miR-29a-3p, a new myokine orchestrating resistance exercise via coordinated metabolic responses

Abstract

It remains unclear whether the adaptive response to different exercise models is mediated by EV miRNAs released from skeletal muscle and their functional metabolic role. We sequenced miRNA-loaded plasma EVs obtained from resting mice after 4-weeks endurance or resistance training. Resistance exercise increased the expression of a 11-miRNA profile grouped into two functional clusters. Using both genetically modified animal models and in vitro approaches, we have identified miR-29a-3p as a novel myokine secreted into the bloodstream as EV cargo by contracting skeletal muscle. It is a cornerstone in the adaptation to resistance training by mediating the coordinated expression and secretion of other miRNAs and affecting muscle mass development and energy metabolism in muscle and liver. Taken together, our study suggests a coordinating and determinant role of miR-29a-3p in the response and adaptation to resistance training, possibly due to its role as a myokine through its regulatory role in energy metabolism.