Figure. S1

Quality control assessment of RNA-Seq data across experimental groups. (A) Pearson correlation heatmap with hierarchical clustering of all samples, illustrating the correlation coefficients between samples. Samples are labeled on the vertical axis, with group affiliations indicated on the horizontal axis: sedentary (SED, gray), aerobic exercise training (AET, green), and AET combined with metformin (AET + MET, red). (B) Multidimensional scaling (MDS) plot displaying the spatial distribution of samples based on gene expression profiles. Axes represent the first two dimensions capturing the highest variance. Each point corresponds to a sample, labeled and color-coded by group: SED (gray), AET (green), and AET + MET (red). Distinct separation between groups indicates variability in transcriptional profiles. (C) Heatmap of the top 100 most variable transcripts across all samples. Rows represent individual genes, and columns represent samples, with sample IDs color-coded by group: SED (gray), AET (green), and AET + MET (red). Cell colors reflect Z-scored expression levels, with red indicating higher expression and blue indicating lower expression. The heatmap reveals gene expression patterns and variability within and between experimental groups. Dendrograms depict the hierarchical relationships, highlighting distinct clustering patterns among experimental groups.