Human hair follicle transcriptome profiling: a minimally invasive tool to assess molecular adaptations upon low‐volume, high‐intensity interval training

• Published in: Physiological reports 2017-12, Vol.5 (23), p.n/a
• Main Authors: Zhang, Jing, Wallace, Sarah J., Shiu, Maria Y., Smith, Ingrid, Rhind, Shawn G., Langlois, Valerie S.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 1-Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase; Adaptation; Adaptation, Physiological; Adult; AKT protein; Biomarkers - metabolism; Cell proliferation; Cell survival; Cytokines; Endurance training; Energy metabolism; Gene expression; Gene Expression Profiling - methods; Hair; Hair Follicle - metabolism; High-Intensity Interval Training; Humans; Janus kinase; Janus Kinases - genetics; Janus Kinases - metabolism; Kinases; Male; miRNA; Molecular Diagnostic Techniques - methods; muscle contraction; Original Research; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases - genetics; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases - metabolism; Physical fitness; Physical training; Physiology; Proteins; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt - genetics; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt - metabolism; Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled - genetics; Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled - metabolism; RNA‐Seq; Signal Transduction; STAT Transcription Factors - genetics; STAT Transcription Factors - metabolism; Transcription; Transcriptome
• ISSN: 2051-817X
• DOI: 10.14814/phy2.13534

High‐intensity interval training (HIIT) has become a popular fitness training approach under both civilian and military settings. Consisting of brief and intense exercise intervals, HIIT requires less time commitment yet is able to produce the consistent targeted physical adaptations as conventional endurance training. To effectively characterize and monitor HIIT‐induced cellular and molecular responses, a highly accessible yet comprehensive biomarker discovery source is desirable. Both gene differential expression (DE) and gene set (GS) analyses were conducted using hair follicle transcriptome established from pre and postexercise subjects upon a 10‐day HIIT program by RNA‐Seq, Comparing between pre and posttraining groups, differentially expressed protein coding genes were identified. To interpret the functional significance of the DE results, a comprehensive GS analysis approach featuring multiple algorithms was used to enrich gene ontology (GO) terms and KEGG pathways. The GS analysis revealed enriched themes such as energy metabolism, cell proliferation/growth/survival, muscle adaptations, and cytokine–cytokine interaction, all of which have been previously proposed as HIIT responses. Moreover, related cell signaling pathways were also measured. Specifically, G‐protein‐mediated signal transduction, phosphatidylinositide 3‐kinases (PI3K) – protein kinase B (PKB) and Janus kinase (JAK) – Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription (STAT) signaling cascades were over‐represented. Additionally, the RNA‐Seq analysis also identified several HIIT‐responsive microRNAs (miRNAs) that were involved in regulating hair follicle‐specific processes, such as miR‐99a. For the first time, this study demonstrated that both existing and new biomarkers like miRNA can be explored for HIIT using the transcriptomic responses exhibited by the hair follicle. We propose scalp hair follicle as a minimally invasive yet comprehensive biomarker discovery system to effectively characterize and monitor HIIT‐induced cellular and molecular responses. For the first time, this study demonstrated that both existing and new biomarkers like miRNA could be explored for HIIT using the transcriptomic responses exhibited by the hair follicle, providing a foundation for additional HIIT evaluation measures.