# Molecular Mechanisms of the Multi-Organ Response and Adaptation to Exercise

> **NIH NIH F32** · BROAD INSTITUTE, INC. · 2020 · $64,926

## Abstract

Project Summary
While the health-benefits of physical exercise are universally recognized, the underlying molecular
mechanisms remain incompletely defined, and might ultimately be exploited for therapeutic benefit. The
extensive response triggered by exercise across multiple organs complicates our understanding via classic
reductionists approaches. Furthermore, organs do not respond in isolation, and secreted proteins factors
involved in inter-organ communication are an important component of tissue adaptation to exercise.
Novel proteomic and metabolomic technologies now allow high-throughput, unbiased, and holistic
characterization of proteins and metabolites within mammalian tissues. Importantly, the integration of these
large-scale technologies have shown promise in identifying important mechanisms of physiological responses.
This proposal aims to integrate proteomics and metabolomics data to study the response of multiple organs to
exercise. The proposed research will be performed under the mentorship of Steve Carr (proteomics expert,
Broad Institute), in collaboration with leading metabolomics and clinical groups through participation within the
NIH Molecular Transducers of Physical Activity Consortium (MoTrPAC).
Well-established methods from the Carr lab will be implemented to perform deep-scale proteome
characterization of tissues from exercised rats, specifically organs known to be involved in disorders caused by
physical inactivity and that remain poorly characterized in the context of exercise: heart, liver, and brain. The
proteomics data generated will then be integrated with metabolomic data available through MoTrPAC to define
protein-dependent mechanisms of metabolic adaptation to exercise. Finally, signaling factors and pathways
involved in organ cross-talk in the context of exercise will be defined by measuring protein secreted factors in
blood that respond to exercise. This study is expected to provide an unprecedented, detailed view of molecular
pathways across an organism and is expected to identify novel forms of protein-dependent metabolic
regulation. As this work reveals key mechanistic knowledge about the response of tissues to exercise, it is
directly relevant to diseases associated to physical inactivity, such as cardiovascular disease.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10067841
- **Project number:** 1F32HL154711-01
- **Recipient organization:** BROAD INSTITUTE, INC.
- **Principal Investigator:** Pierre Michel Jean Beltran
- **Activity code:** F32 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $64,926
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-09-01 → 2023-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10067841

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10067841, Molecular Mechanisms of the Multi-Organ Response and Adaptation to Exercise (1F32HL154711-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10067841. Licensed CC0.

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