PGC-1α boosts fat-burning power in muscle cells
Overexpression of PGC-1α increases peroxisomal activity and mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation in human primary myotubes.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Scientists gave muscle cells a special gene (PGC-1α) and found that it made the cells better at breaking down fats. They saw more proteins and genes involved in fat burning, and the cells burned more of a special fat called lignoceric acid.
Surprising Findings
PGC-1α, known for boosting mitochondria, also directly upregulates peroxisomal biogenesis and function.
Previously, peroxisomes were thought to be regulated mainly by PPARs, not PGC-1α. This study shows PGC-1α can act as an upstream regulator for both organelles — a surprising dual role.
Practical Takeaways
Focus on activities that naturally boost PGC-1α, like endurance exercise or cold exposure, to potentially enhance fat oxidation.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Scientists gave muscle cells a special gene (PGC-1α) and found that it made the cells better at breaking down fats. They saw more proteins and genes involved in fat burning, and the cells burned more of a special fat called lignoceric acid.
Surprising Findings
PGC-1α, known for boosting mitochondria, also directly upregulates peroxisomal biogenesis and function.
Previously, peroxisomes were thought to be regulated mainly by PPARs, not PGC-1α. This study shows PGC-1α can act as an upstream regulator for both organelles — a surprising dual role.
Practical Takeaways
Focus on activities that naturally boost PGC-1α, like endurance exercise or cold exposure, to potentially enhance fat oxidation.
Publication
Journal
American journal of physiology. Endocrinology and metabolism
Year
2017
Authors
Tai-Yu Huang, D. Zheng, J. Houmard, J. Brault, R. Hickner, R. Cortright
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Claims (4)
Tesamorelin upregulates genes involved in oxidative phosphorylation across the electron transport chain and in fatty acid oxidation, leading to cellular-level metabolic remodeling that enhances fat burning efficiency at the mitochondrial level.
When muscle cells in a lab have more PGC-1α protein, they show higher levels of PMP70, which is a protein involved in peroxisome function. This finding is from the abstract summary - full study details were not available
Increasing PGC-1α in muscle cells leads to higher levels of mRNA for breaking down fats in peroxisomes. This finding is from the abstract summary - full study details were not available
When PGC-1α is increased in muscle cells, they break down a specific type of fat (lignoceric acid) more efficiently using both peroxisomes and mitochondria. This finding is from the abstract summary - full study details were not available