PR003057 (Project)

Description:Lysophospholipase PNPLA7 (Patatin-like phospholipase domain-containing protein 7) plays a critical role in skeletal muscle homeostasis, energy metabolism, and functional maintenance, with its deficiency linked to myopathic changes. It is highly expressed in skeletal muscle and is regulated by nutritional status, with expression levels increasing during fasting. Pnpla7 knock-out mice are known to exhibit severe myopathic changes, including muscle fiber necrosis, degeneration, and atrophy. We have shown that quadriceps muscles in global Pnpla7-deficient mice displayed aberrant mitochondrial morphology, reduced endurance capacity, and decreased expression of genes for fatty acid β-oxidation and slow-twitch fibers with age. The aim of this project is to demonstrate the significance of a metabolic cycle linking phosphatidylcholine synthesis and degradation in skeletal muscle, and to elucidate the molecular mechanisms by which PNPLA7 deficiency leads to muscle impairment, as well as its relationship with energy metabolism.