FIGURE 5.

Expression levels of the transcriptional coactivator PGC1α, a regulator of mitochondrial biogenesis, are slightly reduced in homozygous Atx3_1-259 mice. (A) mRNA expression levels of full-length PGC1α and N-terminally truncated PGC1α (NT-PGC1α) are reduced in homozygous Atx3_1-259 whole brain lysates at the age of 12 months. But statistical analyses revealed that only the differences in mRNA level of N-terminally truncated PGC1α reached significance (n = 3; wildtype to Atx3_1-258_PGC1α p = 0.16; wildtype to Atx3_1-259_NT-PGC1α ^∗p = 0.032). (B) Protein analyses in the same mice (3 per genotype, 12 months of age) demonstrated less full-length PGC1α and similar levels of N-terminally truncated PGC1α in homozygous Atx3_1-259 mice compared to wildtype mice. (C,D) Densitometry quantification revealed no significant differences for the levels of full-length (p = 0.081) and N-terminally truncated PGC1α (p = 0.932) protein comparing wildtype and homozygous Atx3_1-259 mice. Significant differences were only found for full-length PGC1α protein levels in homozygous Atx3_1-259 mice compared to heterozygous Atx3_1-259 mice (^∗∗p = 0.0025, C).