Fructose 1,6-bisphosphate sensing by pyruvate kinase isozymes M2 (PKM2) controls MyoD stability and myogenic differentiation

Glucose exerts beneficial effects on myogenesis and muscle physiology. However, the mechanisms by which glucose regulates myogenesis remain ill-defined or incompletely understood. Here, we show that low glycolysis destabilizes MyoD protein, a master myogenic transcription factor. Intriguingly, MyoD is not controlled by the cellular energy status per se, but by the level of fructose 1,6-bisphosphate, an intermediate metabolite of glycolysis. Fructose 1,6-bisphosphate is sensed by pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2). In the presence of fructose 1,6-bisphosphate, PKM2 form tetramers that sequester the Huwe1 E3 ubiquitin ligase to the cytoplasm. Reduced fructose 1,6-bisphosphate levels dissociate the tetramer, releasing Huwe1 into the nucleus where it targets MyoD for degradation. Genetic or pharmacological modulation of PKM2-Huwe1 axis restores myogenic differentiation in glucose restricted conditions. Our results show that glucose metabolism directly regulates protein stability of a key myogenic factor and provide a rationale for enhancing myogenesis.