# Glucose sensing by skeletal myocytes

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR · 2021 · $390,000

## Abstract

Skeletal muscle is a major site of postprandial glucose disposal. Impaired muscle
glucose metabolism contributes to insulin resistance and glucose intolerance in type 2
diabetes. Whether glucose directly engages nutrient signaling pathways in skeletal
myocytes to maintain homeostasis under physiological and metabolic stress conditions
remains largely unexplored. Skeletal myofibers are remarkably heterogeneous in their
metabolic properties, ranging from highly oxidative to highly glycolytic types. We recently
demonstrated that Baf60c, a subunit of the SWI/SNF chromatin-remodeling complex, is
enriched in glycolytic muscles and regulates a program of gene expression that
promotes glycolytic metabolism. Muscle-specific transgenic activation of this pathway
improved whole body glucose metabolism in obesity. Despite its strong effects on
myocyte metabolism, the physiological signals that engage this pathway and the
mechanisms through which Baf60c regulates muscle and systemic glucose metabolism
remain to be established. A body of preliminary data has been obtained to support our
hypothesis that Baf60c is a key target of myocyte nutrient sensing that controls muscle
and systemic glucose metabolism. In this proposal, we will first assess the role of Baf60c
in skeletal muscle nutrient signaling and glycolytic metabolism and whole body glucose
homeostasis. We will dissect the molecular events that lead to the activation of the
Baf60c/Deptor pathway. Finally, we will investigate the significance of a muscle-derived
secreted factor in the regulation of systemic glucose metabolism. Successful completion
of this project will provide novel insights into the physiological and mechanistic basis of
glycolytic muscle metabolism and its role in glucose homeostasis.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10133053
- **Project number:** 5R01DK112800-05
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR
- **Principal Investigator:** Jiandie D Lin
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $390,000
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2017-04-01 → 2022-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10133053

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10133053, Glucose sensing by skeletal myocytes (5R01DK112800-05). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10133053. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*