Epigenetic rewiring of skeletal muscle enhancers after exercise training supports their role in whole body function and human health

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molmet.2021.101290

Commentary

It is generally known that regular exercise reduces the risk of many chronic diseases. This study will examine whether endurance exercise training remodels the activity of skeletal muscle gene enhancers and whether this remodeling contributes to the beneficial effects of exercise on human health.

They studied changes in histone modifications and mapped and collected the genome-wide location and activity of enhancers in skeletal muscle biopsies from young sedentary men before and after six weeks of endurance exercise.

We identified extensive remodeling of enhancer activity after exercise training, and the majority of remodeled enhancers were located near genes that are transcriptionally regulated after exercise. By overlapping enhancer locations with genetic variation, we identified an enrichment of disease-associated genetic variation within exercise-remodeled enhancers.

These data result in a study that provides evidence for a functional link between posterior rewiring of enhancers to regulate their activity after exercise training and modulation of disease risk in humans.