Gene mutation thought to control energy levels

The uOttawa research team led by Drs Mary-Ellen Harper, Robert Dent and Ruth McPherson, in collaboration with researchers in Berkeley California, also found that the mutation produces a decrease in the storage in muscle of fat and an increase in muscle glycogen. The discovery has implications for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, as high levels of fat stored in the muscle have been linked to insulin resistance. In addition, as metformin, a drug commonly used to both prevent and treat diabetes, acts by increasing AMPK activity, this discovery provides valuable information for pharmaceutical research. The findings will also be of great interest to exercise physiologists, as increased muscle glycogen enhances a person’s capacity for endurance exercise (e.g., marathon running). -Public Library of Science