AMPK-dependent and -independent coordination of mitochondrial function and muscle fiber type by FNIP1

PLoS Genet. 2021 Mar 29;17(3):e1009488. doi: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1009488. eCollection 2021 Mar.

Abstract

Mitochondria are essential for maintaining skeletal muscle metabolic homeostasis during adaptive response to a myriad of physiologic or pathophysiological stresses. The mechanisms by which mitochondrial function and contractile fiber type are concordantly regulated to ensure muscle function remain poorly understood. Evidence is emerging that the Folliculin interacting protein 1 (Fnip1) is involved in skeletal muscle fiber type specification, function, and disease. In this study, Fnip1 was specifically expressed in skeletal muscle in Fnip1-transgenic (Fnip1Tg) mice. Fnip1Tg mice were crossed with Fnip1-knockout (Fnip1KO) mice to generate Fnip1TgKO mice expressing Fnip1 only in skeletal muscle but not in other tissues. Our results indicate that, in addition to the known role in type I fiber program, FNIP1 exerts control upon muscle mitochondrial oxidative program through AMPK signaling. Indeed, basal levels of FNIP1 are sufficient to inhibit AMPK but not mTORC1 activity in skeletal muscle cells. Gain-of-function and loss-of-function strategies in mice, together with assessment of primary muscle cells, demonstrated that skeletal muscle mitochondrial program is suppressed via the inhibitory actions of FNIP1 on AMPK. Surprisingly, the FNIP1 actions on type I fiber program is independent of AMPK and its downstream PGC-1α. These studies provide a vital framework for understanding the intrinsic role of FNIP1 as a crucial factor in the concerted regulation of mitochondrial function and muscle fiber type that determine muscle fitness.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • AMP-Activated Protein Kinases / metabolism*
  • Animals
  • Carrier Proteins / genetics*
  • Carrier Proteins / metabolism*
  • Female
  • Gene Expression Profiling
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • Mitochondria, Muscle / metabolism*
  • Mitochondria, Muscle / ultrastructure
  • Muscle Fibers, Skeletal / metabolism*
  • Muscle Fibers, Skeletal / ultrastructure
  • Organ Specificity
  • Oxidation-Reduction
  • Oxidative Stress

Substances

  • Carrier Proteins
  • FNIP1 protein, mouse
  • AMP-Activated Protein Kinases

Grants and funding

This work was supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 91857105, 31771291 and 31922033 to Z.G. and 32071136 to T.F., www.nsfc.gov.cn), the Ministry of Science and Technology of China (National Key R&D Program of China 2018YFA0800700, www.most.gov.cn) and Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province (BK20170014 and SWYY-002) to Z.G., State key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Nanjing University (KF-GN-202001) to X.X., Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities 090314380036 (to T.F.), 090314380031 and 090314380035 (to Z.G.). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.