Enhanced glucose uptake and a switch to glycolysis are key traits of M1 macrophages, whereas enhanced fatty acid oxidation and oxidative phosphorylation are the main metabolic characteristics of M2 macrophages. Recent studies challenge this traditional view, indicating that glycolysis may also be critically important for M2 macrophage differentiation, based on experiments with 2-DG. Here we confirm the inhibitory effect of 2-DG on glycolysis, but also demonstrate that 2-DG impairs oxidative phosphorylation and significantly reduces C-labeled Krebs cycle metabolites and intracellular ATP levels. These metabolic derangements were associated with reduced JAK-STAT6 pathway activity and M2 differentiation marker expression. While glucose deprivation and glucose substitution with galactose effectively suppressed glycolytic activity, there was no effective suppression of oxidative phosphorylation, intracellular ATP levels, STAT6 phosphorylation, and M2 differentiation marker expression. These data indicate that glycolytic stimulation is not required for M2 macrophage differentiation as long as oxidative phosphorylation remains active.

SUMMARY Diet-induced thermogenesis is an important homeostatic mechanism that limits weight gain in response to caloric excess and contributes to the relative stability of body weight in most individuals. We previously demonstrated that creatine enhances energy expenditure through stimulation of mitochondrial ATP turnover, but the physiological role and importance of creatine energetics in adipose tissue has not been explored. Here, we have inactivated the first and rate-limiting enzyme of creatine biosynthesis, glycine amidinotransferase (GATM), selectively in fat (Adipo-Gatm KO). Adipo-Gatm KO mice are prone to diet-induced obesity due to the suppression of elevated energy expenditure that occurs in response to high calorie feeding. This is paralleled by a blunted capacity for β3-adrenergic activation of metabolic rate, which is rescued by dietary creatine supplementation. These results provide strong in vivo genetic support for a role of GATM and creatine metabolism in energy expenditure, diet-induced thermogenesis, and defense against diet-induced obesity.

Classical activation of M1 macrophages with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is associated with a metabolic switch from oxidative phosphorylation to glycolysis. However, the generalizability of such metabolic remodeling to other modes of M1 macrophage stimulation, e.g. type II interferons (IFNs) such as IFNγ, has remained unknown as has the functional significance of aerobic glycolysis during macrophage activation. Here we demonstrate that IFNγ induces a rapid activation of aerobic glycolysis followed by a reduction in oxidative phosphorylation in M1 macrophages. Elevated glycolytic flux sustains cell viability and inflammatory activity, while limiting reliance on mitochondrial oxidative metabolism. Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) distributed by aerobic glycolysis is critical for sustaining IFN-γ triggered JAK (Janus tyrosine kinase)-STAT-1 (Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 1) signaling with phosphorylation of the transcription factor STAT-1 as its signature trait. Inhibition of aerobic glycolysis not only blocks the M1 phenotype and pro-inflammatory cytokine/chemokine production in murine macrophages and also human monocytes/macrophages. These findings extend on the potential functional role of immuno-metabolism from LPS- to IFNγ-linked diseases such as atherosclerosis and autoimmune disease.

Diet-induced insulin resistance (IR) adversely affects human health and life span. We show that muscle-specific overexpression of human mitochondrial transcription factor A (TFAM) attenuates high-fat diet (HFD)–induced fat gain and IR in mice in conjunction with increased energy expenditure and reduced oxidative stress. These TFAM effects on muscle are shown to be exerted by molecular changes that are beyond its direct effect on mitochondrial DNA replication and transcription. TFAM augmented the muscle tricarboxylic acid cycle and citrate synthase facilitating energy expenditure. TFAM enhanced muscle glucose uptake despite increased fatty acid (FA) oxidation in concert with higher β-oxidation capacity to reduce the accumulation of IR-related carnitines and ceramides. TFAM also increased pAMPK expression, explaining enhanced PGC1α and PPARβ, and reversing HFD-induced GLUT4 and pAKT reductions. TFAM-induced mild uncoupling is shown to protect mitochondrial membrane potential against FA-induced uncontrolled depolarization. These coordinated changes conferred protection to TFAM mice against HFD-induced obesity and IR while reducing oxidative stress with potential translational opportunities.