Effects of Resveratrol and SIRT1 on PGC-1α Activity and Mitochondrial Biogenesis: A Reevaluation

It has been reported that feeding mice resveratrol activates AMPK and SIRT1 in skeletal muscle leading to deacetylation and activation of PGC-1 alpha, increased mitochondrial biogenesis, and improved running endurance. This study was done to further evaluate the effects of resveratrol, SIRT1, and PGC-1 alpha deacetylation on mitochondrial biogenesis in muscle. Feeding rats or mice a diet containing 4 g resveratrol/kg diet had no effect on mitochondrial protein levels in muscle. High concentrations of resveratrol lowered ATP concentration and activated AMPK in C2C12 myotubes, resulting in an increase in mitochondrial proteins. Knockdown of SIRT1, or suppression of SIRT1 activity with a dominant-negative (DN) SIRT1 construct, increased PGC-1 alpha acetylation, PGC-1 alpha coactivator activity, and mitochondrial proteins in C2C12 cells. Expression of a DN SIRT1 in rat triceps muscle also induced an increase in mitochondrial proteins. Overexpression of SIRT1 decreased PGC-1 alpha acetylation, PGC-1 alpha coactivator activity, and mitochondrial proteins in C2C12 myotubes. Overexpression of SIRT1 also resulted in a decrease in mitochondrial proteins in rat triceps muscle. We conclude that, contrary to some previous reports, the mechanism by which SIRT1 regulates mitochondrial biogenesis is by inhibiting PGC-1 alpha coactivator activity, resulting in a decrease in mitochondria. We also conclude that feeding rodents resveratrol has no effect on mitochondrial biogenesis in muscle.