AJP - Cell Physiology, Vol 269, Issue 3 C619-C625, Copyright © 1995 by American Physiological Society

ARTICLES

mRNAs of enzymes involved in energy metabolism and mtDNA are increased in endurance-trained athletes

A. Puntschart, H. Claassen, K. Jostarndt, H. Hoppeler and R. Billeter
Department of Anatomy, University of Bern, Switzerland.

Improvements in endurance capacity by training are associated with structural and biochemical adaptations of working muscles that affect the mitochondrial compartment. We investigated whether the 1.8-fold higher mitochondrial volume density in a group of endurance-trained athletes compared with untrained subjects was reflected by higher steady-state levels of mRNAs coding for components of the oxidative phosphorylation pathway using a quantitative polymerase chain reaction approach. We found that mitochondrially encoded RNAs (cytochrome-c oxidase subunit I, NADH reductase subunit 6, 16S rRNA), as well as nuclear-encoded RNAs (cytochrome-c oxidase subunit IV, succinate dehydrogenase, fumarase) are all increased coordinately in the athletes (1.54- to 1.94-fold). In addition, mitochondrial (mt) DNA concentration was also 1.55-fold higher in the trained athletes, whereas genomic DNA was not changed. Our findings thus show similar RNA expression of mitochondrially encoded genes in sedentary and endurance-trained subjects, whereas pretranslational control mechanisms account for higher levels of nuclear-encoded RNAs in the athletes.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				A. Bye, M. A. Hoydal, D. Catalucci, M. Langaas, O. J. Kemi, V. Beisvag, L. G. Koch, S. L. Britton, O. Ellingsen, and U. Wisloff Gene expression profiling of skeletal muscle in exercise-trained and sedentary rats with inborn high and low VO2max Physiol Genomics, November 12, 2008; 35(3): 213 - 221. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				W. K. Yeo, C. D. Paton, A. P. Garnham, L. M. Burke, A. L. Carey, and J. A. Hawley Skeletal muscle adaptation and performance responses to once a day versus twice every second day endurance training regimens J Appl Physiol, November 1, 2008; 105(5): 1462 - 1470. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				E. V. Menshikova, V. B. Ritov, R. E. Ferrell, K. Azuma, B. H. Goodpaster, and D. E. Kelley Characteristics of skeletal muscle mitochondrial biogenesis induced by moderate-intensity exercise and weight loss in obesity J Appl Physiol, July 1, 2007; 103(1): 21 - 27. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. Zoll, E. Ponsot, S. Dufour, S. Doutreleau, R. Ventura-Clapier, M. Vogt, H. Hoppeler, R. Richard, and M. Fluck Exercise training in normobaric hypoxia in endurance runners. III. Muscular adjustments of selected gene transcripts J Appl Physiol, April 1, 2006; 100(4): 1258 - 1266. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				E. Ponsot, S. P. Dufour, J. Zoll, S. Doutrelau, B. N'Guessan, B. Geny, H. Hoppeler, E. Lampert, B. Mettauer, R. Ventura-Clapier, et al. Exercise training in normobaric hypoxia in endurance runners. II. Improvement of mitochondrial properties in skeletal muscle J Appl Physiol, April 1, 2006; 100(4): 1249 - 1257. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				T. E. Sheehan, P. A. Kumar, and D. A. Hood Tissue-specific regulation of cytochrome c oxidase subunit expression by thyroid hormone Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab, June 1, 2004; 286(6): E968 - E974. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				B. Schmitt, M. Fluck, J. Decombaz, R. Kreis, C. Boesch, M. Wittwer, F. Graber, M. Vogt, H. Howald, and H. Hoppeler Transcriptional adaptations of lipid metabolism in tibialis anterior muscle of endurance-trained athletes Physiol Genomics, October 17, 2003; 15(2): 148 - 157. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				H. Hoppeler and M. Fluck Normal mammalian skeletal muscle and its phenotypic plasticity J. Exp. Biol., August 1, 2002; 205(15): 2143 - 2152. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Vogt, A. Puntschart, J. Geiser, C. Zuleger, R. Billeter, and H. Hoppeler Molecular adaptations in human skeletal muscle to endurance training under simulated hypoxic conditions J Appl Physiol, July 1, 2001; 91(1): 173 - 182. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. A. Hood Plasticity in Skeletal, Cardiac, and Smooth Muscle: Invited Review: Contractile activity-induced mitochondrial biogenesis in skeletal muscle J Appl Physiol, March 1, 2001; 90(3): 1137 - 1157. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				H. K. Bhat, W. R. Hiatt, C. L. Hoppel, and E. P. Brass Skeletal Muscle Mitochondrial DNA Injury in Patients With Unilateral Peripheral Arterial Disease Circulation, February 16, 1999; 99(6): 807 - 812. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				B. J. Battersby and C. D. Moyes Influence of acclimation temperature on mitochondrial DNA, RNA, and enzymes in skeletal muscle Am J Physiol Regulatory Integrative Comp Physiol, September 1, 1998; 275(3): R905 - R912. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Puntschart, E. Wey, K. Jostarndt, M. Vogt, M. Wittwer, H. R. Widmer, H. Hoppeler, and R. Billeter Expression of fos and jun genes in human skeletal muscle after exercise Am J Physiol Cell Physiol, January 1, 1998; 274(1): C129 - C137. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]