New insights in the regulation of skeletal muscle PGC-1α by exercise and metabolic diseases

Skeletal muscle energy metabolism is severely impaired in insulin resistant and type 2 diabetic patients. In particular, deregulated transcription of oxidative metabolism genes has been linked to the development of non-communicable metabolic diseases. The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) coactivator-1α (PGC-1α) is a key molecule in the regulation of oxidative metabolism in different tissues, including skeletal muscle. In this tissue, physical exercise is one of the most dominant physiological stimuli to induce PGC-1α. In addition, exercise training efficiently prevents the development of metabolic diseases. Hence, better knowledge about the regulation of PGC-1α by exercise would significantly help to design effective treatments for these diseases.