Inactivation of glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK-3β) enhances mitochondrial biogenesis during myogenesis

Mitochondrial biogenesis is crucial for myogenic differentiation and regeneration of skeletal muscle tissue and is tightly controlled by the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ co-activator 1 (PGC-1) signaling network. In the present study, we hypothesized that inactivation of glycogen synthase kinase (GSK)-3β, previously suggested to interfere with PGC-1 in non-muscle cells, potentiates PGC-1 signaling and the development of mitochondrial biogenesis during myogenesis, ultimately resulting in an enhanced myotube oxidative capacity. GSK-3β was inactivated genetically or pharmacologically during myogenic differentiation of C2C12 muscle cells. In addition, m. gastrocnemius tissue was collected from wild-type and muscle-specific GSK-3β knock-out (KO) mice at different time-points during the reloading/regeneration phase following a 14-day hind-limb suspension period. Subsequently, expression levels of constituents of the PGC-1 signaling network as well as key parameters of mitochondrial oxidative metabolism were investigated. In vitro, both knock-down as well as pharmacological inhibition of GSK-3β not only increased expression levels of important constituents of the PGC-1 signaling network, but also potentiated myogenic differentiation-associated increases in mitochondrial respiration, mitochondrial DNA copy number, oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) protein abundance and the activity of key enzymes involved in the Krebs cycle and fatty acid β-oxidation. In addition, GSK-3β KO animals showed augmented reloading-induced increases in skeletal muscle gene expression of constituents of the PGC-1 signaling network as well as sub-units of OXPHOS complexes compared to wild-type animals. Inactivation of GSK-3β stimulates activation of PGC-1 signaling and mitochondrial biogenesis during myogenic differentiation and reloading of the skeletal musculature. •GSK-3β inactivation enhances myogenesis-induced increases in PGC-1α abundance.•GSK-3β inactivation enhances development of oxidative capacity during myogenesis.•Muscle GSK-3β KO augments reloading-induced regulation of mitochondrial biogenesis.•Muscle-specific GSK-3β KO increases reloading-induced metabolic gene expression.