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Research ArticleMetabolism Free access | 10.1172/JCI31785

Abnormal glucose homeostasis in skeletal muscle–specific PGC-1α knockout mice reveals skeletal muscle–pancreatic β cell crosstalk

Christoph Handschin,1,2 Cheol Soo Choi,3 Sherry Chin,1 Sheene Kim,3 Dan Kawamori,4 Amarnath J. Kurpad,4 Nicole Neubauer,4 Jiang Hu,4 Vamsi K. Mootha,5,6 Young-Bum Kim,7 Rohit N. Kulkarni,4 Gerald I. Shulman,3 and Bruce M. Spiegelman1

1Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. 2Institute of Physiology and Zurich Center for Integrative Human Physiology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland. 3Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Departments of Internal Medicine and Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA. 4Joslin Diabetes Center and Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. 5Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. 6Center for Human Genetic Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. 7Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

Address correspondence to: Bruce M. Spiegelman, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Smith Building, One Jimmy Fund Way, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA. Phone: (617) 632-3567; Fax: (617) 632-4655; E-mail: bruce_spiegelman@dfci.harvard.edu.

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1Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. 2Institute of Physiology and Zurich Center for Integrative Human Physiology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland. 3Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Departments of Internal Medicine and Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA. 4Joslin Diabetes Center and Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. 5Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. 6Center for Human Genetic Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. 7Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

Address correspondence to: Bruce M. Spiegelman, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Smith Building, One Jimmy Fund Way, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA. Phone: (617) 632-3567; Fax: (617) 632-4655; E-mail: bruce_spiegelman@dfci.harvard.edu.

Find articles by Choi, C. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

1Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. 2Institute of Physiology and Zurich Center for Integrative Human Physiology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland. 3Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Departments of Internal Medicine and Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA. 4Joslin Diabetes Center and Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. 5Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. 6Center for Human Genetic Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. 7Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

Address correspondence to: Bruce M. Spiegelman, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Smith Building, One Jimmy Fund Way, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA. Phone: (617) 632-3567; Fax: (617) 632-4655; E-mail: bruce_spiegelman@dfci.harvard.edu.

Find articles by Chin, S. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

1Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. 2Institute of Physiology and Zurich Center for Integrative Human Physiology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland. 3Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Departments of Internal Medicine and Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA. 4Joslin Diabetes Center and Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. 5Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. 6Center for Human Genetic Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. 7Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

Address correspondence to: Bruce M. Spiegelman, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Smith Building, One Jimmy Fund Way, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA. Phone: (617) 632-3567; Fax: (617) 632-4655; E-mail: bruce_spiegelman@dfci.harvard.edu.

Find articles by Kim, S. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

1Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. 2Institute of Physiology and Zurich Center for Integrative Human Physiology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland. 3Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Departments of Internal Medicine and Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA. 4Joslin Diabetes Center and Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. 5Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. 6Center for Human Genetic Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. 7Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

Address correspondence to: Bruce M. Spiegelman, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Smith Building, One Jimmy Fund Way, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA. Phone: (617) 632-3567; Fax: (617) 632-4655; E-mail: bruce_spiegelman@dfci.harvard.edu.

Find articles by Kawamori, D. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

1Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. 2Institute of Physiology and Zurich Center for Integrative Human Physiology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland. 3Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Departments of Internal Medicine and Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA. 4Joslin Diabetes Center and Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. 5Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. 6Center for Human Genetic Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. 7Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

Address correspondence to: Bruce M. Spiegelman, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Smith Building, One Jimmy Fund Way, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA. Phone: (617) 632-3567; Fax: (617) 632-4655; E-mail: bruce_spiegelman@dfci.harvard.edu.

Find articles by Kurpad, A. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

1Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. 2Institute of Physiology and Zurich Center for Integrative Human Physiology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland. 3Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Departments of Internal Medicine and Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA. 4Joslin Diabetes Center and Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. 5Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. 6Center for Human Genetic Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. 7Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

Address correspondence to: Bruce M. Spiegelman, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Smith Building, One Jimmy Fund Way, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA. Phone: (617) 632-3567; Fax: (617) 632-4655; E-mail: bruce_spiegelman@dfci.harvard.edu.

Find articles by Neubauer, N. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

1Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. 2Institute of Physiology and Zurich Center for Integrative Human Physiology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland. 3Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Departments of Internal Medicine and Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA. 4Joslin Diabetes Center and Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. 5Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. 6Center for Human Genetic Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. 7Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

Address correspondence to: Bruce M. Spiegelman, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Smith Building, One Jimmy Fund Way, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA. Phone: (617) 632-3567; Fax: (617) 632-4655; E-mail: bruce_spiegelman@dfci.harvard.edu.

Find articles by Hu, J. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

1Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. 2Institute of Physiology and Zurich Center for Integrative Human Physiology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland. 3Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Departments of Internal Medicine and Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA. 4Joslin Diabetes Center and Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. 5Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. 6Center for Human Genetic Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. 7Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

Address correspondence to: Bruce M. Spiegelman, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Smith Building, One Jimmy Fund Way, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA. Phone: (617) 632-3567; Fax: (617) 632-4655; E-mail: bruce_spiegelman@dfci.harvard.edu.

Find articles by Mootha, V. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

1Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. 2Institute of Physiology and Zurich Center for Integrative Human Physiology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland. 3Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Departments of Internal Medicine and Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA. 4Joslin Diabetes Center and Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. 5Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. 6Center for Human Genetic Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. 7Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

Address correspondence to: Bruce M. Spiegelman, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Smith Building, One Jimmy Fund Way, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA. Phone: (617) 632-3567; Fax: (617) 632-4655; E-mail: bruce_spiegelman@dfci.harvard.edu.

Find articles by Kim, Y. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

1Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. 2Institute of Physiology and Zurich Center for Integrative Human Physiology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland. 3Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Departments of Internal Medicine and Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA. 4Joslin Diabetes Center and Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. 5Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. 6Center for Human Genetic Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. 7Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

Address correspondence to: Bruce M. Spiegelman, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Smith Building, One Jimmy Fund Way, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA. Phone: (617) 632-3567; Fax: (617) 632-4655; E-mail: bruce_spiegelman@dfci.harvard.edu.

Find articles by Kulkarni, R. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

1Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. 2Institute of Physiology and Zurich Center for Integrative Human Physiology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland. 3Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Departments of Internal Medicine and Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA. 4Joslin Diabetes Center and Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. 5Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. 6Center for Human Genetic Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. 7Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

Address correspondence to: Bruce M. Spiegelman, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Smith Building, One Jimmy Fund Way, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA. Phone: (617) 632-3567; Fax: (617) 632-4655; E-mail: bruce_spiegelman@dfci.harvard.edu.

Find articles by Shulman, G. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

1Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. 2Institute of Physiology and Zurich Center for Integrative Human Physiology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland. 3Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Departments of Internal Medicine and Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA. 4Joslin Diabetes Center and Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. 5Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. 6Center for Human Genetic Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. 7Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

Address correspondence to: Bruce M. Spiegelman, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Smith Building, One Jimmy Fund Way, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA. Phone: (617) 632-3567; Fax: (617) 632-4655; E-mail: bruce_spiegelman@dfci.harvard.edu.

Find articles by Spiegelman, B. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

Published October 11, 2007 - More info

J Clin Invest. https://doi.org/10.1172/JCI31785.
© 2007 The American Society for Clinical Investigation
Published October 11, 2007 - Version history
Received: February 12, 2007; Accepted: July 17, 2007
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Abstract

The transcriptional coactivator PPARγ coactivator 1α (PGC-1α) is a strong activator of mitochondrial biogenesis and oxidative metabolism. While expression of PGC-1α and many of its mitochondrial target genes are decreased in the skeletal muscle of patients with type 2 diabetes, no causal relationship between decreased PGC-1α expression and abnormal glucose metabolism has been established. To address this question, we generated skeletal muscle–specific PGC-1α knockout mice (MKOs), which developed significantly impaired glucose tolerance but showed normal peripheral insulin sensitivity. Surprisingly, MKOs had expanded pancreatic β cell mass, but markedly reduced plasma insulin levels, in both fed and fasted conditions. Muscle tissue from MKOs showed increased expression of several proinflammatory genes, and these mice also had elevated levels of the circulating IL-6. We further demonstrated that IL-6 treatment of isolated mouse islets suppressed glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. These data clearly illustrate a causal role for muscle PGC-1α in maintenance of glucose homeostasis and highlight an unexpected cytokine-mediated crosstalk between skeletal muscle and pancreatic islets.

Version history
  • Version 1 (October 11, 2007): No description
  • Version 2 (November 1, 2007): No description

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