Effect of aging on insulin receptor, insulin receptor substrate-1, and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase in liver and muscle of rats

Insulin stimulates the tyrosine kinase activity of its receptor, resulting in the phosphorylation of its cytosolic substrate, insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1), which, in turn, associates with phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI 3-kinase), thereby activating the latter. Aging is associated with insulin resistance, but the exact molecular mechanism is unknown. In the present study, we examined the levels and phosphorylation status of the insulin receptor and IRS-1 as well as the association between IRS-1 and PI 3-kinase in the liver and muscle of 2-, 5-, 12-, and 20-month-old rats. There were no changes in the insulin receptor concentration in the liver and muscle of rats 2-. 5-, 12-, and 20-month rats. There were no changes in the insulin receptor concentration in the liver and muscle of rats 2-20 months old, as determined by immunoblotting using antibody to the COOH-terminus of the receptor. However, insulin stimulation of receptor autophosphorylation, as determined by immunoblotting with antiphosphotyrosine antibody was reduced by 25% (P < 0.05) in the liver and muscle of rats at 20 months. Interestingly, IRS-1 protein levels decrease at an early stage (5 months) by 58 +/- 9%, (P < 0.01) and remained at low levels thereafter in muscle, but not in liver. In samples previously immunoprecipitated with anti-IRS-1 antibody and blotted with antiphosphotyrosine antibody, there were 60 +/- 9% (P < 0.001) and 92 +/- 4% (P < 0.001) decreases in the insulin-stimulated IRS-1 association with PI 3-kinase was decreased by 70 +/- 2% in the liver and muscle, respectively, of 20-month rats. The insulin-stimulated IRS-1 association with PI 3-kinase was decreased by 70 +/- 2% in the liver (P < 0.001) and by 98 +/- 3% (P < 0.001) in the muscle of 20-month-old rats, with no change in the PI 3-kinase protein levels. The phosphotyrosine-associated PI 3-kinase activity after insulin stimulation was dramatically reduced in liver and muscle of 20-month-old rats compared to that in 2-month-old rats. Finally, by immunoprecipitation, the detection of insulin-stimulated IRS-2 phosphorylation followed the same pattern as that for IRS-1 in both liver of 2- and 20-month-old rats. These data suggest that changes in the early steps of insulin signal transduction may have an important role in the insulin resistance observed in old animals.     

Impaired insulin signaling in skeletal muscles from transgenic mice expressing kinase-deficient insulin receptors

Transgenic mice which overexpress kinase-deficient human insulin receptors in muscle were used to study the relationship between insulin receptor tyrosine kinase and the in vivo activation of several downstream signaling pathways. Intravenous insulin stimulated insulin receptor tyrosine kinase activity by 7-fold in control muscle versus < or = 1.5-fold in muscle from transgenic mice. Similarly, insulin failed to stimulate tyrosyl phosphorylation of receptor beta-subunits or insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS-1) in transgenic muscle. Insulin substantially stimulated IRS-1-associated phosphatidylinositol (PI) 3-kinase in control versus absent stimulation in transgenic muscles. In contrast, insulin-like growth factor 1 modestly stimulated PI 3-kinase in both control and transgenic muscle. The effects of insulin to stimulate p42 mitogen-activated protein kinase and c-fos mRNA expression were also markedly impaired in transgenic muscle. Specific immunoprecipitation of human receptors followed by measurement of residual insulin receptors suggested the presence of hybrid mouse-human heterodimers. In contrast, negligible hybrid formation involving insulin-like growth factor 1 receptors was evident. We conclude that (i) transgenic expression of kinase-defective insulin receptors exerts dominant-negative effects at the level of receptor auto-phosphorylation and kinase activation; (ii) insulin receptor tyrosine kinase activity is required for in vivo insulin-stimulated IRS-1 phosphorylation, IRS-1-associated PI 3-kinase activation, phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinase, and c-fos gene induction in skeletal muscle; (iii) hybrid receptor formation is likely to contribute to the in vivo dominant-negative effects of kinase-defective receptor expression.     

Regional difference in insulin inhibition of non-esterified fatty acid release from human adipocytes: relation to insulin receptor phosphorylation and intracellular signalling through the insulin receptor substrate-1 pathway

Increased mobilization of non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) from visceral as opposed to peripheral fat depots can lead to metabolic disturbances because of the direct portal link between visceral fat and the liver. Compared with peripheral fat, visceral fat shows a decreased response to insulin. The mechanisms behind these site variations were investigated by comparing insulin action on NEFA metabolism with insulin receptor signal transduction through the insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1) pathway in omental (visceral) and subcutaneous human fat obtained during elective surgery. Insulin inhibited lipolysis and stimulated NEFA re-esterification. This was counteracted by wortmannin, an inhibitor of phosphaditylinositol (PI) 3-kinase. The effects of insulin on antilipolysis and NEFA re-esterification were greatly reduced in omental fat cells. Insulin receptor binding capacity, mRNA and protein expression did not differ between the cell types. Insulin was four times more effective in stimulating tyrosine phosphorylation of the insulin receptor in subcutaneous fat cells (p < 0.001). Similarly, insulin was two to three times more effective in stimulating tyrosine phosphorylation of IRS-1 in subcutaneous fat cells (p < 0.01). This finding could be explained by finding that IRS-1 protein expression was reduced by 50 +/- 8% in omental fat cells (p < 0.01). In omental fat cells, maximum insulin-stimulated association of the p85 kDa subunit of PI 3-kinase to phosphotyrosine proteins and phosphotyrosine associated PI 3-kinase activity were both reduced by 50% (p < 0.05 or better). Thus, the ability of insulin to induce antilipolysis and stimulate NEFA re-esterification is reduced in visceral adipocytes. This reduction can be explained by reduced insulin receptor autophosphorylation and signal transduction through an IRS-1 associated PI 3-kinase pathway in visceral adipocytes.     

Insulin-stimulated GLUT4 translocation is relevant to the phosphorylation of IRS-1 and the activity of PI3-kinase

We examined the role of 185-kDa insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1) and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3-kinase) in the signaling pathway of insulin-stimulated GLUT4 translocation. We had already developed a novel cell line to detect GLUT4 on the cell surface, directly and sensitively (Kanai, F., Nishioka, Y., Hayashi, H., Kamohara, S., Todaka, M., and Ebina, Y. (1993) J. Biol. Chem. 268, 14523-14526). We stably expressed a mutant insulin receptor in which Tyr972 was replaced with phenylalanine. Insulin-stimulated tyrosyl phosphorylation of IRS-1 and GLUT4 translocation were decreased in cells expressing the mutant receptor, as compared to findings in cells expressing the normal receptor. Wortmannin, an inhibitor of PI3-kinase, inhibits the insulin-stimulated PI3-kinase activity and GLUT4 translocation at 50 nM, but not the NaF-stimulated GLUT4 translocation. These results suggest that the tyrosine phosphorylation of IRS-1 and activation of PI3-kinase may be involved in the signaling pathway of the insulin-stimulated GLUT4 translocation.     

Enhanced insulin-stimulated activation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase in the liver of high-fat-fed rats

Insulin receptor substrate (IRS)-1 and IRS-2, which mediate phosphatidylinositol (PI) 3-kinase activation, play essential roles in insulin-induced translocation of GLUT4 and in glycogen synthesis. In this study, we investigated the process of PI 3-kinase activation via binding with IRS-1 and -2 in liver, muscle, and fat of high-fat-fed rats, a model of insulin-resistant diabetes. In the liver of high-fat-fed rats, insulin increased the PI 3-kinase regulatory subunit p85alpha and the PI 3-kinase activities associated with IRS-1 3.6- and 2.4-fold, and with IRS-2, 4.7- and 3.0-fold, respectively, compared with those in control rats. The tyrosine phosphorylation levels of IRS-1 and IRS-2 were not significantly altered, however. In contrast with the liver, tyrosine phosphorylation levels and associated PI 3-kinase proteins and activities were decreased in the muscle and adipose tissue of high-fat-fed rats. Thus, high-fat feeding appears to cause insulin resistance in the liver by a mechanism different from the impaired PI 3-kinase activation observed in muscle and adipose tissue. Taking into consideration that hepatic PI 3-kinase activation is severely impaired in obese diabetic models such as Zucker fatty rats, it is possible that the mechanism by which a high-fat diet causes insulin resistance is quite different from that associated with obesity and overeating due to abnormality in the leptin system. This is the first report to show increased PI 3-kinase activation by insulin in an insulin-resistant diabetic animal model. These findings may be important for understanding the mechanism of insulin resistance in human NIDDM, since a high-fat diet is considered to be one of the major factors exacerbating insulin insensitivity in humans.     

Heparinization on pericardial substitutes can reduce adhesion and epicardial inflammation in the dog

Some patients with severe insulin resistance develop pathological tissue growth reminiscent of acromegaly. Previous studies of such patients have suggested the presence of a selective postreceptor defect of insulin signaling, resulting in the impairment of metabolic but preservation of mitogenic signaling. As the activation of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI 3-kinase) is considered essential for insulin's metabolic signaling, we have examined insulin-stimulated PI 3-kinase activity in anti-insulin receptor substrate (IRS)-1 immunoprecipitates from cultured dermal fibroblasts obtained from pseudoacromegalic (PA) patients and controls. At a concentration of insulin (1 nM) similar to that seen in vivo in PA patients, the activation of IRS-1-associated PI 3-kinase was reduced markedly in fibroblasts from the PA patients (32+/-7% of the activity of normal controls, P < 0.01). Genetic and biochemical studies indicated that this impairment was not secondary to a defect in the structure, expression, or activation of the insulin receptor, IRS-1, or p85alpha. Insulin stimulation of mitogenesis in PA fibroblasts, as determined by thymidine incorporation, was indistinguishable from controls, as was mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphorylation, confirming the integrity of insulin's mitogenic signaling pathways in this condition. These findings support the existence of an intrinsic defect of postreceptor insulin signaling in the PA subtype of insulin resistance, which involves impairment of the activation of PI 3-kinase. The PA tissue growth seen in such patients is likely to result from severe in vivo hyperinsulinemia activating intact mitogenic signaling pathways emanating from the insulin receptor.     

Separation of IRS-1 and PI3-kinase from GLUT4 vesicles in rat skeletal muscle

In fat and muscle tissues, insulin stimulates cellular glucose uptake by initiating a phosphorylation cascade which ultimately results in the translocation of the GLUT4 glucose transporter isoform from an intracellular vesicular storage pool(s) to the plasma membrane in fat and to t-tubules in skeletal muscle. Insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1) and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3-kinase) are known to be involved in cellular responses to insulin such as GLUT4 translocation, but the biochemical mechanism(s) connecting IRS-1 and PI3-kinase to GLUT4-containing intracellular membranes remains unclear. Here, in control and insulin-stimulated rat skeletal muscle, the intracellular localization of these two proteins was compared to that of GLUT4 using subcellular fractionation by sucrose velocity gradients followed by immunoblotting. Our data show that insulin-sensitive GLUT4-containing vesicles are present in fractions 1 through 10, whereas IRS-1 and PI3-kinase are found in fractions 16 through 24. These results indicate that in intracellular fractions derived from skeletal muscle, IRS-1 and PI3-kinase are excluded from membranes harboring GLUT4.     

Cross-talk between the insulin and angiotensin signaling systems

Angiotensin II (AII), acting via its G-protein linked receptor, is an important regulator of cardiac, vascular, and renal function. Following injection of AII into rats, we find that there is also a rapid tyrosine phosphorylation of the major insulin receptor substrates 1 and 2 (IRS-1 and IRS-2) in the heart. This phenomenon appears to involve JAK2 tyrosine kinase, which associates with the AT1 receptor and IRS-1/IRS-2 after AII stimulation. AII-induced phosphorylation leads to binding of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI 3-kinase) to IRS-1 and IRS-2; however, in contrast to other ligands, AII injection results in an acute inhibition of both basal and insulin-stimulated PI 3-kinase activity. The latter occurs without any reduction in insulin receptor or IRS phosphorylation or in the interaction of the p85 and p110 subunits of PI 3-kinase with each other or with IRS-1/IRS-2. These effects of AII are inhibited by AT1 receptor antagonists. Thus, there is direct cross-talk between insulin and AII signaling pathways at the level of both tyrosine phosphorylation and PI 3-kinase activation. These interactions may play an important role in the association of insulin resistance, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease.     

Tissue-specific regulation of IRS-1 in unilaterally nephrectomized rats

Insulin stimulates the tyrosine kinase activity of its receptor, resulting in the phosphorylation of its cytosolic substrate, insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS-1). IRS-1 is also a substrate for different peptides and growth factors, and a transgenic mouse "knockout" for this protein does not have normal growth. However, the role of IRS-1 in kidney hypertrophy and/or hyperplasia was not investigated. In the present study we investigated IRS-1 protein and tyrosine phosphorylation levels in the remnant kidney after unilateral nephrectomy (UNX) in 6-week-old male Wistar rats. After insulin stimulation the levels of insulin receptor and IRS-1 tyrosine phosphorylation were reduced to 79 +/- 5% (P < 0.005) and 58 +/- 6% (P < 0.0001), respectively, of the control (C) levels, in the remnant kidney. It is possible that a circulating factor and/or a local (paracrine) factor playing a role in kidney growth can influence the early steps of insulin action in parallel. To investigate the hypothesis of a circulating factor, we studied the early steps of insulin action in liver and muscle of unilateral nephrectomized rats. There was no change in pp185 tyrosine phosphorylation levels in liver (C 100 +/- 12% vs UNX 89 +/- 9%, NS) and muscle (C 100 +/- 22% vs UNX 91 +/- 17%, NS), and also there was no change in IRS-1 phosphorylation levels in both tissues. These data demonstrate that after unilateral nephrectomy there is a decrease in insulin-induced insulin receptor and IRS-1 tyrosine phosphorylation levels in kidney but not in liver and muscle. It will be of interest to investigate which factors, probably paracrine ones, regulate these early steps of insulin action in the contralateral kidney of unilaterally nephrectomized rats.     

Growth hormone and prolactin stimulate tyrosine phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate-1, -2, and -3, their association with p85 phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3-kinase), and concomitantly PI3-kinase activation via JAK2 kinase

Growth hormone (GH) and prolactin (PRL) binding to their receptors, which belong to the cytokine receptor superfamily, activate Janus kinase (JAK) 2 tyrosine kinase, thereby leading to their biological actions. We recently showed that GH mainly stimulated tyrosine phosphorylation of epidermal growth factor receptor and its association with Grb2, and concomitantly stimulated mitogen-activated protein kinase activity in liver, a major target tissue. Using specific antibodies, we now show that GH was also able to induce tyrosine phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate (IRS)-1/IRS-2 in liver. In addition, the major tyrosine-phosphorylated protein in anti-p85 phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3-kinase) immunoprecipitate from liver of wild-type mice was IRS-1, and IRS-2 in IRS-1 deficient mice, but not epidermal growth factor receptor. These data suggest that tyrosine phosphorylation of IRS-1 may be a major mechanism for GH-induced PI3-kinase activation in physiological target organ of GH, liver. We also show that PRL was able to induce tyrosine phosphorylation of both IRS-1 and IRS-2 in COS cells transiently transfected with PRLR and in CHO-PRLR cells. Moreover, we show that tyrosine phosphorylation of IRS-3 was induced by both GH and PRL in COS cells transiently transfected with IRS-3 and their cognate receptors. By using the JAK2-deficient cell lines or by expressing a dominant negative JAK2 mutant, we show that JAK2 is required for the GH- and PRL-dependent tyrosine phosphorylation of IRS-1, -2, and -3. Finally, a specific PI3-kinase inhibitor, wortmannin, completely blocked the anti-lipolytic effect of GH in 3T3 L1 adipocytes. Taken together, the role of IRS-1, -2, and -3 in GH and PRL signalings appears to be phosphorylated by JAK2, thereby providing docking sites for p85 PI3-kinase and activating PI3-kinase and its downstream biological effects.     

Interaction of insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1) with phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase: effect of substitution of serine for alanine in potential IRS-1 serine phosphorylation sites

Serine and threonine phosphorylation has been shown to down-regulate insulin signaling at multiple steps, including the receptor and downstream molecules such as insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1). To further address the mechanism of this regulation at the level of IRS-1, we constructed a double serine mutant of IRS-1: S662A/S731A-IRS-1. The serines 662 and 731 mutated to alanine are surrounding tyrosines Y658 and Y727, respectively. These tyrosines are comprised in YXXM motifs, which are potential binding sites for the p85alpha regulatory subunit of phosphatidylinositol (PI) 3-kinase. In a first series of experiments using the yeast two-hybrid system, we show that IRS-1 interacts with p85alpha, and this interaction depends on tyrosine phosphorylation, as shown with the IRS-1 mutant F18 and 3Y-IRS-1. F18-IRS-1 contains 18 potential tyrosine phosphorylation sites mutated to phenylalanine; three of them, i.e. Y608, 628, and 658, which are potential binding sites for p85alpha, have been added back in the 3Y-IRS-1 mutant. The tyrosine phosphorylation of IRS-1, which is required for the interaction with p85alpha, is thought to occur via endogenous yeast kinases that phosphorylate IRS-1 at least on these PI 3-kinase-binding sites. Next, we show that not only p85alpha but also p55PIK, another regulatory subunit of PI 3-kinase, interacts with IRS-1 in yeast. Interestingly, for both regulatory subunits their interaction with IRS-1 is up-regulated by mutating serines 662 and 731 on IRS-1. In a previous study we found that insulin-stimulated PI 3-kinase activity was increased not only in the presence of S662A/S731A-IRS-1 but also under resting conditions compared with the activity seen with WT-IRS-1. Here we demonstrate in 293-EBNA cells overexpressing S662A/S731A-IRS-1 that insulin-stimulated protein kinase B activity is not augmented, whereas without insulin treatment, basal activity is increased compared with that in cells overexpressing wild-type IRS-1. In conclusion, we have shown that 1) potential serine phosphorylation sites on IRS-1, which are adjacent to YXXM binding motifs for PI 3-kinase, negatively regulate binding of IRS-1 to PI 3-kinase regulatory subunits; and 2) these modulations affect protein kinase B activity.     

The new antidiabetic drug MCC-555 acutely sensitizes insulin signaling in isolated cardiomyocytes

Freshly isolated adult rat ventricular cardiomyocytes have been used to characterize the action profile of the new thiazolidinedione antidiabetic drug MCC-555. Preincubation of cells with the compound (100 microM for 30 min or 10 microM for 2 h) did not modify basal 3-O-methylglucose transport, but produced a marked sensitizing effect (2- to 3-fold increase in insulin action at 3 x 10(-11) M insulin) and a further enhancement of maximum insulin action (1.8-fold). MCC-555 did not modulate autophosphorylation of the insulin receptor and tyrosine phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1). However, insulin action (10(-10) and 10(-7) M) on IRS-1-associated phosphatidylinositol (PI) 3-kinase activity was enhanced 2-fold in the presence of MCC-555. Association of the p85 adapter subunit of PI 3-kinase to IRS-1 was not modified by the drug. Immunoblotting experiments demonstrated expression of the peroxisomal proliferator-activated receptor-gamma in cardiomyocytes reaching about 30% of the abundance observed in adipocytes. The insulin-sensitizing effect of MCC-555 was lost after inhibition of protein synthesis by preincubation of the cells with cycloheximide (1 mM; 30 min). Cardiomyocytes from obese Zucker rats exhibited a completely blunted response of glucose transport at 3 x 10(-11) M insulin. MCC-555 ameliorates this insulin resistance, producing a 2-fold stimulation of glucose transport, with maximum insulin action being 1.6-fold higher than that in control cells. This drug effect was paralleled by a significant dephosphorylation of IRS-1 on Ser/Thr. In conclusion, MCC-555 rapidly sensitizes insulin-stimulated cardiac glucose uptake by enhancing insulin signaling resulting from increased intrinsic activity of PI 3-kinase. Acute activation of protein expression leading to a modulation of the Ser/Thr phosphorylation state of signaling proteins such as IRS-1 may be underlying this process. It is suggested that MCC-555 may provide a causal therapy of insulin resistance by targeted action on the defective site in the insulin signaling cascade.     

Insulin-stimulated phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase. Association with a 185-kDa tyrosine-phosphorylated protein (IRS-1) and localization in a low density membrane vesicle

Insulin stimulates the appearance of anti-tyrosine(P)-immunoprecipitable phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI 3-kinase) activity in adipocytes, predominantly in an intracellular membrane fraction (Kelly, K. L., Ruderman, N. B., and Chen, K. S. (1992) J. Biol. Chem. 267, 3423-3428). Neither the mechanism underlying this activation nor the precise subcellular compartment in which it occurs is known. To address these questions, studies were performed using isolated rat adipocytes and subcellular fractions of these cells. In intact cells, insulin stimulated the rapid appearance of phosphatidylinositol 3,4-bisphosphate and phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-trisphosphate in 32P-labeled adipocytes without changing the labeling of phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate, phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate, or phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate. This effect was accompanied by the tyrosyl phosphorylation of a 185-kDa protein, tentatively identified as IRS-1, with which PI 3-kinase became associated. The majority of the p85, the regulatory subunit of PI 3-kinase, in untreated adipocytes was present in the cytosol; however, neither the activity of PI 3-kinase nor the total amount of p85 in this fraction was modified in response to insulin. In contrast, insulin increased the association of p85 with IRS-1, the tyrosyl phosphorylation of the IRS-1 associated with p85, and the total activity of PI 3-kinase in the plasma membranes and low density membranes. After insulin treatment, similar amounts of p85 were bound to IRS-1 in the low density and plasma membrane fractions; however, tyrosyl-phosphorylated IRS-1 and PI 3-kinase activity were an order of magnitude greater in the low density membranes. The complex of tyrosyl-phosphorylated IRS-1.p85 that formed in response to insulin was localized to a very low density vesicle subpopulation that could be distinguished from vesicles containing the GLUT-4 glucose transporter and the insulin receptor. These data suggest that the activation of PI 3-kinase by insulin in the adipocyte involves the formation of a complex between IRS-1 and PI 3-kinase in a very low density membrane fraction that is not enriched in GLUT-4 or insulin receptors. They also suggest that PI 3-kinase activation correlates more closely with the extent of tyrosyl phosphorylation of the IRS-1 complexed to PI 3-kinase than it does to the amount of p85 bound to IRS-1.     

Cross-talk between insulin receptor and integrin alpha5 beta1 signaling pathways

The ligation and clustering of cell surface alphabeta heterodimeric integrins enhances cell adhesion and initiates signaling pathways that regulate such processes as cell spreading, migration, differentiation, proliferation and apoptosis. Here we show that insulin treatment of Chinese hamster ovary cells expressing insulin receptors (CHO-T) markedly promotes cell adhesion onto a fibronectin matrix, but not onto bovine serum albumin or poly-lysine. Incubation of cells with a GRGDSP peptide that specifically binds integrins (but not the nonspecific GRADSP peptide) abolishes this insulin effect, as does the potent phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI 3-kinase) inhibitor wortmannin. Moreover, a specific blocking monoclonal anti-alpha5beta1 integrin antibody, PB-1, blocks insulin-stimulated cell adhesion onto fibronectin. Conversely, activating alpha5beta1 integrins on CHO-T cells by adherence onto fibronectin markedly potentiates the action of insulin to enhance insulin receptor and insulin receptor substrate (IRS)-1 tyrosine phosphorylation. Activation of alpha5beta1 integrin also markedly potentiates the recruitment of p85-associated PI 3-kinase activity to IRS-1 in response to submaximal levels of insulin in CHO-T cells. These data indicate that insulin potently activates integrin alpha5beta1 mediated CHO-T cell adhesion, while integrin alpha5beta1 signaling in turn enhances insulin receptor kinase activity and formation of complexes containing IRS-1 and PI 3-kinase. These findings raise the hypothesis that insulin receptor and alpha5beta1 integrin signaling act synergistically to enhance cell adhesion.     

Intracellular localization of phosphatidylinositide 3-kinase and insulin receptor substrate-1 in adipocytes: potential involvement of a membrane skeleton

Phosphatidylinositide (PI) 3-kinase binds to tyrosyl-phosphorylated insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1) in insulin-treated adipocytes, and this step plays a central role in the regulated movement of the glucose transporter, GLUT4, from intracellular vesicles to the cell surface. PDGF, which also activates PI 3-kinase in adipocytes, has no significant effect on GLUT4 trafficking in these cells. We propose that this specificity may be mediated by differential localization of PI 3-kinase in response to insulin versus PDGF activation. Using subcellular fractionation in 3T3-L1 adipocytes, we show that insulin- and PDGF-stimulated PI 3-kinase activities are located in an intracellular high speed pellet (HSP) and in the plasma membrane (PM), respectively. The HSP is also enriched in IRS-1, insulin-stimulated tyrosyl-phosphorylated IRS-1 and intracellular GLUT4-containing vesicles. Using sucrose density gradient sedimentation, we have been able to segregate the HSP into two separate subfractions: one enriched in IRS-1, tyrosyl-phosphorylated IRS-1, PI 3-kinase as well as cytoskeletal elements, and another enriched in membranes, including intracellular GLUT4 vesicles. Treatment of the HSP with nonionic detergent, liberates all membrane constituents, whereas IRS-1 and PI 3-kinase remain insoluble. Conversely, at high ionic strength, membranes remain intact, whereas IRS-1 and PI 3-kinase become freely soluble. We further show that this IRS-1-PI 3-kinase complex exists in CHO cells overexpressing IRS-1 and, in these cells, the cytosolic pool of IRS-1 and PI 3-kinase is released subsequent to permeabilization with Streptolysin-O, whereas the particulate fraction of these proteins is retained. These data suggest that IRS-1, PI 3-kinase, as well as other signaling intermediates, may form preassembled complexes that may be associated with the actin cytoskeleton. This complex must be in close apposition to the cell surface, enabling access to the insulin receptor and presumably other signaling molecules that somehow confer the absolute specificity of insulin signaling in these cells.     

Mechanism of insulin action--signal transductions after binding to insulin receptor

Insulin binds to the alpha subunit of the insulin receptor which activates the tyrosine kinase in the beta subunit and tyrosine-phosphorylates the insulin receptor substrates-1 (IRS-1). Insulin promotes the formation of a complex between tyrosine-phosphorylated IRS-1 and several proteins including phosphoinositide(PI) 3-kinase, a heterodimer consisting of regulatory 85-kDa (p85) and catalytic 110-kDa (p110) subunits, GRB2 and Syp via the Src homology region 2 (SH2) domains. Recently, it was suggested that GRB2-Sos complex binding to IRS-1 was linked to Ras activation and that PI 3-kinase binding to IRS-1 was linked to activation of glucose transport. Since the mechanism of insulin-stimulated glucose uptake is mainly due to translocation of glucose transporters from an intracellular vesicle pool to the plasma membrane, PI 3-kinase activity may be involved in vesicle transport in mammalian cells.     

Inhibition of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase activity by adenovirus-mediated gene transfer and its effect on insulin action

Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI 3-K) is implicated in cellular events including glucose transport, glycogen synthesis, and protein synthesis. It is activated in insulin-stimulated cells by binding of the Src homology 2 (SH2) domains in its 85-kDa regulatory subunit to insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1), and, others. We have previously shown that IRS-1-associated PI 3-kinase activity is not essential for insulin-stimulated glucose transport in 3T3-L1 adipocytes, and that alternate pathways exist in these cells. We now show that adenovirus-mediated overexpression of the p85N-SH2 domain in these cells behaves in a dominant-negative manner, interfering with complex formation between endogenous PI 3-K and its SH2 binding targets. This not only inhibited insulin-stimulated IRS-1-associated PI 3-kinase activity, but also completely blocked anti-phosphotyrosine-associated PI 3-kinase activity, which would include the non-IRS-1-associated activity. This resulted in inhibition of insulin-stimulated glucose transport, glycogen synthase activity and DNA synthesis. Further, Ser/Thr phosphorylation of downstream molecules Akt and p70 S6 kinase was inhibited. However, co-expression of a membrane-targeted p110(C) with the p85N-SH2 protein rescued glucose transport, supporting our argument that the p85N-SH2 protein specifically blocks insulin-mediated PI 3-kinase activity, and, that the signaling pathways downstream of PI 3-kinase are intact. Unexpectedly, GTP-bound Ras was elevated in the basal state. Since p85 is known to interact with GTPase-activating protein in 3T3-L1 adipocytes, the overexpressed p85N-SH2 peptide could titrate out cellular GTPase-activating protein by direct association, such that it is unavailable to hydrolyze GTP-bound Ras. However, insulin-induced mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphorylation was inhibited. Thus, PI 3-kinase may be required for this action at a step independent of and downstream of Ras. We conclude that, in 3T3-L1 adipocytes, non-IRS-1-associated PI 3-kinase activity is crucial for insulin's metabolic signaling, and that overexpressed p85N-SH2 protein inhibits a variety of insulin's ultimate biological effects.     

The pleckstrin homology and phosphotyrosine binding domains of insulin receptor substrate 1 mediate inhibition of apoptosis by insulin

Insulin and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) evoke diverse biological effects through receptor-mediated tyrosine phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate (IRS) proteins. We investigated the elements of IRS-1 signaling that inhibit apoptosis of interleukin 3 (IL-3)-deprived 32D myeloid progenitor cells. 32D cells have few insulin receptors and no IRS proteins; therefore, insulin failed to inhibit apoptosis during IL-3 withdrawal. Insulin stimulated mitogen-activated protein kinase in 32D cells expressing insulin receptors (32DIR) but failed to activate the phosphatidylinositol 3 (PI 3)-kinase cascade or to inhibit apoptosis. By contrast, insulin stimulated the PI 3-kinase cascade, inhibited apoptosis, and promoted replication of 32DIR cells expressing IRS-1. As expected, insulin did not stimulate PI 3-kinase in 32DIR cells, which expressed a truncated IRS-1 protein lacking the tail of tyrosine phosphorylation sites. However, this truncated IRS-1 protein, which retained the NH2-terminal pleckstrin homology (PH) and phosphotyrosine binding (PTB) domains, mediated phosphorylation of PKB/akt, inhibition of apoptosis, and replication of 32DIR cells during insulin stimulation. These results suggest that a phosphotyrosine-independent mechanism mediated by the PH and PTB domains promoted antiapoptotic and growth actions of insulin. Although PI 3-kinase was not activated, its phospholipid products were required, since LY294002 inhibited these responses. Without IRS-1, a chimeric insulin receptor containing a tail of tyrosine phosphorylation sites derived from IRS-1 activated the PI 3-kinase cascade but failed to inhibit apoptosis. Thus, phosphotyrosine-independent IRS-1-linked pathways may be critical for survival and growth of IL-3-deprived 32D cells during insulin stimulation.