HDAC5 and glucose metabolism

The class IIa histone deacetylases (HDAC) act as transcriptional repressors by altering chromatin structure thereby impairing transcription. This family of enzymes is known to regulate muscle development and phenotype and has recently been implicated in the regulation of genes involved in glucose metabolism. However, the effects of HDAC5 on glucose metabolism and insulin action have not been directly assessed. Raichur et al. conducted this study to examine whether knockdown of HDAC5 regulates glucose uptake and insulin action in muscle cells and to determine whether this is independent of its effects on the initiation of differentiation. Furthermore, in proof-of-principle experiments, they also sought to determine whether pharmacological HDAC inhibition regulates these same processes.

The results of their study show that HDAC5 regulates glucose metabolism and insulin action in both human and mouse myotubes. They also showed that HDAC inhibition in myotubes could increase glucose uptake and basal energy expenditure. As glucose metabolism is dysregulated in metabolic disease states such as obesity and type 2 diabetes, these data indicate that further experiments targeting HDAC5 as a therapeutic strategy for the treatment of these diseases are needed. Raichur et al. (2012) Journal of Molecular Endocrinology 49 203-211.

Read full article at: DOI: 10.1530/JME-12-0095