Transcriptional Signatures of Aerobic Exercise-Induced Muscle Adaptations in Humans

Background: Aerobic exercise induces a range of complex molecular adaptations in skeletal muscle. However, a complete understanding of the specific transcriptional changes following exercise warrants further research. Methods: This study aimed to identify gene expression patterns following acute aerobic exercise by analyzing Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) datasets. We performed a comparative analysis of transcriptional profiles of related genes in two independent studies, focusing on both established and novel genes involved in muscle physiology. Results: Our analysis revealed ten consistently upregulated and eight downregulated genes across both datasets. The upregulated genes were predominantly associated with mitochondrial function and cellular respiration, including MDH1, ATP5MC1, ATP5IB, and ATP5F1A. Conversely, downregulated genes such as YTHDC1, CDK5RAP2, and PALS2 were implicated in vascular structure and cellular organization. Importantly, our findings also revealed novel exercise-responsive genes not previously characterized in this context. Among these, MRPL41 and VEGF were significantly upregulated and are associated with p53-mediated apoptotic signaling and fatty acid metabolism, respectively. Novel downregulated genes included LIMCH1, CMYA5, and FOXJ3, which are putatively involved in cytoskeletal dynamics and muscle fiber type specification. Conclusions: These findings enhance our understanding of the transcriptional landscape of skeletal muscle following acute aerobic exercise and identify novel molecular targets for further investigation in the fields of exercise physiology and metabolic health.