title: Calcineurin signaling and PGC-1alpha expression are suppressed during muscle atrophy due to diabetes.
abstract: PGC-1alpha is a transcriptional coactivator that controls energy homeostasis through regulation of glucose and oxidative metabolism. Both PGC-1alpha expression and oxidative capacity are decreased in skeletal muscle of patients and animals undergoing atrophy, suggesting that PGC-1alpha participates in the regulation of muscle mass. PGC-1alpha gene expression is controlled by calcium- and cAMP-sensitive pathways. However, the mechanism regulating PGC-1alpha in skeletal muscle during atrophy remains unclear. Therefore, we examined the mechanism responsible for decreased PGC-1alpha expression using a rodent streptozotocin (STZ) model of chronic diabetes and atrophy. After 21days, the levels of PGC-1alpha protein and mRNA were decreased. We examined the activation state of CREB, a potent activator of PGC-1alpha transcription, and found that phospho-CREB was paradoxically high in muscle of STZ-rats, suggesting that the cAMP pathway was not involved in PGC-1alpha regulation. In contrast, expression of calcineurin (Cn), a calcium-dependent phosphatase, was suppressed in the same muscles. PGC-1alpha expression is regulated by two Cn substrates, MEF2 and NFATc. Therefore, we examined MEF2 and NFATc activity in muscles from STZ-rats. Target genes MRF4 and MCIP1.4 mRNAs were both significantly reduced, consistent with reduced Cn signaling. Moreover, levels of MRF4, MCIP1.4, and PGC-1alpha were also decreased in muscles of CnAalpha-/- and CnAbeta-/- mice without diabetes indicating that decreased Cn signaling, rather than changes in other calcium- or cAMP-sensitive pathways, were responsible for decreased PGC-1alpha expression. These findings demonstrate that Cn activity is a major determinant of PGC-1alpha expression in skeletal muscle during diabetes and possibly other conditions associated with loss of muscle mass.
authors.affiliation: Renal Division, School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
authors.forename: Tiffany K
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Roberts-Wilson
authors.forename: Ramesh N
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Reddy
authors.forename: James L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Bailey
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Ronald
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ordas
authors.forename: Jennifer L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Gooch
authors.forename: S Russ
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Price
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019703:Calcineurin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D017362:Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D048909:Diabetes Complications / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D009133:Muscular Atrophy / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D018006:Myogenic Regulatory Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D050778:NFATC Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000071248:Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor Gamma Coactivator 1-alpha; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D017362:Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein; D018006:Myogenic Regulatory Factors; D050778:NFATC Transcription Factors; D000071248:Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor Gamma Coactivator 1-alpha; C485290:Ppargc1a protein, mouse; C501429:Ppargc1a protein, rat; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; D015534:Trans-Activators; D014157:Transcription Factors; D019703:Calcineurin