Sex and fiber type independently influence AMPK, TBC1D1, and TBC1D4 at rest and during recovery from high-intensity exercise in humans

Women and men present different metabolic responses to exercise, yet whether this phenomenon results from differences in fiber type (FT) composition or other sex-specific factors remains unclear. Therefore, our aim was to examine the effects of sex and FT independently on AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC), Tre-2/BUB2/CDC1 domain family (TBC1D)1, and TBC1D4 in response to acute exercise. Segregated pools of myosin heavy chain (MHC) I and MHC IIa fibers were prepared from vastus lateralis biopsies of young trained men and women at rest and during recovery (0 min, 45 min, 90 min, or 180 min) from high-intensity interval exercise (6 × 1.5 min at 95% maximum oxygen uptake). In resting MHC I vs. IIa fibers, AMPKα2, AMPKγ3, and TBC1D1 were higher and TBC1D4 expression was lower in both sexes, along with higher phospho (p)-TBC1D1 Ser660 and lower p-TBC1D4 Thr642 . Women expressed higher ACC than men in MHC IIa fibers and higher AMPKβ1, AMPKβ2, TBC1D1, and TBC1D4 in both FTs. Immediately after exercise, p-AMPKα Thr172 increased only in MHC IIa fibers, whereas p-ACC Ser221 increased in both FTs, with no change in p-TBC1D1 Ser660 or p-TBC1D4 Thr642 . During recovery, delayed responses were observed for p-AMPKα Thr172 in MHC I (45 min), p-TBC1D4 Thr642 in both FTs (45 min), and p-TBC1D1 Ser660 (180 min). FT-specific phosphorylation responses to exercise were similar between men and women. Data indicate that sex and FT independently influence expression of AMPK and its substrates. Thus failing to account for sex or FT may reduce accuracy and precision of metabolic protein measurements and conceal key findings. NEW & NOTEWORTHY This investigation is the first to compare muscle fiber type (FT)-specific analysis of proteins between the sexes, providing comprehensive data on AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC), Tre-2/BUB2/CDC1 domain family (TBC1D)1, and TBC1D4 before and in the hours following high-intensity interval exercise (HIIT). Expression and phosphorylation of specific AMPK isoforms, ACC, TBC1D1, and TBC1D4 were shown to be FT dependent, sex dependent, or both, and TBC1D1 showed an unexpected delay in FT-dependent phosphorylation in the time period following HIIT.