RATIONALE Increasing evidence has shown that proper control of mitochondrial dynamics (fusion and fission) is required for high-capacity ATP production in the heart. Transcriptional coactivators, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator-1 (PGC-1) α and PGC-1β, have been shown to regulate mitochondrial biogenesis in the heart at the time of birth. The function of PGC-1 coactivato...

PURPOSE To elucidate the mechanism of the induction of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator-1α (PGC-1α) by photoreceptor outer segments (POS) and its effects on retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). METHODS PGC-1α upregulation by POS was confirmed in ARPE-19 cells and in RPE ex vivo. To elucidate the mechanism, siRNAs against β5 integrin, CD36, Mer tyrosine kinase (MerTK), and...

Primordial germ cell (PGC) specification occurs early in development. PGC specifiers have been identified in Drosophila, mouse, and human but remained elusive in most animals. Here we identify the RNA-binding protein Dnd as a critical PGC specifier in the medaka fish (Oryzias latipes). Dnd depletion specifically abolished PGCs, and its overexpression boosted PGCs. We established a single-cell c...

In eukaryotes, cellular and systemic metabolism is primarily controlled by mitochondrial activity. The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1alpha (PGC-1alpha) is an important regulator of mitochondrial biogenesis and function. Furthermore, PGC-1alpha controls many of the phenotypic adaptations of oxidative tissues to external and internal perturbations. By contrast, dys...

We assessed the role of PGC-1α (PPARγ coactivator-1 alpha) in glucose-induced proliferation, migration, and inflammatory gene expression of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). We carried out phagocytosis studies to assess the role of PGC-1α in transdifferentiation of VSMCs by flow cytometry. We found that high glucose stimulated proliferation, migration and inflammatory gene expression of VSM...

The PGC-1 family of coactivators stimulates the activity of certain transcription factors and nuclear receptors. Transcription factors in the sterol responsive element binding protein (SREBP) family are key regulators of the lipogenic genes in the liver. We show here that high-fat feeding, which induces hyperlipidemia and atherogenesis, stimulates the expression of both PGC-1beta and SREBP1c an...

The coactivator PGC-1alpha mediates key responses of skeletal muscle to motor nerve activity. We show here that neuregulin-stimulated phosphorylation of PGC-1alpha and GA-binding protein (GABP) allows recruitment of PGC-1alpha to the GABP complex and enhances transcription of a broad neuromuscular junction gene program. Since a subset of genes controlled by PGC-1alpha and GABP is dysregulated i...

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) and General control nonderepressible 5 (GCN5) knock down on peroxisome proliferator- activated receptor gamma coactivator 1-alpha (PGC-1α) deacetylation during electrical stimulated skeletal muscle contraction. METHODS Skeletal muscle primary cell were isolated from C57BL/6 mice gastrocnemius and transfected ...

PGC counts were carried out on larvae of Pleurodeles waltl (urodele amphibia) issued from standard, monosexual male and monosexual female offspring while the genital ridges were settling. During this period, which is characterized by a zero mitotic index (and is therefore called the Po period), and which lasts from stage 35 to stage 41, no PGC proliferation occurs. A statistical analysis indica...

BACKGROUND Atherosclerosis is a complex pathological condition caused by a number of mechanisms including the accelerated proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). Diabetes is likely to be an important risk factor for atherosclerosis, as hyperglycemia induces vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) proliferation and migration and may thus contribute to the formation of atherosclerotic l...