Regulation of glucose transporter messenger RNA in insulin-deficient states

G-protein-mediated regulation of the insulin-responsive glucose transporter in isolated cardiac myocytes

Isolated muscle cells from adult rat heart were used to study the involvement of G-proteins in the regulation of the glucose transporter by insulin and isoprenaline. Efficient modification of G-protein functions was established by measuring isoprenaline-stimulated cyclic AMP production, viability and ATP content after treating the cells with cholera toxin and pertussis toxin for 2 h. Under these conditions cholera toxin decreased the stimulatory action of insulin on 3-O-methylglucose transport by 56%, but pertussis toxin had no effect. Basal transport was not affected by toxin treatment. Isoprenaline increased 3-O-methylglucose transport by 63%. This effect was not mimicked by dibutyryl cyclic AMP, but was completely blocked by cholera toxin. Streptozotocin-diabetes abolished isoprenaline action and decreased stimulation of transport by 64%. Concomitantly, cholera-toxin sensitivity of glucose transport was lost in cells from diabetic animals. This was paralleled by a large decrease (87 +/- 4%) in mRNA expression of the insulin-regulatable glucose transporter, as shown by Northern-blot analysis of RNA isolated from cardiomyocytes of diabetic rats. These data suggest a functional association between the insulin-responsive glucose transporter and a cholera-toxin-sensitive G-protein mediating stimulation by insulin and isoprenaline.

Hexose specificity for downregulation of HepG2/brain-type glucose transporter gene expression in L6 myocytes

Glucose deprivation of L6 myocytes results in the upregulation of glucose transporter activity, protein and mRNA. We have investigated the downregulation of transporter gene expression by glucose and other hexoses in glucose-deprived L6 myocytes. Glucose transport activity was measured as the uptake of 3H-2-deoxyglucose. Transporter protein and mRNA were detected by immunoblot and Northern blot analysis, respectively, with probes to the rat brain glucose transporter. Glucose deprivation of myocytes, in the absence and presence of insulin, increased 3H-2-deoxyglucose uptake, transporter protein and mRNA levels. Refeeding with glucose reversed the glucose deprivation effects on transport activity and mRNA within 12 h, with half-maximal effects at 1-2 mmol/l glucose. Mannose fully substituted for glucose. Refeeding with the non-metabolisable glucose analogues 2-deoxyglucose and 3-0-methylglucose, or with glucosamine or mannitol, downregulated 3H-2-deoxyglucose uptake but had little or no effect on transporter protein and mRNA expression. In contrast, glucose-6-phosphate markedly increased 3H-2-deoxyglucose uptake but partly downregulated transporter mRNA levels, whereas galactose had a small stimulatory effect on both 3H-2-deoxyglucose uptake and transporter mRNA; neither affected transporter protein levels. The transporter mRNA level was not affected by several metabolites (pyruvate, glyceraldehyde, glycerol) and amino acids (alanine, glutamine). These findings indicate that (i) there are independent pathways for hexose regulation of transport activity, protein and mRNA and (ii) down-regulation of transporter mRNA requires metabolism beyond hexose phosphate whereas glucose uptake may be regulated by direct interaction of hexoses with the transporter.

Recruitment of GLUT-4 glucose transporters by insulin in diabetic rat skeletal muscle

The cause of reduced insulin-stimulated glucose transport in skeletal muscle of diabetic rats was investigated. Basal and insulin-stimulated glucose uptake into hindquarter muscles of 7-day diabetic rats were 70% and 50% lower, respectively, than in nondiabetic controls. Subcellular fractionation of hindquarter muscles yielded total crude membranes, plasma membranes and intracellular membranes. The number of GLUT-4 glucose transporters was lower in crude membranes, plasma membranes and intracellular membranes, relative to non-diabetic rat muscles. These results were paralleled by reductions in D-glucose-protectable binding of cytochalasin B. Insulin caused a redistribution of GLUT-4 transporters from intracellular membranes to plasma membranes, in both control and diabetic rat muscles. This redistribution was also recorded using binding of cytochalasin B. The insulin-dependent decrement in glucose transporters in intracellular membranes was similar for both animal groups, but the gain and final amount of transporters in the plasma membrane were 50% lower in the diabetic group. The results suggest that insulin signalling and recruitment of GLUT-4 glucose transporters occur in diabetic rat muscle, and that the diminished insulin response may be due to fewer glucose transporters operating in the muscle plasma membrane.

Diabetes-induced changes in guanine-nucleotide-regulatory-protein mRNA detected using synthetic oligonucleotide probes

Synthetic oligonucleotide probes were designed to detect the alpha-subunits of the guanine-nucleotide-regulatory proteins (G-proteins) Gi-1, Gi-2, Gi-3 and Gs (Gi is inhibitory and Gs is stimulatory). Each probe detected a single major mRNA species in Northern blots of RNA extracted from a variety of tissues. A probe was designed to identify the two forms of G-protein beta-subunits, beta 1 and beta 2. This probe hybridised with a single 1.8-kb transcript (beta 2) in RNA from all tissues studied except for brain, where a less-abundant 3.4-kb transcript (beta 1) was also detected. These probes were used to assess whether the induction of diabetes, using streptozotocin, altered the levels of mRNA coding for specific G-protein components. In hepatocytes, diabetes caused a significant reduction in the number of transcripts coding for alpha-Gs, alpha-Gi-2 and alpha-Gi-3; mRNA for alpha-Gi-1 was undectable. In adipocytes, diabetes increased dramatically the mRNA coding for alpha-Gi-1 and alpha-Gi-3, whilst no significant changes occurred in the fractions coding for alpha-Gi-2 and alpha-Gs. No significant changes in the mRNA coding for G-protein alpha-subunits were observed in either brain, heart, skeletal muscle or kidney. Diabetes did not cause any significant changes in the mRNA coding for beta 2 in any tissue or cell population studied. Such results on the relative levels of mRNA encoding G-protein components was obtained by comparing equal amounts of total RNA from tissues of control and diabetic animals. G-protein mRNA levels were expressed relative to ribosomal 28S RNA levels and, in some instances, relative to transcripts for a structural protein called CHO-B. The total cellular levels of both RNA and DNA were assessed in the various tissues and cells studied. Major falls in RNA levels/cell appeared to occur in hepatocytes and to a lesser extent in adipocytes and skeletal muscle. Thus major reductions in G-protein transcripts occurred in hepatocytes. The detected changes in G-protein mRNA are discussed in relation to the available evidence on G-protein expression. We suggest that diabetes causes tissue-specific changes in the levels of mRNA for particular G-protein species; this may have consequences for the functioning of cellular signal-transduction mechanisms in the affected tissues.

Differential regulation of the HepG2 and adipocyte/muscle glucose transporters in 3T3L1 adipocytes. Effect of chronic glucose deprivation

Glucose transport in 3T3L1 adipocytes is mediated by two facilitated diffusion transport systems. We examined the effect of chronic glucose deprivation on transport activity and on the expression of the HepG2 (GLUT 1) and adipocyte/muscle (GLUT 4) glucose transporter gene products in this insulin-sensitive cell line. Glucose deprivation resulted in a maximal increase in 2-deoxyglucose uptake of 3.6-fold by 24 h. Transport activity declined thereafter but was still 2.4-fold greater than the control by 72 h. GLUT 1 mRNA and protein increased progressively during starvation to values respectively 2.4- and 7.0-fold greater than the control by 72 h. Much of the increase in total immunoreactive GLUT 1 protein observed later in starvation was the result of the accumulation of a non-functional or mistargeted 38 kDa polypeptide. Immunofluorescence microscopy indicated that increases in GLUT 1 protein occurred in presumptive plasma membrane (PM) and Golgi-like compartments during prolonged starvation. The steady-state level of GLUT 4 protein did not change during 72 h of glucose deprivation despite a greater than 10-fold decrease in the mRNA. Subcellular fractionation experiments indicated that the increased transport activity observed after 24 h of starvation was principally the result of an increase in the 45-50 kDa GLUT 1 transporter protein in the PM. The level of the GLUT 1 transporter in the PM and low-density microsomes (LDM) was increased by 3.9- and 1.4-fold respectively, and the GLUT 4 transporter content of the PM and LDM was 1.7- and 0.6-fold respectively greater than that of the control after 24 h of glucose deprivation. These data indicate that newly synthesized GLUT 1 transporters are selectively shuttled to the PM and that GLUT 4 transporters undergo translocation from an intracellular compartment to the PM during 24 h of glucose starvation. Thus glucose starvation results in an increase in glucose transport in 3T3L1 adipocytes via a complex series of events involving increased biosynthesis, decreased turnover and subcellular redistribution of transporter proteins.

Reduced expression of the liver/beta-cell glucose transporter isoform in glucose-insensitive pancreatic beta cells of diabetic rats

Rats injected with a single dose of streptozocin at 2 days of age develop non-insulin-dependent diabetes 6 weeks later. The pancreatic beta islet cells of these diabetic rats display a loss of glucose-induced insulin secretion while maintaining sensitivity to other secretagogues such as arginine. We analyzed the level of expression of the liver/beta-cell glucose transporter isoform in diabetic islets by immunofluorescence staining of pancreas sections and by Western blotting of islet lysates. Islets from diabetic animals have a reduced expression of this beta-cell-specific glucose transporter isoform and the extent of reduction is correlated with the severity of hyperglycemia. In contrast, expression of this transporter isoform in liver is minimally modified by the diabetes. Thus a decreased expression of the liver/beta-cell glucose transporter isoform in beta cells is associated with the impaired glucose sensing characteristic of diabetic islets; our data suggest that this glucose transporter may be part of the beta-cell glucose sensor.

Effects of altered glucose homeostasis on glucose transporter expression in skeletal muscle of the rat

Previous studies have suggested that alteration in the expression of the insulin-regulatable glucose transporter of muscle (GLUT-4 protein) may be an important determinant of insulin action. In the present studies, we have examined GLUT-4 mRNA and protein concentrations in muscle after variations in the metabolic status of the intact animal (i.e., 7 d streptozotocin-induced diabetes, 7 d insulin-induced hypoglycemia, and 3 d fasting). These changes in glucose homeostasis were associated with the following changes in GLUT-4 gene products: a decrease of approximately 30% in both mRNA and protein with diabetes; a 50% increase in mRNA and a 2.4-fold increase in protein with insulin injection; and normal mRNA in spite of a 2.7-fold increase in protein with fasting. Fasted diabetics exhibited an increase of 50% in GLUT-4 mRNA and a 2.4-fold increase in protein relative to fed diabetics. In diabetic and insulin-injected groups, the changes in GLUT-4 protein were similar to changes in mRNA, but in fasting, GLUT-4 protein increased without a concomitant change in mRNA. Overall there was no correlation between muscle concentrations of GLUT-4 protein and mRNA. Muscle GLUT-4 protein concentration tended to correlate with plasma glucose (r = -0.57, P less than 0.001), but not with plasma insulin. These results indicate that (a) chronic changes in glucose homeostasis are associated with changes in expression of GLUT-4 protein in muscle; (b) GLUT-4 protein increased in fasted soleus muscle without change in mRNA, thereby differing from fasted adipocytes in which both GLUT-4 products diminish; and (c) no simple relationship exists between total muscle GLUT-4 protein content and whole-body insulin sensitivity.

Exercise training increases glucose transporter protein GLUT-4 in skeletal muscle of obese Zucker (fa/fa) rats

The present study examined the level of GLUT-4 glucose transporter protein in gastrocnemius muscles of 36 week old genetically obese Zucker (fa/fa) rats and their lean (Fa/-) littermates, and in obese Zucker rats following 18 or 30 weeks of treadmill exercise training. Despite skeletal muscle insulin resistance, the level of GLUT-4 glucose transporter protein was similar in lean and obese Zucker rats. In contrast, exercise training increased GLUT-4 protein levels by 1.7 and 2.3 fold above sedentary obese rats. These findings suggest endurance training stimulates expression of skeletal muscle GLUT-4 protein which may be responsible for the previously observed increase in insulin sensitivity with training.

Effects of long-term diabetes and galactosaemia upon lens and retinal mRNA levels in the rat

The levels of mRNAs encoding the alpha 1 chain of collagen IV and the B1 chain of laminin were assayed in the lenses and retinas of long-term (28-week) diabetic and galactosaemic rats in order to gain some insight into the effects on basement membrane (BM) synthesis in these tissues. mRNAs coding for beta-actin, glucose transporter protein and the alpha 2 catalytic subunit of Na+,K(+)-ATPase were also assayed to determine whether any effects on BM-coding mRNA levels were specific. Long-term diabetes had no significant effect on the levels of alpha 1 (IV) collagen mRNA but caused a significant reduction in the laminin B1 message in the lens. In the same samples, the level of the glucose transporter protein mRNA was found to be elevated significantly in the diabetic tissue, whereas the mRNAsen coding beta-actin and alpha 2 Na+,K(+)-ATPase were unaffected in comparison with age-matched controls. Long-term galactosaemia resulted in significant increases in the levels of all mRNAs assayed when expressed per micrograms total RNA used for each analysis. However, this effect appeared to be due to a specific loss of ribosomal RNA from these severely cataractous lenses. When related to the beta-actin mRNA internal control, the levels of mRNA in the galactosaemic lenses were very similar to that found in the diabetics. Laminin B1 mRNA levels were decreased significantly.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Glucose transporter levels in spontaneously obese (db/db) insulin-resistant mice

In the present study we examined mRNA and protein levels for the muscle/adipose tissue glucose transporter (GLUT-4) in various tissues of spontaneously obese mice (C57BL/KsJ, db/db) and their lean littermates (db/+). Obese (db/db) mice were studied at 5 wk of age, when they were rapidly gaining weight and were severely insulin resistant, evidenced by hyperglycemia (plasma glucose 683 +/- 60 vs. 169 +/- 4 mg/dl in db/+, P less than 0.05) and hyperinsulinemia (plasma insulin 14.9 +/- 0.53 vs. 1.52 +/- 0.08 ng/ml in db/+, P less than 0.05). The GLUT-4 mRNA was reduced in quadriceps muscle (67.5 +/- 8.5%, P = 0.02), but unaltered in adipose tissue (120 +/- 19%, NS), heart (95.7 +/- 6.1%, NS), or diaphragm (75.2 +/- 12.1%, NS) in obese (db/db) mice relative to levels in lean littermates. The GLUT-4 protein, measured by quantitative immunoblot analysis using two different GLUT-4 specific antibodies, was not different in five insulin-sensitive tissues including diaphragm, heart, red and white quadriceps muscle, and adipose tissue of obese (db/db) mice compared with tissue levels in lean littermates; these findings were consistent when measured relative to tissue DNA levels as an index of cell number. These data suggest that the marked defect in glucose utilization previously described in skeletal muscle of these young obese mice is not due to a decrease in the level of the major muscle glucose transporter. An alternate step in insulin-dependent activation of the glucose transport process is probably involved.

Mouse insulin-responsive glucose transporter gene: characterization of the gene and trans-activation by the CCAAT/enhancer binding protein

Adipose tissue and skeletal and heart muscle, which exhibit insulin-stimulated glucose uptake, express a specific, insulin-responsive glucose transporter. Previously, a cDNA (GT2) encoding this protein was isolated from a mouse 3T3-L1 adipocyte library and was sequenced. Here we report the isolation and characterization of the corresponding mouse gene designated GLUT4. The GLUT4 gene spans 7 kilobases and consists of 11 exons and 10 introns. The start site of transcription was mapped 180 nucleotides upstream of the initial methionine codon. The GLUT4 promoter contains four potential binding sites for the nuclear transcription factor Sp1 as well as a CCAAT box. DNase I footprinting of the GLUT4 promoter with nuclear extracts from undifferentiated and differentiated 3T3-L1 cells revealed that a differentiation-specific nuclear factor binds in the region at position -258 relative to the start site of transcription. Purified CCAAT/enhancer binding protein (C/EBP) was found to bind at the same position. Transient cotransfection into 3T3-L1 preadipocytes of a GLUT4 promoter-chloramphenicol acetyltransferase gene construct that contains the C/EBP binding site, together with a C/EBP expression vector, revealed that C/EBP trans-activates the GLUT4 promoter. We suggest that C/EBP plays an important role in tissue-specific, as well as metabolic, regulation of the insulin-responsive glucose transporter gene.

Facilitative glucose transporters: an expanding family

The uptake of glucose into most eukaryotic cells is accomplished by a carrier-mediated transport system, facilitative diffusion, which transports glucose down its chemical gradient in a stereospecific manner. Recent studies have shown that facilitative transport of glucose across the plasma membrane is mediated by a family of structurally related proteins. This review summarizes the structural and functional features of the family of facilitative glucose transporters.

Development of insulin sensitivity in white adipose tissue during the suckling-weaning transition in the rat. Involvement of glucose transport and lipogenesis

The changes of insulin responsiveness of white adipose tissue during the suckling-weaning transition in the rat were investigated in vitro on isolated adipocytes. Insulin binding, glucose transport and glucose metabolism in adipocytes from suckling rats and from rats weaned on to a high-carbohydrate (HC) or a high-fat (HF) diet were compared. Despite similar insulin binding, insulin-stimulated glucose transport rate is lower in adipocytes from suckling rats and HF-weaned rats than in adipocytes from HC-weaned rats. Moreover, whereas insulin markedly stimulates glucose metabolism in adipocytes from HC-weaned rats, glucose metabolism is totally unresponsive to insulin in adipocytes from suckling and HF-weaned rats. This insulin resistance is associated with a very low rate of lipogenesis and low activities of acetyl-CoA carboxylase, fatty acid synthase and pyruvate dehydrogenase.

Decreased expression of the insulin-responsive glucose transporter in diabetes and fasting

Cellular resistance to insulin caused by a reduction in insulin-mediated glucose uptake can be produced in rats by chemically inducing diabetes with streptozotocin and by fasting. Two glucose transporter isoforms are expressed in fat cells: (1) the insulin-responsive species which is found only in fat and muscle, and (2) a species corresponding to the erythrocyte/Hep G2/rat brain transporter. We show here that fat cells isolated from streptozotocin diabetic rats and from fasted rats show a significant (60-80%) decrease in the amount of immunologically detectable insulin-sensitive glucose transporter and no change in the level of the Hep G2/rat brain transporter. Administration of insulin and refeeding, respectively, result in a return of the insulin-sensitive glucose transporter to levels that are normal or slightly above normal. Thus, peripheral tissue insulin resistance could be due to the specific reduction in the amount of insulin-sensitive glucose transporter.