Unraveling the evolutionary marathon: improved mitochondrial bioenergetics in CMP-Neu5Ac hydroxylase gene deleted (Cmah −/− ) mouse skeletal myofibers

Objective: Humans are unique among hominids in that they are endurance athletes. Inactivation of the CMP-Neu5Ac hydroxylase (CMAH) gene, which encodes a hydroxylase converting sialic acid Neu5Ac to Neu5Gc, is thought to contribute to this exceptional capacity for endurance running. Recently, our group demonstrated improved fatigue resistance and preserved intracellular O2, estimated by NAD(P)H levels in contracting mouse Cmah−/− flexor digitorum brevis (FDB) single fibers under low oxygen tension. Hypothesis: Effcient regulation of mitochondrial oxygen consumption contributes to improved skeletal myofiber fatigue resistance in Cmah−/− mice. Methods: The mitochondrial bioenergetic potential of permeabilized FDB and soleus fiber bundles from wild type (WT) and Cmah−/− mice was evaluated using a physiological creatine kinase clamp method and high-resolution respirometer. Experiments were conducted with pyruvate and malate with or without branched chain amino acids (BCAAs) as the substrates. Respiratory chain conductance and maximal respiration were measured. Results: FDB Cmah−/− fibers from male but not female mice revealed an increase conductance above WT fibers independent of substrate (male: genotype, p=0.006, substrate, ns; female: genotype, ns, substrate, ns). Maximal respiration was also increased only in male FDBs fibers and was even greater when BCAAs were included in the respiration media. (male: genotype, p=0.003, substrate, p=0.0007, interaction, p=0.002.; female: genotype, ns, substrate, ns). Soleus Cmah−/− fibers from male and female mice revealed an increase conductance above WT fiber bundles that was also greater in the presence of BCAAs but only for male mice (male: genotype, p=0.003, substrate, p=0.05.; female: genotype, p=0.009, substrate, ns). Maximal respiration was increased only in male Cmah−/− soleus fibers independent of substrate. (male: genotype, p=0.002, substrate, ns.; female: genotype, ns, substrate, ns). Summary: Fibers from both the FDB and soleus of male Cmah−/− mice have a greater capacity for mitochondrial respiration under a metabolically active state that is similar to myofibers stimulated to repeatedly contraction in a hypoxic environment. Conclusion: These data suggest that effcient regulation of mitochondrial respiration utilizing BCAAs as a substrate, particularly in males, could contribute to an elite endurance phenotype. This project was funded through the UC San Diego Academic Senate Grant. This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2024 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.