Overview

• The Salk Institute study demonstrates that estrogen-related receptors (ERRα and ERRγ) regulate mitochondrial biogenesis and energy metabolism in muscle cells.
• ERRα is essential for exercise-induced mitochondrial growth, while ERRγ compensates for ERRα loss under resting conditions, ensuring functional redundancy.
• ERRα directly binds to mitochondrial genes and partners with PGC1α, making it a promising drug target for treating metabolic and muscular disorders like muscular dystrophy.
• Mitochondrial dysfunction affects 1 in 5,000 people at birth and is linked to diseases such as multiple sclerosis, cancer, heart disease, and dementia.
• Future research will focus on developing ERR-targeting drugs and understanding isoform-specific regulation to address systemic metabolic challenges.