Characterization of unprocessed insulin proreceptors in COS 7 cells transfected with cDNA with Arg735----Ser735 point mutation at the cleavage site

Differential Effects of Furin Deficiency on Insulin Receptor Processing and Glucose Control in Liver and Pancreatic β Cells of Mice

The insulin receptor (IR) is critically involved in maintaining glucose homeostasis. It undergoes proteolytic cleavage by proprotein convertases, which is an essential step for its activation. The importance of the insulin receptor in liver is well established, but its role in pancreatic β cells is still controversial. In this study, we investigated the cleavage of the IR by the proprotein convertase FURIN in β cells and hepatocytes, and the contribution of the IR in pancreatic β cells and liver to glucose homeostasis. β-cell-specific Furin knockout (βFurKO) mice were glucose intolerant, but liver-specific Furin knockout (LFurKO) mice were normoglycemic. Processing of the IR was blocked in βFurKO cells, but unaffected in LFurKO mice. Most strikingly, glucose homeostasis in β-cell-specific IR knockout (βIRKO) mice was normal in younger mice (up to 20 weeks), and only mildly affected in older mice (24 weeks). In conclusion, FURIN cleaves the IR non-redundantly in β cells, but redundantly in liver. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the IR in β cells plays a limited role in glucose homeostasis.

Misfolded proinsulin impairs processing of precursor of insulin receptor and insulin signaling in β cells

Insulin resistance in classic insulin-responsive tissues is a hallmark of type 2 diabetes (T2D). However, the pathologic significance of β-cell insulin resistance and the underlying mechanisms contributing to defective insulin signaling in β cells remain largely unknown. Emerging evidence indicates that proinsulin misfolding is not only the molecular basis of mutant INS-gene–induced diabetes of youth (MIDY) but also an important contributor in the development and progression of T2D. However, the molecular basis of β-cell failure caused by misfolded proinsulin is still incompletely understood. Herein, using Akita mice expressing diabetes-causing mutant proinsulin, we found that misfolded proinsulin abnormally interacted with the precursor of insulin receptor (ProIR) in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), impaired ProIR maturation to insulin receptor (IR), and decreased insulin signaling in β cells. Importantly, using db/db insulin-resistant mice, we found that oversynthesis of proinsulin led to an increased proinsulin misfolding, which resulted in impairments of ProIR processing and insulin signaling in β cells. These results reveal for the first time that misfolded proinsulin can interact with ProIR in the ER, impairing intracellular processing of ProIR and leading to defective insulin signaling that may contribute to β-cell failure in both MIDY and T2D.—Liu, S., Li, X., Yang, J., Zhu, R., Fan, Z., Xu, X., Feng, W., Cui, J., Sun, J., Liu, M. Misfolded proinsulin impairs processing of precursor of insulin receptor and insulin signaling in β cells.

Structural Basis and Genotype-Phenotype Correlations of INSR Mutations Causing Severe Insulin Resistance

The insulin receptor (INSR) gene was analyzed in four patients with severe insulin resistance, revealing five novel mutations and a deletion that removed exon 2. A patient with Donohue syndrome (DS) had a novel p.V657F mutation in the second fibronectin type III domain (FnIII-2), which contains the α-β cleavage site and part of the insulin-binding site. The mutant INSR was expressed in Chinese hamster ovary cells, revealing that it reduced insulin proreceptor processing and impaired activation of downstream signaling cascades. Using online databases, we analyzed 82 INSR missense mutations and demonstrated that mutations causing DS were more frequently located in the FnIII domains than those causing the milder type A insulin resistance (P = 0.016). In silico structural analysis revealed that missense mutations predicted to severely impair hydrophobic core formation and stability of the FnIII domains all caused DS, whereas those predicted to produce localized destabilization and to not affect folding of the FnIII domains all caused the less severe Rabson-Mendenhall syndrome. These results suggest the importance of the FnIII domains, provide insight into the molecular mechanism of severe insulin resistance, will aid early diagnosis, and will provide potential novel targets for treating extreme insulin resistance.

Mutation at cleavage site of insulin-like growth factor receptor in a short-stature child born with intrauterine growth retardation

CONTEXT

Mouse knockout models have clearly demonstrated the critical importance of IGF-I and IGF receptor type 1 (IGF-IR) for embryonic growth as well as postnatal growth.

OBJECTIVE

We hypothesized that mutations of IGF-IR gene might predispose to short stature in children born with intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR).

PATIENTS

Twenty-four children with unexplained IUGR (birth weight < -1.5 SD) and short stature (<-2.0 SD) were screened for abnormalities of the IGF-IR gene.

METHODS

Direct DNA sequencing was used to identify IGF-IR gene mutations. Unprocessed IGF-IR proreceptor in fibroblasts was detected by immunoblot analysis. Functions of mutated IGF-IR in fibroblasts were evaluated by IGF-I binding, and IGF-I-stimulated DNA synthesis and beta-subunit autophosphorylation.

RESULTS

We found the following results: 1) a heterozygous mutation (R709Q) changing the cleavage site from Arg-Lys-Arg-Arg to Arg-Lys-Gln-Arg was identified in a 6-yr-old Japanese girl (case 1) and her mother who also had IUGR with short stature (case 2); 2) fibroblasts from case 2 contained more IGF-IR proreceptor protein (189 +/- 26% of normal) and less mature beta-subunit protein (63 +/- 12%); 3) [125I]IGF-I binding to fibroblasts from case 2 was reduced, compared with normal control (0.61 +/- 0.16 x 10(6) vs. 1.14 +/- 0.12 x 10(6) sites per cell; P < 0.05); and 4) both IGF-I-stimulated [3H]thymidine incorporation and IGF-IR beta-subunit autophosphorylation were low in fibroblasts from case 2, compared with those of control (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

These findings strongly suggest that this mutation leads to failure of processing of the IGF-IR proreceptor to mature IGF-IR and causes short stature and IUGR.

Propeptide cleavage conditions sortilin/neurotensin receptor-3 for ligand binding

We recently reported the isolation and sequencing of sortilin, a new putative sorting receptor that binds receptor-associated protein (RAP). The luminal N-terminus of sortilin comprises a consensus sequence for cleavage by furin, R41WRR44, which precedes a truncation originally found in sortilin isolated from human brain. We now show that the truncation results from cellular processing. Sortilin is synthesized as a proform which, in late Golgi compartments, is converted to the mature receptor by furin-mediated cleavage of a 44 residue N-terminal propeptide. We further demonstrate that the propeptide exhibits pH-dependent high affinity binding to fully processed sortilin, that the binding is competed for by RAP and the newly discovered sortilin ligand neurotensin, and that prevention of propeptide cleavage essentially prevents binding of RAP and neurotensin. The findings evidence that the propeptide sterically hinders ligands from gaining access to overlapping binding sites in prosortilin, and that cleavage and release of the propeptide preconditions sortilin for full functional activity. Although proteolytic processing is involved in the maturation of several receptors, the described exposure of previously concealed ligand-binding sites after furin-mediated cleavage of propeptide represents a novel mechanism in receptor activation.

Co-expression of mutant and normal human insulin receptors in COS 7 cells

In order to assess the interference of the mutant insulin proreceptor on normal receptor function and formation of proreceptor-receptor heterotrimers (alpha beta-proreceptor), COS 7 cells were transfected with the same amount of expression plasmid (pGEM3SV) containing wild-type, a mutant proreceptor cDNA and both, using the DEAE-dextran method. Scatchard analysis of insulin binding data revealed that there was an approx. 50-fold higher receptor concentration in the transfected cells than in untransfected cells. After 0.025% trypsin treatment, insulin binding to the cells expressed with wild-type, proreceptor and both increased by 1-fold, 2.9-fold and 1.5-fold of the untreated cells, respectively. In the presence of 167 nM insulin, the amounts of phosphate incorporated into the 95 kDa protein beta-subunits and 210 kDa proreceptors from co-transfected cells, were identical to those of an in vitro mixture of the wild-type and the mutant receptors. At 10 nM insulin, the proreceptors from co-transfected cells normally autophosphorylated by insulin stimulation, whereas those mixed in vitro did not (73.3 +/- 9.3 vs. 29.6 +/- 2.6% of the maximal effect, n = 4, P < 0.01). However, at a similar concentration of insulin, the phosphate incorporation into Glu-80/Tyr-20 polymers by receptors from co-transfected cells was decreased when compared with a in vitro mixture (9.0 +/- 2.6 vs. 22.5 +/- 6.7% of the maximal effect at 4 nM, n = 6, P < 0.01), although the basal and maximally stimulated phosphate incorporation were comparable among these groups.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Paradoxical biological effects of overexpressed insulin-like growth factor-1 receptors in Chinese hamster ovary cells

One major approach to the study of growth factor receptor action has been to overexpress wild-type or mutant receptors in cultured cells and to evaluate biological responses to exogenous ligand. Studies of this type with insulin and insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) receptors often use Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. We have compared the effect of receptor overexpression in CHO cells and in NIH-3T3 fibroblasts in order to assess the suitability of CHO cells for studies of this nature and the contribution of cell type-specific factors to those responses generally assayed. Overexpression of IGF-I receptors in NIH-3T3 cells resulted in increased sensitivity and maximal responsiveness of thymidine incorporation, 2-deoxyglucose uptake, and phosphatidylinositol-3 (PI3) kinase activation to IGF-I stimulation. In CHO cells, on the other hand, overexpression of either IGF-I or insulin receptors increased the sensitivity of thymidine incorporation to ligand, but maximal responsiveness was unchanged or decreased. Overexpression of the insulin receptor increased sensitivity of glucose uptake and the maximal response of PI3 kinase activation to insulin. Overexpression of the IGF-I receptor did not affect sensitivity or maximal responsiveness of glucose uptake or PI3 kinase activation to IGF-I. These data suggest that IGF-I and insulin signal pathways may differ in CHO cells, and that there may even be divergent IGF-I signaling pathways for short vs. long-term effects. Whether this is a result of differences in the number of endogenous receptors, hybrid receptor formation, or defects in post-receptor signaling, the use of CHO cells to assess receptor function must be approached with caution.