Type 2 diabetes is characterized by fasting hyperglycemia, secondary to hepatic insulin
resistance and increased glucose production. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ
coactivator-1α (PGC-1α) is a transcriptional coactivator that is thought to control adaptive
responses to physiological stimuli. In liver, PGC-1α expression is induced by fasting, and
this effect promotes gluconeogenesis. To examine whether PGC-1α is involved in the
pathogenesis of hepatic insulin resistance, we generated transgenic (TG) mice with whole …

PGC-1α is a transcriptional coactivator which regulates adaptive responses to a variety of
physiologic stimuli. In the liver, PGC-1α expression is induced by fasting, whereas in muscle,
its expression is increased by exercise training. In the liver, PGC-1α regulates glucose
production, while in muscle PGC-1α stimulates mitochondrial biogenesis. However, the role
that PGC-1α plays in controlling whole-body insulin sensitivity is not clear. Our goal was to
examine the role of PGC-1α on whole-body glucose homeostasis, using a novel transgenic …