Sarcolipin Signaling Promotes Mitochondrial Biogenesis and Oxidative Metabolism in Skeletal Muscle

Abstract

Summary: The major objective of this study was to understand the molecular basis of how sarcolipin uncoupling of SERCA regulates muscle oxidative metabolism. Using genetically engineered sarcolipin (SLN) mouse models and primary muscle cells, we demonstrate that SLN plays a crucial role in mitochondrial biogenesis and oxidative metabolism in muscle. Loss of SLN severely compromised muscle oxidative capacity without affecting fiber-type composition. Mice overexpressing SLN in fast-twitch glycolytic muscle reprogrammed mitochondrial phenotype, increasing fat utilization and protecting against high-fat diet-induced lipotoxicity. We show that SLN affects cytosolic Ca2+ transients and activates the Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CamKII) and PGC1α axis to increase mitochondrial biogenesis and oxidative metabolism. These studies provide a fundamental framework for understanding the role of sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR)-Ca2+ cycling as an important factor in mitochondrial health and muscle metabolism. We propose that SLN can be targeted to enhance energy expenditure in muscle and prevent metabolic disease. : Maurya et al. report that sarcolipin, a regulator of the SERCA pump, promotes mitochondrial biogenesis and oxidative phenotype in muscle. Loss of SLN decreases fat oxidation, whereas overexpression of SLN in muscle provides resistance against diet-induced lipotoxicity. By increasing cytosolic Ca2+ transients, SLN activates the CamKII-PGC1α signaling pathway to promote mitochondrial biogenesis. Keywords: skeletal muscle, sarcolipin, SERCA, mitochondrial biogenesis, Ca2+ signaling, oxidative metabolism, lipotoxicity, primary muscle myotubes, CamKII, PGC1α