Control of muscle fiber properties by diversity of fatty acid species that bind to phospholipids

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K22814
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Medium-sized Section 59:Sports sciences, physical education, health sciences, and related fields
• Research Institution: University of Shizuoka
• Principal Investigator: Miura Shinji 静岡県立大学, 食品栄養科学部, 教授 (10342932)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-06-28 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: リポクオリティ / ホスファチジルコリン / アシル基転移酵素

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Skeletal muscles are roughly divided into fast-twitch muscles with a high contraction rate and slow-twitch muscles with a slow contraction rate. Previous studies have suggested that the fatty acid species that bind to phosphatidylcholine (PC) in muscle differ depending on the muscle fiber type, but the mechanism by which the difference in PC molecular species occurs and its physiological significance have not been elucidated. In this study, we revealed that the fast-twitch muscle contained 16:0-PC, and the slow-twitch muscle contained 18:0-PC in addition to 16:0-PC. Furthermore, we showed that acyltransferase LPLAT1 increased the amount of 18:0-PC in muscle and these changes in the fatty acid species that bind to PC had a great effect on muscle properties and functions.

Free Research Field

分子栄養学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

従来の栄養学では、“摂取する脂質の量や質”と生体機能や疾病発症との関係性が重要視され、“生体を構成する脂質の質”と生体機能の関係性まで踏み込んだ解析はされてこなかったが、組織におけるPC分子種の質がその機能に重要な働きをしていることが判明し、栄養学における脂質の新たな意義を見出した。