Post-transcriptional regulation of energy usage: glucose and lipid metabolism

National Institute On Aging

Investigators

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Abstract

The studies in this Project focus on understanding the RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) and noncoding (nc)RNAs that influence energy metabolism, since the processes that generate energy become impaired with aging. Historically, we have studied the regulation of insulin production, adipogenesis, and myogenesis by RBPs and ncRNAs. MITOCHONDRIA. Over the past reporting period, we have made important progress towards understanding the role and metabolism of mitochondrial function in aging and age-associated declines. We have collaborated in efforts to measure mitochondrial activity in frozen samples. MYOGENESIS. During this review period, we have reported that the RNA-binding protein FUS inhibits human myogenesis by retaining the TNNT1 mRNA in the nucleus, and there suppressing TNNT1 production (Ji et al., Molecular and Cellular Biology, in press, 2024) and have studied a long noncoding RNA implicated in myogenesis. In this project area, most of our efforts have focused on myogenesis, particularly the impact of myoblast senescence on myogenic regeneration, the role of different lncRNAs in human myogenesis. One of the myogenic lncRNAs we are currently pursuing is localized in mitochondria and modulates the processing of mitochondrial RNAs.