The long non-coding RNA landscape of endurance exercise training
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) regulate multiple cellular processes. However, knowledge of the responses and regulatory functions of lncRNAs in physical exercise and training remains limited. As part of the Molecular Transducers of Physical Activity Consortium (MoTrPAC), we conducted a comprehensive analysis of lncRNA expression patterns in 18 tissues after an 8-week progressive endurance training program in rats. The lncRNA expression pattern was largely tissue-specific. In total, 759 unique lncRNAs were found to be differentially expressed across all tissues, generally displaying lower abundance, shorter transcript length, and reduced GC content compared with protein-coding genes. The most pronounced changes were observed in white and brown adipose tissues, the hypothalamus, and the adrenal gland. In the two skeletal muscle tissues investigated, only two lncRNAs were commonly differentially expressed. White and brown adipose tissues revealed a correlation between upregulated differentially expressed lncRNAs and coding genes associated with immune regulation. We identified substantial sex differences in the lncRNA regulatory landscape in response to exercise training. This comprehensive tissue-specific characterization of exercise-responsive lncRNAs opens new avenues for understanding exercise as molecular medicine and may inform the development of lncRNA-targeted therapeutics that harness the beneficial effects of exercise.
Source: Molecular Metabolism
Authors: Bernardo Bonilauri, Gregory R. Smith, Archana N. Raja, David Jimenez-Morales, Abdalla Ahmed, Christopher Jin, Lauren M. Sparks, Martin J. Walsh, Stephen B. Montgomery, Joshua N. Adkins, Abdalla Ahmed, Jose Juan Almagro Armenteros, David Amar, Mary Anne S. Amper, Euan Ashley, Marcas M. Bamman, Jerry Barnes, Bryan C. Bergman, Sue C. Bodine, Bernardo Bonilauri, Amanda Boyce, Pauline Brochet, Nicholas T. Broskey, Thomas W. Buford, Emily Carifi, Clarisa Chavez, Haiying Chen, Shyh-Huei Chen, Zachary Clayton, Dan M. Cooper, Gary R. Cutter, Shannon S. Emilson, Jerome Fleg, Nicole Gagne, Yongchao Ge, Mary-Catherine George, Laurie J. Goodyear, Fadia Haddad, Joseph A. Houmard, Fang-Chi Hsu, Kim M. Huffman, Lidija Ivic, David Jimenez-Morales, Christopher A. Jin, Lyndon Joseph, Wendy M. Kohrt, William E. Kraus, Bridget Lester, Malene E. Lindholm, Nada Marjanovic, Padma Maruvada, Sandra T. May, Edward L. Melanson, Michael E. Miller, Stephen B. Montgomery, Kerrie L. Moreau, Venugopalan D. Nair, John Nichols, Concepcion R. Nierras, German Nudelman, Nora-lovette Okwara, George Papanicolaou, Paul D. Piehowski, June Pierce, Hanna Pincas, Wei-Jun Qian, Shlomit Radom-Aizik, Archana Raja, Tuomo Rankinen, Blake B. Rasmussen, Joseph Rigdon, Stas Rirak, Jessica L. Rooney, Scott Rushing, James A. Sanford, Stuart C. Sealfon, Gregory R. Smith, Kevin S. Smith, Michael P. Snyder, Lauren M. Sparks, Debbie Steinberg, Cynthia L. Stowe, Yifei Sun, Kristen Sutton, Jennifer W. Talton, Russell Tracy, Scott Trappe, Todd A. Trappe, Nikolai G. Vetr, Alexandria Vornholt, Michael P. Walkup, Martin J. Walsh, Christopher Webb, Matthew T. Wheeler, John P. Williams, Marilyn Williams, Ashley Xia, Yilin Xie, Zhen Yan, Xuechen Yu, Chongzhi Zang, Elena Zaslavsky, Sue C. Bodine, Euan A. Ashley, Maléne E. Lindholm
Language: English
Subfield: Cancer Research
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $4,270
Awards: G3696957845, G4244708345, MoTrPAC: UC Preclinical Animal Study Site, G5478282141, Animal Studies Investigating Molecular Transducers of Physical Activity, G6218998370, G6866592604, G6875869492, G8336916767, Stanford MoTrPAC Bioinformatics Center, Stanford MoTrPAC Site for Genomes, Epigenomes and Transcriptomes, Diabetes Research Center, A biochemical roadmap of exercise signal, MoTrPAC Genomics, Epigenomics and Transcriptomics Chemical Analysis Site, Molecular Transducers of Physical Activity Consortium Coordinating Center, ProMoTr: A Proteomics Center for MoTrPAC
OpenAlex ID: W4415071213