Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1-alpha (PGC-1α) is a protein that in humans is encoded by the PPARGC1A gene. PPARGC1A is also known as human accelerated region 20 (HAR20). It may, therefore, have played a key role in differentiating humans from apes.
PGC-1α is the master regulator of mitochondrial biogenesis. PGC-1α is also the primary regulator of liver gluconeogenesis, inducing increased gene expression for gluconeogenesis.