242-LB: A Novel FoxO Target, LRRC2, Preserves Mitochondrial Function in Muscle from Insulin-Deficient Mice

Abstract

Uncontrolled diabetes impairs muscle strength and mitochondrial metabolism, leading to increased mortality. FoxOs are key mediators of insulin signaling and we demonstrated that FoxOs mediate muscle atrophy and mitochondrial dysfunction in mice with streptozotocin (STZ) diabetes. Unfortunately, FoxOs are also tumor suppressors and knockout of FoxOs in proliferative tissues causes cancer. We aimed to investigate FoxO targets restricted to skeletal muscle in hopes of improving strength in diabetic conditions. RNA-seq from STZ mice with/without FoxO1/3/4 triple knockout showed several diabetes-induced FoxO targets, with the most robust being LRRC2 (Leucine rich repeating containing 2). The function of LRRC2 is unknown, but gene expression databases show LRRC2 is restricted to muscle and heart, and LRRC2 is enriched in human heart with dilated cardiomyopathy. Adenoviral overexpression of LRRC2 in C2C12 cells localized to mitochondria and showed increase mRNA levels of biogenesis marker PGC1α, and antioxidant genes SOD2 and Gpx3. However, LRRC2 overexpression did not change basal respiration measured in Seahorse. To determine LRRC2's effect on exercise tolerance and mitochondrial bioenergetics in vivo, we created muscle specific LRRC2 knockout (LKO) mice and rendered them diabetic with STZ. Diabetic LKO mice did worse than their littermate controls on treadmill exercise to exhaustion. Soleus permeabilized fibers showed significantly decreased ATP production that was uncoupled from respiration with glutamate/malate. Interestingly, soleus muscles from LKO mice were significantly larger than their littermate controls, whereas extensor digitorum longus and quadriceps were smaller in the diabetic LKO mice. Lastly, mRNA expression of mitochondrial subunits was not changed and thus did not explain the mitochondrial defects. In conclusion, LRRC2 is a novel FoxO target that helps preserve mitochondrial function and exercise tolerance in a Type 1 diabetes mouse model. Disclosure C. M. Penniman: None. G. Bhardwaj: None. C. Nowers: None. B. T. O'neill: Stock/Shareholder; Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Pfizer Inc., Johnson & Johnson. Funding U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (lO1BXOO4468)