PA YEAST SC-1, Polyamine-Rich Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Induces Muscle Hypertrophy in C2C12 Myotubes

Maintenance of appropriate muscle mass is necessary for good quality of life as skeletal muscles play critical roles in locomotion, metabolic homeostasis, and thermogenesis. Polyamines are essential metabolites that regulate several important cellular functions. In C57BL6 mice who underwent sciatic nerve transection of the hind limb, compensatory muscle hypertrophy is enhanced by the administration of polyamines. However, the action mechanisms of polyamines in muscle hypertrophy remain unclear. Here, we isolated PA YEAST SC-1, a polyamine-rich Saccharomyces cerevisiae, from Baker's yeast. We examined whether PA YEAST SC-1 induces muscle hypertrophy and elucidated the underlying action mechanisms of polyamines and the active ingredients in PA YEAST SC-1 using C2C12 myotubes. PA YEAST SC-1 at 1 mg/mL increased myosin heavy chain expression in C2C12 myotubes. Mechanistically, PA YEAST SC-1 induced the activation of Akt/mechanistic target of rapamycin kinase/p70S6K signaling. Furthermore, PA YEAST SC-1 decreased the expression levels of the ubiquitin ligases, atrogin-1 and muscle RING finger-1, via forkhead box O1 phosphorylation. These findings suggest PA YEAST SC-1 as an effective food ingredient for the treatment of muscle hypertrophy.