Expression of phosphofructokinase in skeletal muscle is influenced by genetic variation and associated with insulin sensitivity

Diabetes. 2014 Mar;63(3):1154-65. doi: 10.2337/db13-1301. Epub 2013 Dec 4.

Abstract

Using an integrative approach in which genetic variation, gene expression, and clinical phenotypes are assessed in relevant tissues may help functionally characterize the contribution of genetics to disease susceptibility. We sought to identify genetic variation influencing skeletal muscle gene expression (expression quantitative trait loci [eQTLs]) as well as expression associated with measures of insulin sensitivity. We investigated associations of 3,799,401 genetic variants in expression of >7,000 genes from three cohorts (n = 104). We identified 287 genes with cis-acting eQTLs (false discovery rate [FDR] <5%; P < 1.96 × 10(-5)) and 49 expression-insulin sensitivity phenotype associations (i.e., fasting insulin, homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance, and BMI) (FDR <5%; P = 1.34 × 10(-4)). One of these associations, fasting insulin/phosphofructokinase (PFKM), overlaps with an eQTL. Furthermore, the expression of PFKM, a rate-limiting enzyme in glycolysis, was nominally associated with glucose uptake in skeletal muscle (P = 0.026; n = 42) and overexpressed (Bonferroni-corrected P = 0.03) in skeletal muscle of patients with T2D (n = 102) compared with normoglycemic controls (n = 87). The PFKM eQTL (rs4547172; P = 7.69 × 10(-6)) was nominally associated with glucose uptake, glucose oxidation rate, intramuscular triglyceride content, and metabolic flexibility (P = 0.016-0.048; n = 178). We explored eQTL results using published data from genome-wide association studies (DIAGRAM and MAGIC), and a proxy for the PFKM eQTL (rs11168327; r(2) = 0.75) was nominally associated with T2D (DIAGRAM P = 2.7 × 10(-3)). Taken together, our analysis highlights PFKM as a potential regulator of skeletal muscle insulin sensitivity.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Aminopeptidases / genetics
  • Cation Transport Proteins / genetics
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / genetics
  • Female
  • Genetic Variation
  • Genome-Wide Association Study
  • Humans
  • Insulin Resistance*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Muscle, Skeletal / enzymology*
  • Phosphofructokinase-1, Muscle Type / genetics*
  • Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide
  • Quantitative Trait Loci
  • Zinc Transporter 8

Substances

  • Cation Transport Proteins
  • SLC30A8 protein, human
  • Zinc Transporter 8
  • Phosphofructokinase-1, Muscle Type
  • Aminopeptidases
  • ERAP2 protein, human