Double gene deletion reveals the lack of cooperation between PPARα and PPARβ in skeletal muscle

The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) are involved in the regulation of most of the pathways linked to lipid metabolism. PPARα and PPARβ isotypes are known to regulate muscle fatty acid oxidation and a reciprocal compensation of their function has been proposed. Herein, we investigated muscle contractile and metabolic phenotypes in PPARα−/−, PPARβ−/−, and double PPARα−/− β−/− mice. Heart and soleus muscle analyses show that the deletion of PPARα induces a decrease of the HAD activity (β-oxidation) while soleus contractile phenotype remains unchanged. A PPARβ deletion alone has no effect. However, these mild phenotypes are not due to a reciprocal compensation of PPARβ and PPARα functions since double gene deletion PPARα–PPARβ mostly reproduces the null PPARα-mediated reduced β-oxidation, in addition to a shift from fast to slow fibers. In conclusion, PPARβ is not required for maintaining skeletal muscle metabolic activity and does not compensate the lack of PPARα in PPARα null mice.