Mitochondria, Aerobic Capacity Trainability, and Metabolic Health (MATCH) Lab

Director:     Heather Vellers, Ph.D., Clinical Exercise Physiologist

Location:     Kinesiology & Sport Management Building, Room 103 B

Laboratory Focus

The Mitochondrial Genetics and Endurance Trainability Laboratory focuses on determining the role of genetics, including the mitochondrial and nuclear genomes, on aerobic capacity (VO2max) trainability. This focus allows us to directly investigate the role of genetics, explaining why some people respond well to exercise training while others do not respond or even respond negatively, following a standardized training program. The ultimate goal is to identify nuclear and mitochondrial genetic associations and interactions with the known inter-individual variation in VO2max trainability. Hopefully, this goal will allow future exercise physiologists to prescribe individualized exercise programs for each person (i.e., precision medicine).  

Our current and ongoing projects aim to determine the mitochondrial genome's contribution to VO2max trainability. We recently identified 13 mtDNA variants in individuals classified by low VO2max trainability but not those highly trainable. In addition, we also discovered that mtDNA haplogroup J1c – a categorized set of mtDNA variants – is associated with individuals classified by low VO2max trainability but not those with high trainability. This work also included developing and implementing a pipeline of laboratory techniques and bioinformatic methods that enabled a complete and accurate assessment of the mitochondrial genome. Notably, while this pipeline of laboratory techniques and bioinformatic methods has been used to evaluate the mitochondrial genome's role in determining VO2max trainability, it can be implemented for any trait of interest where genetic background is a contributing factor. Extensions of this work include ongoing projects with increased sample size and characterizing mitochondrial genomes in World-Class Elite Endurance athletes (~250 samples). 

Funding

Current

Source: American Heart Association (24AIREA1191995), $154,000 
Title: Mitochondrial DNA Signatures of Poor Aerobic Exercise Trainability in Young Adults Born Preterm 
Role: Principal Investigator  
Dates: January 2024 – December 2025 

Past

Source: Oklahoma Nathan Shock Center New Investigator Pilot Award, $13,050. 
Title: Genetic Contribution to HET3 Aging Mice Variation in Exercise Capacity Trainability. 
Role: Principal Investigator 
Dates: November 2021 – November 2022

Source: San Antonio Nathan Shock Center Award. 
Title: Role of Genetic Background on Age-Related Changes in Mitochondrial Genome Dynamics: Influence of Aerobic Exercise. 
Role: Principal Investigator 
Dates: July 2020 – July 2021 

Lab Members

Graduate

Name: Chinguun Khurelbaatar 
Degree Program: Ph.D. (Exercise Physiology) 
Year in Program: 1st year 
Project Title: TBD. 
 
Name: Breanna Jones 
Degree Program: M.S. (Exercise Physiology) 
Year in Program: 1st year 
Project Title: Role of mitochondria with poor aerobic exercise trainability in young adults born preterm. 
 

UNDERGRADUATE

Name: Ms. Paige Childers 
Degree Program: B.S. Kinesiology 

Recent Findings

1. Dobson, N.L., Kleeberger, S.R., Burkholder, A.B., Walters, D.M., Gladwell, W., Gerrish, K. and Vellers, H.L., (2023). Vanadium Pentoxide Exposure Causes Strain-Dependent Changes in Mitochondrial DNA Heteroplasmy, Copy Number, and Lesions, but Not Nuclear DNA Lesions. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 24(19), p.14507. 
2. Vellers, H. L., Cho, H. Y., Gladwell, W., Gerrish, K., Santos, J. H., Ofman, G., Miller-DeGraff L, Mahler T.B., Kleeberger S. R. (2022). NRF2 Alters Mitochondrial Gene Expression in Neonate Mice Exposed to Hyperoxia. Antioxidants, 11(4), 760.  
3. Vellers, H.L., Verhein, K.C., Burkholder, A.B., Lee, L., Kim, Y., Lightfoot, J.T., Shi, M., Weinberg, C.R., Sarzynski, M.A., Bouchard, C., Kleeberger, S.R. Association between Mitochondrial DNA Sequence Variants and VO2 max Trainability (2020). Editor's Pick, Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 52(11), 2303-2309. This manuscript was selected as a highlighted Active Voice commentary for the ACSM Sports Medicine Bulletin.  
4. Vellers, H.L., Massett, M.P., Avila, J.J., Kim, S.K., Marzec, M., Santos, J.H., Lightfoot, J.T., Kleeberger, S.R. Mitochondrial DNA Lesions and Copy Number are Strain Dependent in Endurance-Trained Mice (2020). Physiological Reports, 8:e14605.