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Updated: Aug 6, 2026
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Assessment of the Metabolic Effects of Isocaloric 2:1 Intermittent Fasting in Mice
Published on: November 27, 2019
Intermittent fasting rewires tissue-specific gene-transposable element regulatory networks
Xiangru Cheng1,2, Yibo Fan1,2, Xiangyuan Peng1,2
1Department of Microbiology, Anatomy, Physiology and Pharmacology, School of Agriculture, Biomedicine and Environment, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC 3083, Australia.
PNAS Nexus
|August 5, 2026
Summary
Intermittent fasting (IF) reshapes gene networks by altering transposable element (TE) expression across tissues. This dietary intervention reveals TEs as key regulators in fasting-induced metabolic and muscle-specific adaptations.
Area of Science:
- Genomics
- Molecular Biology
- Nutritional Science
Background:
- Intermittent fasting (IF) offers health benefits, but its effects on genome-wide transcriptional regulation, especially transposable elements (TEs), are unclear.
- Transposable elements (TEs) are mobile DNA sequences whose roles in complex regulatory networks are increasingly recognized.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of chronic intermittent fasting (IF) on transposable element (TE) expression and regulation across multiple tissues.
- To explore the integration of IF-responsive TEs within host gene regulatory networks.
Main Methods:
- Mice were subjected to 4 months of daily 16-hour fasting.
- RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) was performed on liver, skeletal muscle, and cortex tissues.
- Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was used to identify TE-gene co-expression modules.
Main Results:
- Intermittent fasting induced significant, tissue-specific changes in TE expression, with the liver showing the most pronounced response.
- IF-responsive TEs co-varied with nearby genes in liver and skeletal muscle, forming distinct regulatory modules.
- Functional enrichment analysis linked these TE-gene modules to tissue-specific processes like metabolism (liver) and muscle contraction (skeletal muscle).
Conclusions:
- Transposable elements are dynamically regulated by intermittent fasting in a tissue-specific manner.
- TEs are integral components of transcriptional networks modulated by fasting, potentially exerting cis-regulatory effects on nearby genes.
- This study provides insights into how dietary interventions influence genome regulation via TEs.
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