYGB.

p160 Myb-binding protein interacts with Prep1 and inhibits its transcriptional activity

Prep1 is known to interact in vivo with Pbx1 to regulate development and organogenesis. We have identified a novel Prep1-interacting protein, p160 c-Myb binding protein (p160). p160 and Pbx1 compete for Prep1 in vitro, and p160 inhibits Prep1-dependent HoxB2 expression in retinoic acid-treated NT2-D1 cells. The N-terminal physiologically truncated form of p160, p67, binds the sequence 63LFPLL67 in the HR1 domain of Prep1. Mutation of both L63 and L66 impairs the binding of Prep1 to both p160/p67 and Pbx1. The sequences required to bind Prep1 are mainly located in residues 51 to 151. Immunofluorescence colocalization and coimmunoprecipitation of endogenous p160 and Prep1 are induced by ActD, which translocates p160 from the nucleolus to the nucleoplasm. These data therefore show that p160 is a novel regulator of Prep1-Pbx1 transcriptional activity.

Abnormal glucose homeostasis in skeletal muscle-specific PGC-1alpha knockout mice reveals skeletal muscle-pancreatic beta cell crosstalk

The transcriptional coactivator PPARgamma coactivator 1alpha (PGC-1alpha) is a strong activator of mitochondrial biogenesis and oxidative metabolism. While expression of PGC-1alpha and many of its mitochondrial target genes are decreased in the skeletal muscle of patients with type 2 diabetes, no causal relationship between decreased PGC-1alpha expression and abnormal glucose metabolism has been established. To address this question, we generated skeletal muscle-specific PGC-1alpha knockout mice (MKOs), which developed significantly impaired glucose tolerance but showed normal peripheral insulin sensitivity. Surprisingly, MKOs had expanded pancreatic beta cell mass, but markedly reduced plasma insulin levels, in both fed and fasted conditions. Muscle tissue from MKOs showed increased expression of several proinflammatory genes, and these mice also had elevated levels of the circulating IL-6. We further demonstrated that IL-6 treatment of isolated mouse islets suppressed glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. These data clearly illustrate a causal role for muscle PGC-1alpha in maintenance of glucose homeostasis and highlight an unexpected cytokine-mediated crosstalk between skeletal muscle and pancreatic islets.

Role of AMPK in skeletal muscle gene adaptation in relation to exercise

The 5′-AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) functions as an intracellular fuel sensor that affects metabolism and gene expression. AMPK is activated in skeletal muscle in response to exercise and is therefore believed to be an important signalling molecule in regulating adaptation of skeletal muscle to exercise training. This review first focuses on mechanisms regulating AMPK activity during muscle contraction. We then discuss the role of AMPK in regulating expression of genes encoding various enzymes in muscle in the basal state and in relation to exercise training. Although decreased AMPK activity in muscle causes reduced protein expression of mitochondrial enzymes in the basal state, AMPK does not appear to be indispensable for exercise-training induced increase in mitochondrial enzyme expression.

Adipogenesis and lipotoxicity: role of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARgamma) and PPARgammacoactivator-1 (PGC1)

Obesity is characterised by an increase in the adipose deposits, resulting from an imbalance between food intake and energy expenditure. When expansion of the adipose tissue reaches its maximum limit, as in obesity, fat accumulates in non-adipose tissues such as liver, heart, muscle and pancreas, developing a toxic response known as lipotoxicity, a condition that promotes the development of insulin resistance and other metabolic complications. Thus, the lipotoxic state may contribute to the increased risk of insulin resistance, diabetes, fatty liver and cardiovascular complications associated with obesity. We are interested in studying adipose tissue, specifically how mechanisms of adipogenesis and remodelling of adipose tissue, in terms of size and function of the adipocytes, could be considered a strategy to increase the capacity for lipid storage and prevent lipotoxicity. The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) are a family of transcription factors that regulate energy balance by promoting either energy deposition or energy dissipation. Under normal physiological conditions, PPARgamma is mainly expressed in adipose tissue and regulates diverse functions such as the development of fat cells and their capacity to store lipids. The generation of PPARgamma knockout mice, either tissue specific or isoform specific, has provided new models to study PPARgamma's role in adipose tissue differentiation and function and have highlighted the essential role of PPARgamma in adipogenesis and lipogenesis.A second strategy to prevent lipotoxicity is to increase the capacity of tissues to oxidise fatty acids. PPARgammacoactivator-1alpha is a coactivator of PPARgamma that induces the expression of genes that promote the differentiation of preadipocytes to brown adipocytes. Recently, it has been implicated in increasing the oxidation of fatty acids via increasing mitochondrial capacity and function, making this co-factor a key candidate for the treatment of lipotoxicity.