Exercise and Nutrition: Metabolic Partners in Epigenetic Regulation

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Molecular Mechanisms in Nutritional Epigenetics

Part of the book series: Epigenetics and Human Health ((EHH,volume 12))

Abstract

Metabolism fuels epigenetic processes, which, in turn, regulate metabolism by translating environmental stimuli into adaptations. Metabolic networks sense changes in energy and reduction-oxidation (redox) balance, making diet and exercise powerful tools in modulating the epigenome. High nutrient availability, for example, augments acetyl-CoA and methionine required for acetylation and methylation, while low nutrient availability or increased energy expenditure can reverse these processes. While diet provides the building blocks for epigenetic changes, exercise maintains redox signalling and homeostasis during nutrient conversion, deficiency, and excess. Exercise on its own can modify DNA packaging and microRNAs, effectively activating genes involved in metabolism, while silencing selective genes involved in disease. Exercise can also restore the circadian rhythm that regulates metabolism. Diet and exercise converge on the same metabolic pathways—nutraceuticals can mimic exercise, and supplementation with dietary metabolites can support exercise adaptations and alter the epigenome. In this chapter, we discuss the interaction between dietary components and exercise and illustrate the molecular pathways linking metabolism and epigenetic modifications. We review recent human trials on exercise and dietary interventions, and their immediate and chronic effects on DNA, histone and non-histone proteins, and gene expression, focusing on the most studied epigenetic modifications.

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Abbreviations

5-MTHF:

5-methyltetrahydrofolate

Ac:

Acetyl group

Acetyl-CoA :

Acetyl coenzyme A

AceCS1 :

Acetyl-CoA synthetase 1

AKG :

Alpha-ketoglutarate

AMP :

Adenosine monophosphate

AMPK :

AMP-activated protein kinase

ATP :

Adenosine triphosphate

BAIBA :

β-aminoisobutyric acid

BDNF :

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor

BHMT :

Betaine-homocysteine S-methyltransferase

BMAL1 :

Brain and muscle Arnt-like protein-1

βOHB :

β-hydroxybutyrate

cAMP :

Cyclic AMP

CaM :

Calmodulin

CaMKII:

Calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II

CLOCK :

Circadian locomotor output cycles kaput

DHA :

Dehydroascorbic acid

DNMTs :

DNA methyltransferases

EDN1:

Endothelin-1

ERK :

Extracellular signal-regulated kinase

ERRα :

Oestrogen-related receptor alpha

FAD:

Flavin adenine dinucleotide

FAK :

Focal adhesion kinase

FASN :

Fatty acid synthase

FOXO1 :

Forkhead box O1

FOXO3:

Forkhead box O3

HATs :

Histone acetyltransferases

HDACs:

Histone deacetylases

HDMs :

Histone demethylases

HIF-1 :

Hypoxia-inducible factor 1

HMTs :

Histone methyltransferases

IDH2 :

Isocitrate dehydrogenase 2

JNK:

c-Jun N-terminal kinase

JmjCs :

Jumonji C domain-containing proteins

LINE-1:

Long interspersed nuclear element 1

LSDs :

Lysine-specific demethylases

MAPK :

Mitogen-activated protein kinase

MAT :

Methionine adenosyl transferase

Me :

Methyl group

MEF2:

Myocyte enhancer factor

MnSOD :

Manganese superoxide dismutase

mTOR :

Mammalian target of rapamycin

MTR:

Methionine synthase

MTRR :

Methionine synthase reductase

MT2:

Metallothionein-2

MyoD :

Myoblast determination protein 1

MyoG :

Myogenin

NAD :

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide

NAMPT:

Nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase

NF-ÎşB :

Nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells

NO :

Nitric oxide

NOS2 :

Inducible nitric oxide synthase

Nrf2 :

Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2

NR4A1:

Nuclear receptor 4A1

PA :

Phosphatidic acid

Per1:

Period circadian regulator 1

Per2 :

Period circadian regulator 2

PGC-1α :

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-Ć´ coactivator

PHDs :

Prolyl hydroxylase domains

PKA:

Protein kinase A

PKB :

Protein kinase B

PO2 :

Oxygen pressure

PPARs :

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors

PPARG/PPARÎł :

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma

PPARGC1A :

PPARG coactivator 1 alpha

RORs :

Retinoid-related orphan receptors

RORα :

Retinoid-related orphan receptor alpha

RORE :

ROR response element

ROS :

Reactive oxygen species

SAH :

S-adenosylhomocysteine

SAHH:

SAH hydrolase

SAM :

S-adenosylmethionine

SAM/SAH ratio:

S-adenosylmethionine S-adenosylhomocysteine ratio

SIRTs:

Sirtuins

SOD:

Superoxide dismutase

SREBP1 :

Sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1

TETs:

Ten-eleven translocation enzymes

TFAM :

Transcription factor A mitochondrial

TGF-β :

Transforming growth factor beta

THF :

Tetrahydrofolate

TNF-α :

Tumour necrosis factor alpha

UCP1 :

Uncoupling protein 1

VEGF :

Vascular endothelial growth factor

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Correspondence to Gareth W. Davison .

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All authors declare no conflict of interest.

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This chapter is a review of previously published accounts, as such, no animal or human studies were performed.

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Juan, C.G., Matchett, K.B., Davison, G.W. (2024). Exercise and Nutrition: Metabolic Partners in Epigenetic Regulation. In: Vaschetto, L.M. (eds) Molecular Mechanisms in Nutritional Epigenetics. Epigenetics and Human Health, vol 12. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-54215-2_9

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