Leticia Herrera-Melle, Beatriz Cicuéndez, Juan Antonio López, Phillip A. Dumesic, Sarah E. Wilensky, Elena Rodríguez, Luis Leiva-Vega, Ainoa Caballero, Marta León, Jesús Vázquez, Bruce M. Spiegelman, Cintia Folgueira, Alfonso Mora & Guadalupe Sabio.
Aims: skeletal muscle, with its remarkable plasticity and dynamic adaptation, serves as a cornerstone of locomotion and metabolic homeostasis in the human body. Muscle tissue, with its extraordinary capacity for force generation and energy expenditure, plays a fundamental role in the movement, metabolism, and overall health. In this context, we sought to determine the role of p38? in mitochondrial metabolism since mitochondrial dynamics play a crucial role in the development of muscle-related diseases that result in muscle weakness.
Methods: we conducted our study using male mice (MCK-cre, p38?MCK-KO and PGC1? MCK-KO) and mouse primary myoblasts. We analyzed mitochondrial metabolic, physiological parameters as well as proteomics, western blot, RNA-seq analysis from muscle samples.
Results: our findings highlight the critical involvement of muscle p38? in the regulation of mitochondrial function, a key determinant of muscle strength. The absence of p38? triggers changes in mitochondrial dynamics through the activation of PGC1?, a central regulator of mitochondrial biogenesis. These results have substantial implications for understanding the complex interplay between p38? kinase, PGC1? activation, and mitochondrial content, thereby enhancing our knowledge in the control of muscle biology.
Conclusions: this knowledge holds relevance for conditions associated with muscle weakness, where disruptions in these molecular pathways are frequently implicated in diminishing physical strength. Our research underscores the potential importance of targeting the p38? and PGC1? pathways within muscle, offering promising avenues for the advancement of innovative treatments. Such interventions hold the potential to improve the quality of life for individuals affected by muscle-related diseases.
