PGC-1α

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator-1α (PGC-1α) serves as an inducible coregulator in the control of energy homeostasis. PGC-1α is a powerful transcriptional coregulator of GLUT4 and mitochondrial genes, including components of the electron transport system. PGC-1α is expressed abundantly in tissues with high energy demand, including brown adipose tissue, heart, skeletal muscle, kidney, and brain. PGC-1α has been shown to regulate adaptive thermogenesis, mitochondrial biogenesis, glucose and fatty acid metabolism, the peripheral circadian clock, fiber-type switching in skeletal muscle, and heart development. PGC-1α, a critical booster of mitochondrial function, is an excellent candidate for preventing insulin resistance and metabolic syndromes secondary to mitochondrial dysfunction. PGC-1α has been shown to influence energy metabolism.