Human multi-tissue transcriptomics identifies galectin-1 and follistatin-like 1 as exerkines with distinct...

Area of Science:

• Exercise physiology
• Molecular biology
• Endocrinology

Background:

• Exercise-induced secreted factors (exerkines) are linked to systemic health benefits.
• Human tissue sources and transcript-to-serum coupling of exerkines are not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• Identify exercise-regulated exerkines in human tissues.
• Determine if tissue mass influences exerkine systemic appearance.
• Investigate transcript-to-serum coupling kinetics.

Main Methods:

• Integrated multi-tissue transcriptomics (adipose, muscle, blood) with serial serum profiling.
• Healthy young men performed a 300 kcal treadmill exercise bout.
• Collected samples pre- and post-exercise, with serum profiling up to 120 min.

Main Results:

• Acute exercise altered adipose and muscle transcriptomes, upregulating LGALS1 and FSTL1.
• Serum follistatin-like 1 and galectin-1 increased post-exercise.
• OGN and C1QTNF3 transcripts increased without immediate serum elevation.
• Follistatin-like 1 coupling was moderated by tissue mass; galectin-1 showed muscle-dominant coupling.

Conclusions:

• Galectin-1 and follistatin-like 1 are identified as human exerkines.
• Body composition modulates systemic exerkine responses post-exercise.
• Provides a framework for understanding exercise adaptation variability.