# Molecular Control of Muscle Fuel Metabolism

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA · 2020 · $430,269

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
This R01 renewal proposal is designed to fully characterize a novel mechanism relevant to the established
clinical observation that skeletal muscle lipid accumulation is strongly associated with the development of
insulin resistance. Our preliminary studies have identified a potentially exciting role for the transcription factor
MondoA in the coordinate control of muscle fuel metabolism and insulin signaling. This discovery was unveiled
by an unbiased high-throughput chemical biology screen designed to identify small molecule probes that
influence downstream pathways involved in the control of myocyte neutral lipid stores. One such molecule,
SBI-477, reduced human skeletal myocyte lipid stores and increased glucose uptake. Our recent results
indicate that SBI-477 is a potent inhibitor of fatty acid incorporation into triglyceride (TAG) and activates insulin
signaling in human skeletal myocytes and in vivo. The downstream actions of SBI-477 are attributable, at least
in part, to inhibition of the transcription factor MondoA resulting in reduced expression of target genes encoding
TXNIP and ARRDC4, known suppressors of insulin signaling. These results support the hypothesis that
MondoA serves a key metabolic homeostatic function in muscle by controlling fuel substrate availability by
regulating genes involved in myocyte lipid storage and glucose import (via insulin signaling) in accordance with
nutrient availability. We propose, however, that in states of chronic caloric excess persistent activation of
MondoA becomes maladaptive, contributing to a vicious cycle of cellular lipid accumulation and insulin
resistance. To test these hypotheses, we will conduct studies in human skeletal myotubes in culture and in vivo
in MondoA loss-of-function mice. In Aim 1, we will delineate MondoA gene targets (direct and indirect) and
pathways in human skeletal myocytes using unbiased whole genome chromatin immunoprecipitation
sequencing (ChIP-seq) and RNA-seq. The goal of Aim 2 is to validate the function of MondoA-regulated
targets and pathways in the control of skeletal myocyte glucose and lipid metabolism under conditions of
varied nutrient supply and cellular energy status. In Aim 3, the metabolic actions of MondoA will be defined in
vivo in muscle-specific MondoA-deficient mice under basal conditions and after long-term administration of a
high-fat diet to determine whether MondoA participates in the development of muscle lipotoxicity and insulin
resistance in the context of chronic nutrient overload. The long-term goal of this project is to identify novel
mechanisms and targets relevant to the early-stage treatment of muscle insulin resistance in individuals at risk
for developing type 2 diabetes. The mechanistic insights gained from the proposed studies should lead to new
approaches for the prevention and treatment of lipotoxic diseases relevant to other tissues including
nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and heart failure in the diabetic.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9959396
- **Project number:** 5R01DK045416-26
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
- **Principal Investigator:** DANIEL PATRICK KELLY
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $430,269
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1992-09-30 → 2022-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9959396

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9959396, Molecular Control of Muscle Fuel Metabolism (5R01DK045416-26). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9959396. Licensed CC0.

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