Coupling of insulin binding and insulin action on glucose transport in fat cells

Calcium-independent inhibition of glucose transport in PC-12 and L6 cells by calcium channel antagonists

The goal of these studies was to determine whether different calcium channel antagonists affect glucose transport in a neuronal cell line. Rat pheochromocytoma (PC-12) cells were treated with L-, T-, and N-type calcium channel antagonists before measurement of accumulation of 2-[(3)H]deoxyglucose (2-[(3)H]DG). The L-type channel antagonists nimodipine, nifedipine, verapamil, and diltiazem all inhibited glucose transport in a dose-dependent manner (2-150 microM) with nimodipine being the most potent and diltiazem only moderately inhibiting transport. T- and N-type channel antagonists had no effect on transport. The L-type channel agonist l-BAY K 8644 also inhibited uptake of 2-[(3)H]DG. The ability of these drugs to inhibit glucose transport was significantly diminished by the presence of unlabeled 2-DG in the uptake medium. Some experiments were performed in the presence of EDTA (4 mM) or in uptake buffer without calcium. The absence of calcium in the uptake medium had no effect on inhibition of glucose transport by nimodipine or verapamil. To examine the effects of these drugs on a cell model of a peripheral tissue, we studied rat L6 muscle cells. The drugs inhibited glucose transport in L6 myoblasts in a dose-dependent manner that was independent of calcium in the uptake medium. These studies suggest that the calcium channel antagonists inhibit glucose transport in cells through mechanisms other than the antagonism of calcium channels, perhaps by acting directly on glucose transporters.

Possible role for gp160 in constitutive but not insulin-stimulated GLUT4 trafficking: dissociation of gp160 and GLUT4 localization

GLUT4-containing vesicles are constantly cycling in both basal and insulin-stimulated states. Our previous studies have shown that basal cycling of GLUT4 is impaired under conditions of high glucose or glucosamine and, as a consequence, GLUT4 is retained intracellularly in low-density microsomes [Filippis A., Clark, S., and Proietto, J. (1997) Biochem. J. 324, 981-985]. In addition to GLUT4 itself, a major protein component of GLUT4-containing vesicles is a glycoprotein of Mr 160000 (gp160). In all studies so far published gp160 has been co-localized with GLUT4 under all conditions. In this study, we show that retention of GLUT4 in low-density microsomes (enriched in Golgi apparatus) is associated with a decrease in gp160 levels in this compartment. A concomitant increase of gp160 in high-density microsomes (enriched in endoplasmic reticulum), demonstrates for the first time a dissociation in the localization of gp160 and GLUT4. Despite the marked decrease in gp160 levels in the GLUT4-containing compartment, insulin-stimulated translocation was normal, while little gp160 appeared in the plasma membrane in response to insulin. The retention of gp160 in the high-density microsomes is apparently not due to a change in the glycosylation state of gp160 as measured by [3H]mannose incorporation. It is concluded that, in rat adipocytes, gp160 is not required for insulin-stimulated translocation, but may be necessary for constitutive trafficking of the GLUT4-containing vesicle.

Increased flux through the hexosamine biosynthesis pathway inhibits glucose transport acutely by activation of protein kinase C

The hexosamine biosynthesis pathway and protein kinase C (PKC) activation mediate hyperglycaemia-induced impaired glucose transport, but the relative role of each pathway is unknown. Following a 2 h preincubation of rat adipocytes in the presence of either high glucose (30 mM) plus insulin (0.7 nM) or glucosamine (3 mM), both high glucose and glucosamine inhibited subsequent basal and insulin-stimulated glucose transport, measured at 5.0 mM glucose. Azaserine, an inhibitor of the enzyme glutamine:fructose-6-phosphate aminotransferase, abolished the effect of high glucose, but not that of glucosamine. Ro-31-8220, an inhibitor of PKC, reversed the effects of both high glucose and glucosamine, suggesting that flux through the hexosamine biosynthesis pathway impaired glucose transport acutely by activating PKC. Both high glucose and glucosamine caused a 3-fold increase in PKC activity; this effect of high glucose, but not that of glucosamine, was partially decreased by azaserine. Neither high glucose nor glucosamine altered basal or insulin-stimulated plasma membrane GLUT1 levels, whereas both treatments decreased basal, but not insulin-stimulated, GLUT4 levels. Azaserine abolished the effect of high glucose, but not that of glucosamine, on basal plasma membrane GLUT4 levels. Ro-31-8220, which returned glucose transport to control values, caused a further decrease in plasma membrane GLUT4 levels. It is concluded that, in rat adipocytes, an acute increase in flux through the hexosamine biosynthesis pathway inhibits glucose transport by activation of PKC.

Inositol phospho-oligosaccharides from rat fibroblasts and adipocytes stimulate 3-O-methylglucose transport

Inositol phospho-oligosaccharides (IPOs), which are released from liver membranes upon stimulation by insulin, mimic a wide spectrum of insulin effects in different cells, but not the stimulation of glucose transport. We investigated whether other insulin-sensitive tissues release glucose transport-stimulating IPOs and whether this is related to the human insulin receptor isoform-A or -B (HIR-A or HIR-B). Rat1 fibroblasts overexpressing HIR-A or -B (rat1-HIR cells) were labelled with [3H]glucosamine, [3H]mannose or myo-[3H]inositol. IPOs from the cell supernatant were partially purified by an AG1X2 anion-exchange column, and fractions were eluted at different pH values (pH 3, pH 2 and pH 1.3). The label from glucosamine, mannose and myo-inositol appeared predominantly in the pH 2 fraction. The biological activity of the fractions was determined by measuring 3-O-methylglucose transport and lipogenesis in fat cells. Using the pH 2 fraction from the supernatant of rat1-HIR fibroblasts, insulin increased the release of 3-O-methylglucose-transport-stimulating activity (HIR-A: without insulin, 22.4 +/- 5.4%; with insulin 54.0 +/- 8.4%; HIR-B: without insulin 21.6 +/- 7.5%, with insulin, 44.7 +/- 10.6%, given as a percentage of equilibrium glucose transport reached after 4 s) and lipogenesis-stimulating activity (HIR-A: without insulin, 1.24 +/- 0.17; with insulin, 4.69 +/- 0.2; HIR-B: without insulin, 1.34 +/- 0.18; with insulin, 4.98 +/- 0.31, given as nmol of [3H]glucose converted into lipids/min per 10(6) cells). Analogous experiments were performed with isolated rat fat cells expressing the physiological level of insulin receptors. Upon insulin stimulation of fat cells in the presence of 2.5 mM mannose, the release of 3-O-methylglucose-transport-stimulating activity was detected (for purified supernatant of adipocytes without insulin, 6.9 +/- 1.12%; with insulin, 41.0 +/- 3.6%) and lipogenesis-stimulating activity (without insulin, 0.93 +/- 0.17, with insulin 2.96 +/- 0.31 nmol/min per mg). These data suggest (1) that adipocytes and rat1-HIR fibroblasts release IPOs that are able to stimulate glucose transport, (2) that both insulin receptor isoforms (HIR-A and HIR-B) mediate the effect of insulin on IPO release, and (3) that overexpression of insulin receptors increases the basal release of IPOs.

The translocation of the glucose transporter sub-types GLUT1 and GLUT4 in isolated fat cells is differently regulated by phorbol esters

Insulin stimulates glucose transport in isolated fat cells by activation of glucose transporters in the plasma membranes and through translocation of the glucose transporter sub-types GLUT4 (insulin-regulatable) and GLUT1 (HepG2 transporter). The protein kinase C-stimulating phorbol ester phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) is able to mimic partially the effect of insulin on glucose transport, apparently through stimulation of carrier translocation. In order to ascertain whether protein kinase C is involved in the translocation signal to both carrier sub-types, we determined the effect of PMA on the subcellular distribution of GLUT1 and GLUT4 by immunoblotting with specific antibodies directed against these transporters. Isolated rat fat cells (4 x 10(6) cells/ml) were stimulated for 20 min with insulin (6 nM) or PMA (1 nM). 3-O-Methylglucose transport was determined and plasma membranes and low-density microsomes were prepared for Western blotting. 3-O-Methylglucose transport was stimulated 8-9-fold by insulin, and 3-4-fold by PMA (basal, 5.6 +/- 2.3%; insulin, 43.6 +/- 7.3%; PMA, 18.4 +/- 4.9%, n = 9). PMA was able to increase the amount of GLUT4 in the plasma membrane fraction by 2.5(+/- 0.9)-fold (n = 6) whereas insulin stimulation was 4.4(+/- 1.7)-fold (n = 6), paralleled by a corresponding decrease of transport in the low-density microsomes (insulin, 50 +/- 5% of basal; PMA, 63 +/- 11% of basal, n = 6). Although PMA regulates the translocation of GLUT4, it has no effect on GLUT1 in the same cell fractions (increase in plasma membranes: insulin, 1.7 +/- 0.5-fold; PMA, 0.91 +/- 0.1-fold, n = 4; decrease in low-density microsomes: insulin, 53 +/- 11% of basal; PMA, 101 +/- 5% of basal, n = 4). These data are in favour of a role for protein kinase C in signal transduction to GLUT4 but not to GLUT1 in fat cells.

Further evidence for a two-step model of glucose-transport regulation. Inositol phosphate-oligosaccharides regulate glucose-carrier activity

The insulin effect on glucose uptake is not sufficiently explained by a simple glucose-carrier translocation model. Recent studies rather suggest a two-step model of carrier translocation and carrier activation. We used several pharmacological tools to characterize the proposed model further. We found that inositol phosphate (IP)-oligosaccharides isolated from the drug Actovegin, as well as the alkaloid vinblastine, show a partial insulin-like effect on glucose-transport activity of fat-cells (3-O-methylglucose uptake, expressed as % of equilibrium value per 4 s: basal 5.8%, insulin 59%, IP-oligosaccharides 30%, vinblastine 29%) without inducing carrier translocation. On the other hand, two newly developed anti-diabetic compounds (alpha-activated carbonic acids, BM 130795 and BM 13907) induced carrier translocation to the same extent as insulin and phorbol esters [cytochalasin-B-binding sites in plasma membranes: basal 5 pmol/mg of protein, insulin 13 pmol/mg of protein, TPA (12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate) 11.8 pmol/mg of protein, BM 130795 10.8 pmol/mg of protein], but produce also only 40-50% of the insulin effect on glucose-transport activity (basal 5.8%, insulin 59%, TPA 23%, BM 130795 35%). Almost the full insulin effect was mimicked by a combination of phorbol esters and IP-oligosaccharides (basal 7%, insulin 50%, IP-oligosaccharides 30%, TPA 23%, IP-oligosaccharides + TPA 45%). None of these substances stimulated insulin-receptor kinase in vitro or in vivo, suggesting a post-kinase site of action. The data confirm the following aspects of the proposed model: (1) carrier translocation and carrier activation are two independently regulated processes; (2) the full insulin effect is mimicked only by a simultaneous stimulation of carrier translocation and intrinsic carrier activity, suggesting that insulin acts through a synergism of both mechanisms; (3) IP-oligosaccharides might be involved in the transmission of a stimulatory signal on carrier activity.

Regulation of glucose carrier activity by AlCl3 and phospholipase C in fat-cells

Recently it was speculated that activation of GTP-binding proteins and of phospholipase is involved in the transmission of a signal from the insulin-receptor kinase to effector systems in the cell. To confirm this hypothesis, we have tested the effect of AlCl3, which has been recently used as an experimental tool to activate GTP-binding proteins, on glucose transport in fat-cells. We found that AlCl3 has a partial insulin-like effect on glucose transport activity (3-O-methylglucose uptake, expressed as % of equilibrium value per 4 s: basal 9.6 +/- 2, AlCl3 29.6 +/- 4, insulin 74.0 +/- 3). The AlCl3 effect is totally blocked by pertussis toxin, whereas the insulin effect was not altered. The effect starts at [AlCl3] greater than 1 fM and reaches its maximum at 0.1 nM. Addition of phospholipase C (PLC; 50 munits/ml) also stimulated glucose transport (maximal 53.0 +/- 5%). Both substances acted faster than insulin itself (maximal values within 1 min for PLC, 2 min for AlCl3 and 5-10 min for insulin). Using the cytochalasin-B-binding assay to determine the effects of AlCl3 and PLC on the distribution of glucose carrier sites in subcellular fractions, we found that their glucose-transport-stimulating effect does not occur through an increase in glucose carrier sites in the plasma-membrane fraction. When PLC was combined with the phorbol ester TPA (12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate), which increases glucose carrier sites in the plasma membrane, an additive effect on glucose transport was found [PLC (50 munits/ml), 53.0 +/- 5%, TPA (1 nM), 17.3 +/- 2%; PLC + TPA, 68.0 +/- 3%].

IN CONCLUSION

(1) the data show that AlCl3, probably through activation of a pertussis-toxin-inhibitable G protein, and PLC are able to modulate the intrinsic glucose carrier activity; (2) as pertussis toxin did not modify the effect of insulin, it seems unlikely that the insulin signal on glucose transport involves activation of this specific G protein.

Phorbol esters imitate in rat fat-cells the full effect of insulin on glucose-carrier translocation, but not on 3-O-methylglucose-transport activity

Tumour-promoting phorbol esters have insulin-like effects on glucose transport and lipogenesis in adipocytes and myocytes. It is believed that insulin activates the glucose-transport system through translocation of glucose transporters from subcellular membranes to the plasma membrane. The aim of the present study was to investigate if phorbol esters act through the same mechanism as insulin on glucose-transport activity of rat adipocytes. We compared the effects of the tumour-promoting phorbol ester tetradecanoylphorbol acetate (TPA) and of insulin on 3-O-methylglucose transport and on the distribution of D-glucose-inhibitable cytochalasin-B binding sites in isolated rat adipocytes. Insulin (100 mu units/ml) stimulated 3-O-methylglucose uptake 9-fold, whereas TPA (1 nM) stimulated the uptake only 3-fold (mean values of five experiments, given as percentage of equilibrium reached after 4 s: basal 7 +/- 1.3%, insulin 60 +/- 3.1%, TPA 22 +/- 2.3%). In contrast, both agents stimulated glucose-transporter translocation to the same extent [cytochalasin B-binding sites (pmol/mg of protein; n = 7): plasma membranes, basal 6.2 +/- 1.0, insulin 13.4 +/- 2.0, TPA 12.7 +/- 2.7; low-density membranes, basal 12.8 +/- 2.1, insulin 6.3 +/- 0.9, TPA 8.9 +/- 0.7; high-density membranes, 6.9 +/- 1.1; insulin 12.5 +/- 1.0, TPA 8.1 +/- 0.9]. We conclude from these data: (1) TPA stimulates glucose transport in fat-cells by stimulation of glucose-carrier translocation; (2) insulin and TPA stimulate the carrier translocation to the same extent, whereas the stimulation of glucose uptake is 3-fold higher with insulin, suggesting that the stimulatory effect of insulin on glucose-transport activity involves other mechanisms in addition to carrier translocation.

Involvement of hormone processing in insulin-activated glucose transport by isolated cardiac myocytes

Isolated muscle cells from adult rat heart were used to study the relationship between myocardial insulin processing and insulin action on 3-O-methylglucose transport at 37 degrees C. Internalization of the hormone as measured by determination of the non-dissociable fraction of cell-bound insulin increased linearly up to 10 min, reaching a plateau by 30-60 min at 3 nM-insulin. At this hormone concentration the onset of insulin action was found to be biphasic, with a rapid phase up to 8 min, followed by a much slower phase, reaching maximal insulin action by 30-60 min. Insulin internalization was totally blocked by phenylarsine oxide, whereas dansylcadaverine had no effect on this process. Initial insulin action (5 min) on glucose transport was not affected by chloroquine and dansylcadaverine, but was completely abolished by treatment of cardiocytes with phenylarsine oxide. This drug effect was partly prevented by the presence of 2,3-dimercaptopropanol. Under steady-state conditions (60 min), the stimulatory action of insulin was decreased by about 60% by both chloroquine and dansylcadaverine. This study, demonstrates that insulin action on cardiac glucose transport is mediated by processing of the hormone. The data suggest dual pathways of insulin action involving initial processing of hormone-receptor complexes and lysosomal degradation.

Catecholamines and tumour promoting phorbolesters inhibit insulin receptor kinase and induce insulin resistance in isolated human adipocytes

The effect of the catecholamine isoprenaline (10(-5) mol/l) and of the tumour promoting phorbolester tetradecanoyl-beta-phorbol acetate (10(-9) mol/l) on insulin stimulated 3-O-methyl-glucose transport was studied in freshly isolated human adipocytes. Both substances reduced the maximal responsiveness of the glucose transport system to insulin by approximately 50%. To test if this is caused by inhibition of the insulin receptor kinase the receptor from phorbolester and isoprenaline treated cells was solubilized, partially purified and its kinase activity studied in vitro. Insulin stimulated 32P-incorporation into the beta-subunit of the insulin receptor of phorbolester or isoprenaline treated cells was reduced to 20-60% of the values found with receptor from control cells at insulin concentrations between 10(-10) mol/l and 10(-7) mol/l. This inhibition of kinase activity of receptor from phorbolester and isoprenaline treated cells was observed at nonsaturating adenosine triphosphate levels (5 mumol/l), and it could be overcome with higher concentrations of gamma-32P-adenosine triphosphate in the phosphorylation assay. A Lineweaver Burk analysis of the insulin stimulated receptor phosphorylation revealed that the Michaelis constant for adenosine triphosphate of the receptor kinase from phorbolester and isoprenaline treated cells was increased to greater than 100 mumol/l compared with less than 50 mumol/l for receptor from control cells. We conclude from the data that catecholamine and phorbolester treatment of human adipocytes modulates the kinase activity of the insulin receptor by increasing its Michaelis constant for adenosine-triphosphate, and propose that this modulation of receptor kinase is a mechanism that can contribute to the pathogenesis of insulin resistance in human fat cells.

Insulin rapidly stimulates phosphorylation of a 46-kDa membrane protein on tyrosine residues as well as phosphorylation of several soluble proteins in intact fat cells

It is speculated that the transmission of an insulin signal across the plasma membrane of cells occurs through activation of the tyrosine-specific receptor kinase, autophosphorylation of the receptor, and subsequent phosphorylation of unidentified substrates in the cell. In an attempt to identify possible substrates, we labeled intact rat fat cells with [32P]orthophosphate and used an antiphosphotyrosine antibody to identify proteins that become phosphorylated on tyrosine residues in an insulin-stimulated way. In the membrane fraction of the fat cells, we found, in addition to the 95-kDa beta-subunit of the receptor, a 46-kDa phosphoprotein that is phosphorylated exclusively on tyrosine residues. This protein is not immunoprecipitated by antibodies against different regions of the insulin receptor and its HPLC tryptic peptide map is different from the tryptic peptide map of the insulin receptor, suggesting that it is not derived from the receptor beta-subunit. Insulin stimulates the tyrosine phosphorylation of the 46-kDa protein within 150 sec in the intact cell 3- to 4-fold in a dose-dependent way at insulin concentrations between 0.5 nM and 100 nM. The insulin effect starts after 30 sec, is maximal at 150 sec, and declines to almost basal values by 5 min. Furthermore, the antiphosphotyrosine antibody precipitated at least five proteins in the soluble fraction of the fat cell. Insulin (0.5 nM, 100 nM) stimulated within 2 min the 32P incorporation into a 116-kDa band, a 62-kDa band, and three bands between 45 kDa and 50 kDa 2- to 10-fold. We suggest that the 46-kDa membrane protein and possibly also the soluble proteins are endogenous substrates of the receptor tyrosine kinase in fat cells and that their phosphorylation is an early step in insulin signal transmission.

Decreased tyrosine kinase activity of insulin receptor isolated from rat adipocytes rendered insulin-resistant by catecholamine treatment in vitro

Catecholamine treatment of isolated rat adipocytes decreases insulin binding and inhibits insulin stimulation of the glucose-transport system. There is increasing evidence that the insulin signal is transmitted after insulin is bound to the receptor via a tyrosine kinase, which is an intrinsic part of the receptor. To find whether the receptor kinase is modified by catecholamines, we solubilized and partially purified the insulin receptor of isoprenaline-treated adipocytes and studied the effect of insulin on its kinase activity. (1) Insulin increased the tyrosine autophosphorylation of the insulin receptor kinase from catecholamine-treated cells only 4-fold, compared with a 12-fold stimulation in control cells. (2) The rate of insulin-stimulated 32P incorporation into the receptor of isoprenaline-treated cells at non-saturating [32P]ATP concentrations (5 muM) was decreased to 5-8% of the values for receptor from control cells. (3) 125I-insulin binding to the partially purified receptor from catecholamine-treated cells was also markedly decreased. The insulin receptor from catecholamine treated cells bound 25-50% of the amount of insulin bound by the receptor from control cells at insulin concentrations of 10 pM-0.1 muM. Part of the impaired insulin-responsiveness of the receptor kinase of catecholamine-treated cells is therefore explained by impaired binding properties; however, an additional inhibition of the kinase activity of the insulin receptor from catecholamine-treated cells is evident. (4) This inhibition of kinase activity decreased when the concentration of [gamma-32P]ATP in the phosphorylation assay was increased. A Lineweaver-Burk analysis revealed that the Km for ATP of the receptor kinase from isoprenaline-treated cells was increased to approx. 100 muM, compared with approx. 25 muM for receptor of control cells. (5) We conclude from the data that catecholamine treatment of rat adipocytes modulates the kinase activity of the insulin receptor by increasing its Km for ATP and that this is part of the mechanism leading to insulin-resistance in these cells.

Further evidence for the involvement of a membrane proteolytic step in insulin action

The hypothesis that insulin action involves a membrane proteolytic step was further explored, by using isolated rat adipocytes and liver plasma membranes. (1) The maximal insulin stimulation of 2-deoxyglucose transport and lipogenesis in fat-cells was selectively inhibited (73-88%) by N alpha-p-tosyl-L-lysine chloromethyl ketone (Tos-Lys-CH2Cl; active-site inhibitor of trypsin; 30-125 microM), p-nitrophenyl p'-guanidinobenzoate (active-site inhibitor of serine proteinases; 30-125 microM) and p-tosyl-L-arginine methyl ester (arginine ester substrate analogue of proteinases; 1-2 mM), under conditions where neither the basal rate of each metabolic process nor insulin binding nor cellular ATP content were affected. In contrast, N-acetyl-L-alanyl-L-alanyl-L-alanine methyl ester (alanine ester substrate analogue of proteinases; 1-2 mM) was ineffective. (2) Endoproteinase Arg-C (0.25-40 micrograms/ml) exerted dose-dependent insulin-like effects on both 2-deoxyglucose transport and lipogenesis in fat-cells, whereas endoproteinase Lys-C (5-100 micrograms/ml) was ineffective. The maximal activation by endoproteinase Arg-C of both processes (200 and 177% of control values respectively) was shown to occur under conditions where membrane integrity (assessed by measurement of lactate dehydrogenase leakage and passive glucose diffusion) was preserved. This effect was inhibited by Tos-Lys-CH2Cl (125 microM) and was not additive with the maximal insulin effect. (3) Insulin (1-100 ng/ml) produced a dose-dependent increase in the trichloroacetic acid-soluble 125I radioactivity released after a 30 min incubation at 37 degrees C of 125I-labelled liver plasma membranes, but was ineffective on 125I-labelled bovine serum albumin. Insulin effects on both radio-labelled proteins were reproduced by wheat-germ agglutinin (20 micrograms/ml), an insulin mimicker shown to act through the insulin receptor. These data provide further evidence for the hypothesis that insulin bioeffects involve the activation of a membrane serine proteinase with arginine specificity.

Abnormality of insulin binding and receptor phosphorylation in an insulin-resistant melanoma cell line

The insulin receptor possesses an insulin-stimulated tyrosine-kinase activity; however, the significance of receptor phosphorylation in terms of the binding and signaling function of the receptor is unclear. To help clarify this problem, we have studied insulin binding and receptor phosphorylation in a Cloudman S91 melanoma cell line and two of its variants: the wild type (1A) in which insulin inhibits cell growth, an insulin-resistant variant (111) in which insulin neither stimulates or inhibits growth, and a variant (46) in which insulin stimulates cell growth. 125I-insulin binding to intact cells was similar for the wild-type 1A and insulin-stimulated variant 46. The insulin-resistant variant 111, in contrast, showed approximately 30% decrease in insulin binding. This was due to a decrease of receptor affinity with no major difference in receptor number. When the melanoma cells were solubilized in 1% Triton X-100 and the insulin receptor was partially purified by chromatography on wheat germ agglutinin-agarose, a similar pattern of binding was observed. Phosphorylation was studied by incubation of the partially purified receptor with insulin and [gamma-32P]ATP, and the receptor was identified by immunoprecipitation and NaDodSO4 PAGE. Insulin stimulated phosphorylation of the 95,000-mol-wt beta-subunit of the receptor in all three cells types with similar kinetics. The amount of 32P incorporated into the beta-subunit in the insulin-resistant cell line 111 was approximately 50% of that observed with the two other cell lines. This difference was reflected throughout the entire dose-response curve (10(-9) M to 10(-6) M). Qualitatively similar results were obtained when phosphorylation was studied in the intact cell. Peptide mapping of the beta-subunit using tryptic digestion and reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography column separation indicated three sites of phosphorylation in receptor from the wild type and variant 46, but only two major sites of phosphorylation of variant 111. These data suggest that the insulin-resistant variant melanoma 111 possesses a specific defect in the insulin receptor which alters both its binding and autophosphorylation properties, and also suggests a possible role of receptor phosphorylation in both the binding and the signaling function of the insulin receptor.

Catecholamine-induced insulin resistance of glucose transport in isolated rat adipocytes

The effects of pre-incubation with isoprenaline and noradrenaline on insulin binding and insulin stimulation of D-glucose transport in isolated rat adipocytes are reported. (1) Pre-incubation of the cells with isoprenaline (0.1-10 microM) in Krebs-Ringer-Hepes [4-(2-hydroxyethyl)-1-piperazine-ethanesulphonic acid] buffer (30 min, 37 degrees C) at D-glucose concentrations of 16 mM, in which normal ATP levels were maintained, caused a rightward-shift in sensitivity of D-glucose transport to insulin stimulation by 50% and a decrease in maximal responsiveness by 30% (2) [A14-125I]insulin binding was reduced significantly by 35% at insulin concentrations less than 100 mu-units/ml and Scatchard analysis showed that this consisted mainly of a decrease in high-affinity binding. (3) Pre-incubation with catecholamines under the same conditions but at low glucose concentrations (0-5 mM) caused a fall in intracellular ATP levels of 65 and 45% respectively. (4) The fall in ATP additionally lowered insulin binding by 50% at all insulin concentrations and a parallel shift of the binding curves in the Scatchard plot showed that this was due to a decrease in the number of receptors. (5) At low and high ATP concentrations the insulin stimulation of D-glucose transport was inhibited to a similar extent. (6) Pre-incubation with catecholamines thus inhibited insulin stimulation of D-glucose transport in rat adipocytes mainly by a decrease in high-affinity binding of insulin, which was not mediated by low ATP levels. This mechanism may play a role in the pathogenesis of catecholamine-induced insulin resistance in vivo.

Affinity change of the adipocyte receptor fails to alter insulin-stimulated glucose transport

Occupancy increased the affinity of the insulin receptor of the adipocyte. During the affinity change the half-maximal sensitivity of glucose transport to insulin stimulation was unaltered. Decreased maximum response of transport only occurred after the affinity change. There was not a simple relationship between receptor affinity and insulin stimulation of glucose transport in the adipocyte.