Rowe, Glenn CEl-Khoury, RiyadPatten, Ian S.Rustin, PierreArany, Zoltan Pierre2013-03-182012Rowe, Glenn C., Riyad El-Khoury, Ian S. Patten, Pierre Rustin, and Zolt Arany. 2012. Pgc-1α is dispensable for exercise-induced mitochondrial biogenesis in skeletal muscle. PLoS ONE 7(7).1932-6203http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:10436255Exercise confers numerous health benefits, many of which are thought to stem from exercise-induced mitochondrial biogenesis (EIMB) in skeletal muscle. The transcriptional coactivator PGC-1α, a potent regulator of metabolism in numerous tissues, is widely believed to be required for EIMB. We show here that this is not the case. Mice engineered to lack PGC-1α specifically in skeletal muscle (Myo-PGC-1αKO mice) retained intact EIMB. The exercise capacity of these mice was comparable to littermate controls. Induction of metabolic genes after 2 weeks of in-cage voluntary wheel running was intact. Electron microscopy revealed no gross abnormalities in mitochondria, and the mitochondrial biogenic response to endurance exercise was as robust in Myo-PGC-1αKO mice as in wildtype mice. The induction of enzymatic activity of the electron transport chain by exercise was likewise unperturbed in Myo-PGC-1αKO mice. These data demonstrate that PGC-1α is dispensable for exercise-induced mitochondrial biogenesis in skeletal muscle, in sharp contrast to the prevalent assumption in the field.en-USBiologyAnatomy and PhysiologyMusculoskeletal SystemMuscleMuscle BiochemistryMuscle FunctionsBiochemistryBioenergeticsEnergy-Producing OrganellesCytochemistryOrganellesMetabolismOxygen MetabolismModel OrganismsAnimal ModelsMouseMolecular Cell BiologyCellular StructuresSubcellular OrganellesCellular TypesMuscle CellsGene ExpressionMedicineSports and Exercise MedicineJournal Article2013-03-1810.1371/journal.pone.0041817