Postbinding characterization of five naturally occurring mutations in the human insulin receptor gene: impaired insulin-stimulated c-jun expression and thymidine incorporation despite normal receptor autophosphorylation

PIK3R1 mutations cause syndromic insulin resistance with lipoatrophy

Short stature, hyperextensibility of joints and/or inguinal hernia, ocular depression, Rieger anomaly, and teething delay (SHORT) syndrome is a developmental disorder with an unknown genetic cause and hallmarks that include insulin resistance and lack of subcutaneous fat. We ascertained two unrelated individuals with SHORT syndrome, hypothesized that the observed phenotype was most likely due to de novo mutations in the same gene, and performed whole-exome sequencing in the two probands and their unaffected parents. We then confirmed our initial observations in four other subjects with SHORT syndrome from three families, as well as 14 unrelated subjects presenting with syndromic insulin resistance and/or generalized lipoatrophy associated with dysmorphic features and growth retardation. Overall, we identified in nine affected individuals from eight families de novo or inherited PIK3R1 mutations, including a mutational hotspot (c.1945C>T [p.Arg649Trp]) present in four families. PIK3R1 encodes the p85α, p55α, and p50α regulatory subunits of class IA phosphatidylinositol 3 kinases (PI3Ks), which are known to play a key role in insulin signaling. Functional data from fibroblasts derived from individuals with PIK3R1 mutations showed severe insulin resistance for both proximal and distal PI3K-dependent signaling. Our findings extend the genetic causes of severe insulin-resistance syndromes and provide important information with respect to the function of PIK3R1 in normal development and its role in human diseases, including growth delay, Rieger anomaly and other ocular affections, insulin resistance, diabetes, paucity of fat, and ovarian cysts.

Insulin receptor kinase-independent signaling via tyrosine phosphorylation of phosphatase PHLPP1

Most insulin responses correlate well with insulin receptor (IR) Tyr kinase activation; however, critical exceptions to this concept have been presented. Specific IR mutants and stimulatory IR antibodies demonstrate a lack of correlation between IR kinase activity and specific insulin responses in numerous independent studies. IR conformation changes in response to insulin observed with various IR antibodies define an IR kinase-independent signal that alters the C-terminus. IR-related receptors in lower eukaryotes that lack a Tyr kinase point to an alternative mechanism of IR signaling earlier in evolution. However, the implied IR kinase-independent signaling mechanism remained obscure at the molecular level. Here we begin to define the molecular basis of an IR-dependent but IR kinase-independent insulin signal that is equally transmitted by a kinase-inactive mutant IR. This insulin signal results in Tyr phosphorylation and catalytic activation of phosphatase PHLPP1 via a PI 3-kinase-independent, wortmannin-insensitive signaling pathway. Dimerized SH2B1/PSM is a critical activator of the IR kinase and the resulting established insulin signal. In contrast it is an inhibitor of the IR kinase-independent insulin signal and disruption of SH2B1/PSM dimer binding to IR potentiates this signal. Dephosphorylation of Akt2 by PHLPP1 provides an alternative, SH2B1/PSM-regulated insulin-signaling pathway from IR to Akt2 of opposite polarity and distinct from the established PI 3-kinase-dependent signaling pathway via IRS proteins. In combination, both pathways should allow the opposing regulation of Akt2 activity at two phosphorylation sites to specifically define the insulin signal in the background of interfering Akt-regulating signals, such as those controlling cell proliferation and survival.

Amyloid beta oligomers induce impairment of neuronal insulin receptors

Recent studies have indicated an association between Alzheimer's disease (AD) and central nervous system (CNS) insulin resistance. However, the cellular mechanisms underlying the link between these two pathologies have not been elucidated. Here we show that signal transduction by neuronal insulin receptors (IR) is strikingly sensitive to disruption by soluble Abeta oligomers (also known as ADDLs). ADDLs are known to accumulate in AD brain and have recently been implicated as primary candidates for initiating deterioration of synapse function, composition, and structure. Using mature cultures of hippocampal neurons, a preferred model for studies of synaptic cell biology, we found that ADDLs caused a rapid and substantial loss of neuronal surface IRs specifically on dendrites bound by ADDLs. Removal of dendritic IRs was associated with increased receptor immunoreactivity in the cell body, indicating redistribution of the receptors. The neuronal response to insulin, measured by evoked IR tyrosine autophosphorylation, was greatly inhibited by ADDLs. Inhibition also was seen with added glutamate or potassium-induced depolarization. The effects on IR function were completely blocked by NMDA receptor antagonists, tetrodotoxin, and calcium chelator BAPTA-AM. Downstream from the IR, ADDLs induced a phosphorylation of Akt at serine473, a modification associated with neurodegenerative and insulin resistance diseases. These results identify novel factors that affect neuronal IR signaling and suggest that insulin resistance in AD brain is a response to ADDLs, which disrupt insulin signaling and may cause a brain-specific form of diabetes as part of an overall pathogenic impact on CNS synapses.

Adiponectin stimulates production of nitric oxide in vascular endothelial cells

Adiponectin is secreted by adipose cells and mimics many metabolic actions of insulin. However, mechanisms by which adiponectin acts are poorly understood. The vascular action of insulin to stimulate endothelial production of nitric oxide (NO), leading to vasodilation and increased blood flow is an important component of insulin-stimulated whole body glucose utilization. Therefore, we hypothesized that adiponectin may also stimulate production of NO in endothelium. Bovine aortic endothelial cells in primary culture loaded with the NO-specific fluorescent dye 4,5-diaminofluorescein diacetate (DAF-2 DA) were treated with lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) (a calcium-releasing agonist) or adiponectin (10 microg/ml bacterially produced full-length adiponectin). LPA treatment increased production of NO by approximately 4-fold. Interestingly, adiponectin treatment significantly increased production of NO by approximately 3-fold. Preincubation of cells with wortmannin (phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase inhibitor) blocked only adiponectin- but not LPA-mediated production of NO. Using phospho-specific antibodies, we observed that either adiponectin or insulin treatment (but not LPA treatment) caused phosphorylation of both Akt at Ser473 and endothelial nitric-oxide synthase (eNOS) at Ser1179 that was inhibitable by wortmannin. We next transfected bovine aortic endothelial cells with dominant-inhibitory mutants of Akt (Akt-AAA) or AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) (AMPKK45R). Neither mutant affected production of NO in response to LPA treatment. Importantly, only AMPKK45R, but not Akt-AAA, caused a significant partial inhibition of NO production in response to adiponectin. Moreover, AMPK-K45R inhibited phosphorylation of eNOS at Ser1179 in response to adiponectin but not in response to insulin. We conclude that adiponectin has novel vascular actions to directly stimulate production of NO in endothelial cells using phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-dependent pathways involving phosphorylation of eNOS at Ser1179 by AMPK. Thus, the effects of adiponectin to augment metabolic actions of insulin in vivo may be due, in part, to vasodilator actions of adiponectin.

A novel T608R missense mutation in insulin receptor substrate-1 identified in a subject with type 2 diabetes impairs metabolic insulin signaling

Naturally occurring mutations in insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1) have previously been implicated in impaired insulin action. We now report a novel mutation in IRS-1 with substitution of Arg for Thr(608) that was identified in a patient with type 2 diabetes mellitus. We detected the T608R mutation in 1 of 136 chromosomes from diabetic patients and in 0 of 120 chromosomes from nondiabetic controls, suggesting that this is a rare IRS-1 variant. Conservation of Thr(608) in human, monkey, rat, mouse, and chicken IRS-1 sequences is consistent with a crucial function for this residue. Moreover, Thr(608) is located near the YMXM motif containing Tyr(612) that is important for binding and activation of phosphoinositol 3-kinase (PI 3-kinase). To investigate whether the T608R mutation impairs insulin signaling, we transiently transfected NIH-3T3(IR) cells with hemagglutinin-tagged wild-type or T608R mutant IRS-1 constructs. Recombinant IRS-1 immunoprecipitated from transfected cells treated with or without insulin was subjected to immunoblotting for the p85 regulatory subunit of PI 3-kinase as well as a PI 3-kinase assay. As expected, in control cells transfected with wild-type IRS-1, insulin stimulation caused an increase in p85 coimmunoprecipitated with IRS-1 as well as a 10-fold increase in IRS-1-associated PI 3-kinase activity. Interestingly, when cells transfected with IRS1-T608R were stimulated with insulin, both the amount of p85 coimmunoprecipitated with IRS1-T608R as well as the associated PI 3-kinase activity were approximately 50% less than those observed with wild-type IRS-1. Moreover, in rat adipose cells, overexpression of IRS1-T608R resulted in significantly less translocation of GLUT4 to the cell surface than comparable overexpression of wild-type IRS-1. We conclude that a naturally occurring substitution of Arg for Thr(608) in IRS-1 is a rare human mutation that may contribute to insulin resistance by impairing metabolic signaling through PI 3-kinase-dependent pathways.

Secretion of Annexin II via activation of insulin receptor and insulin-like growth factor receptor

Annexin II is secreted into the extracellular environment, where, via interactions with specific proteases and extracellular matrix proteins, it participates in plasminogen activation, cell adhesion, and tumor metastasis and invasion. However, mechanisms regulating annexin II transport across the cellular membrane are unknown. In this study, we used coimmunoprecipitation to show that Annexin-II was bound to insulin and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) receptors in PC12 cells and NIH-3T3 cells overexpressing insulin (NIH-3T3(IR)) or IGF-1 receptor (NIH-3T3(IGF-1R)). Stimulation of insulin and IGF-1 receptors by insulin caused a temporary dissociation of annexin II from these receptors, which was accompanied by an increased amount of extracellular annexin II detected in the media of PC12, NIH-3T3(IR), and NIH-3T3(IGF-1R) cells but not in that of untransfected NIH-3T3 cells. Activation of a different growth factor receptor, the platelet-derived growth factor receptor, did not produce such results. Tyrphostin AG1024, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor of insulin and IGF-1 receptor, was shown to inhibit annexin II secretion along with reduced receptor phosphorylation. Inhibitors of a few downstream signaling enzymes including phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, pp60c-Src, and protein kinase C had no effect on insulin-induced annexin II secretion, suggesting a possible direct link between receptor activation and annexin II secretion. Immunocytochemistry revealed that insulin also induced transport of the membrane-bound form of annexin II to the outside layer of the cell membrane and appeared to promote cell aggregation. These results suggest that the insulin receptor and its signaling pathways may participate in molecular mechanisms mediating annexin II secretion.

Insulin receptor substrate-1 and phosphoinositide-dependent kinase-1 are required for insulin-stimulated production of nitric oxide in endothelial cells

Vasodilator actions of insulin are mediated by signaling pathways involving phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI 3-kinase) and Akt that lead to activation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) in endothelium. Signaling molecules immediately upstream and downstream from PI 3-kinase involved with production of NO in response to insulin have not been previously identified. In this study, we evaluated roles of insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS-1) and phosphoinositide-dependent kinase 1 (PDK-1) in production of NO. The fluorescent dye 4,5-diamine fluorescein diacetate was used to directly measure NO in NIH-3T3(IR) cells transiently cotransfected with eNOS and various IRS-1 or PDK-1 constructs. In control cells, transfected with only eNOS, insulin stimulated a rapid dose-dependent increase in NO. Overexpression of wild-type IRS-1 increased the maximal insulin response 3-fold. Overexpression of IRS1-F6 (mutant that does not bind PI 3-kinase) or an antisense ribozyme against IRS-1 substantially inhibited insulin-stimulated production of NO. Likewise, overexpression of wild-type PDK-1 enhanced insulin-stimulated production of NO, whereas a kinase-inactive mutant PDK-1 inhibited this action of insulin. Qualitatively similar results were observed in vascular endothelial cells. Production of NO by a calcium-dependent mechanism in response to lysophosphatidic acid was unaffected by either wild-type or mutant IRS-1 and PDK-1. We conclude that IRS-1 and PDK-1 play necessary roles in insulin-signaling pathways leading to activation of eNOS. Furthermore, classical Ca2+-mediated pathways for activation of eNOS are separable from IRS-1- and PDK-1-dependent insulin-signaling pathways.

PTEN does not modulate GLUT4 translocation in rat adipose cells under physiological conditions

PTEN is a 3'-inositol lipid phosphatase that dephosphorylates products of PI 3-kinase. Since PI 3-kinase is required for many metabolic actions of insulin, we investigated the role of PTEN in insulin-stimulated translocation of GLUT4. In control rat adipose cells, we observed a approximately 2-fold increase in cell surface GLUT4 upon maximal insulin stimulation. Overexpression of wild-type PTEN abolished this response to insulin. Translocation of GLUT4 in cells overexpressing PTEN mutants without lipid phosphatase activity was similar to that observed in control cells. Overexpression of PTEN-CBR3 (mutant with disrupted membrane association domain) partially impaired translocation of GLUT4. In Cos-7 cells, overexpression of wild-type PTEN had no effect on ERK2 phosphorylation in response to acute insulin stimulation. However, Elk-1 phosphorylation in response to chronic insulin treatment was significantly decreased. Thus, when PTEN is overexpressed, both its lipid phosphatase activity and subcellular localization play a role in antagonizing metabolic actions of insulin that are dependent on PI 3-kinase but independent of MAP kinase. However, because translocation of GLUT4 in cells overexpressing a dominant inhibitory PTEN mutant (C124S) was similar to that of control cells, we conclude that endogenous PTEN may not modulate metabolic functions of insulin under normal physiological conditions.

Insulin-stimulated activation of eNOS is independent of Ca2+ but requires phosphorylation by Akt at Ser(1179)

Vasodilator actions of insulin are mediated by activation of endothelial nitric-oxide synthase (eNOS) and subsequent production of NO. Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and Akt play important roles in insulin-signaling pathways leading to production of NO in vascular endothelium. Here we dissected mechanisms whereby insulin activates eNOS by using the fluorescent dye DAF-2 to directly measure NO production in single cells. Insulin caused a rapid increase in intracellular NO in NIH-3T3(IR) cells transiently transfected with eNOS. The stimulation of NO production by lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) was abrogated by pretreatment of cells with the calcium chelator 1,2-bis(2-aminophenoxy)ethane-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid. Remarkably, in the same cells, insulin-stimulated production of NO was unaffected. However, cells expressing the eNOS-S1179A mutant (disrupted Akt phosphorylation site) did not produce detectable NO in response to insulin, whereas the response to LPA was similar to that observed in cells expressing wild-type eNOS. Moreover, production of NO in response to insulin was blocked by coexpression of an inhibitory mutant of Akt, whereas the response to LPA was unaffected. Phosphorylation of eNOS at Ser(1179) was observed only in response to treatment with insulin, but not with LPA. Interestingly, platelet-derived growth factor treatment of cells activated Akt but not eNOS. Results from human vascular endothelial cells were qualitatively similar to those obtained in transfected NIH-3T3(IR) cells, although the magnitude of the responses was smaller. We conclude that insulin regulates eNOS activity using a Ca(2+)-independent mechanism requiring phosphorylation of eNOS by Akt. Importantly, phosphorylation-dependent mechanisms that enhance eNOS activity can operate independently from Ca(2+)-dependent mechanisms.

Tyr(612) and Tyr(632) in human insulin receptor substrate-1 are important for full activation of insulin-stimulated phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase activity and translocation of GLUT4 in adipose cells

To examine contributions of specific YXXM motifs in human insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1) to mediating the metabolic actions of insulin, we studied IRS-1 mutants containing various substitutions of Phe for Tyr. In transfected NIH-3T3(IR) cells, insulin stimulation caused a 5-fold increase in phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) activity coimmunoprecipitated with wild-type IRS-1. No PI3K activity was associated with IRS1-F6 (Phe substituted for Tyr at positions 465, 612, 632, 662, 941, and 989). Adding back both Tyr(612) and Tyr(632) fully restored IRS-1-associated PI3K activity, whereas adding back either Tyr(612) or Tyr(632) alone was associated with intermediate PI3K activity. In rat adipose cells transfected with epitope-tagged GLUT4, insulin stimulation caused a 2-fold increase in cell surface GLUT4-HA. Cotransfection of cells with GLUT4-HA and either wild-type IRS-1 or IRS1-Y612/Y632 increased basal cell surface GLUT4-HA (in the absence of insulin) to approximately 80% of the levels seen in insulin-stimulated control cells, whereas overexpression of IRS1-F6 had no effect on the insulin dose-response curve. Overexpression of IRS1-Y612 or IRS1-Y632 caused intermediate effects. Thus, both Tyr(612) and Tyr(632) are important for IRS-1 to fully activate PI3K and mediate translocation of GLUT4 in response to insulin.

Caveolin-1 interacts with the insulin receptor and can differentially modulate insulin signaling in transfected Cos-7 cells and rat adipose cells

Caveolae may function as microdomains for signaling that help to determine specific biological actions mediated by the insulin receptor (IR). Caveolin-1, a major component of caveolae, contains a scaffolding domain (SD) that binds to a caveolin-1 binding motif in the kinase domain of the IR in vitro. To investigate the potential role of caveolin-1 in insulin signaling we overexpressed wild-type (Cav-WT) or mutant (Cav-Mut; F92A/V94A in SD) caveolin-1 in either Cos-7 cells cotransfected with IR or rat adipose cells (low and high levels of endogenous caveolin-1, respectively). Cav-WT coimmunoprecipitated with the IR to a much greater extent than Cav-Mut, suggesting that the SD is important for interactions between caveolin-1 and the IR in intact cells. We also constructed several IR mutants with a disrupted caveolin-1 binding motif and found that these mutants were poorly expressed and did not undergo autophosphorylation. Interestingly, overexpression of Cav-WT in Cos-7 cells significantly enhanced insulin-stimulated phosphorylation of Elk-1 (a mitogen-activated protein kinase-dependent pathway) while overexpression of Cav-Mut was without effect. In contrast, in adipose cells, overexpression of either Cav-WT or Cav-Mut did not affect insulin-stimulated phosphorylation of a cotransfected ERK2 (but did significantly inhibit basal phosphorylation of ERK2). Furthermore, we also observed a small inhibition of insulin-stimulated translocation of GLUT4 when either Cav-WT or Cav-Mut was overexpressed in adipose cells. Thus, interaction of caveolin-1 with IRs may differentially modulate insulin signaling to enhance insulin action in Cos-7 cells but inhibit insulin's effects in adipose cells.

Intermolecular phosphorylation between insulin holoreceptors does not stimulate substrate kinase activity

We photocoupled benzoylphenylalanineB25, B29 epsilon-biotin insulin (BBpa-insulin) to native insulin receptors to obtain a uniform receptor population with covalently bound, non-dissociable ligand. We employed BBpa-insulin-bound and autophosphorylated (activated) receptor to phosphorylate substrate insulin receptor under conditions where the substrate receptor never interacts with insulin. The substrate receptor becomes phosphorylated in this inter-receptor fashion and reaches a phosphorylation state 50% of the maximal obtainable by autophosphorylation. However, this phosphorylation does not activate the substrate receptor to any measurable degree. We conclude that intermolecular phosphorylation of the insulin holoreceptors is unlikely to be of physiological significance.

Mutations at positions 11 and 60 of insulin-like growth factor 1 reveal differences between its interactions with the type I insulin-like-growth-factor receptor and the insulin receptor

Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) and three analogues ([V11I]IGF-1, [V11T]IGF-1, and [Y60F]IGF-1), constructed by site-directed mutagenesis, were expressed as fusion proteins and secreted into the periplasmic space of Escherichia coli. Purified IGF were obtained following IgG Sepharose affinity and cation-exchange chromatographies of the products of hydroxylamine cleavage of fusion proteins. The properties of the mutants were assessed using (a) quantification of affinities for the human insulin receptor overexpressed on NIH 3T3 cells, (b) quantification of affinities for the type I IGF receptor via competition for binding to a monolayer of MDA-MB-231 cells, (c) promotion of the in vitro mitogenesis of growth-arrested MCF-7 cells in the presence of 17-beta-oestradiol, and (d) a competition assay for binding to IGF-binding proteins secreted by MCF-7 cells. The mutants exhibited decreases in affinity for the insulin receptor, relative to IGF-1, of 2.6-, 3.8- and, 8.8-fold for [Y60F]IGF-1, [V11I]IGF-1, and [V11T]IGF-1, respectively. IGF-1, [V11I]IGF-1, and [Y60F]IGF-1 were of equal potency in the growth assay and in affinity for the type I IGF receptor. [V11T]IGF-1 exhibited a three fold loss of potency in the type I IGF receptor-binding and growth assays. The mutants did not differ significantly from IGF-1 in their affinities for the IGF-binding proteins. The full-activity of [Y60F]IGF-1 at the type I IGF receptor, in contrast to the weakened receptor affinity of IGF-1 with a Leu substitution at this position, indicates a requirement for an aromatic ring, rather than a hydroxyl group, in the interaction of IGF-1 with the type I IGF receptor. The decrease in affinity for the insulin receptor of all the mutants indicates that, as in insulin, the residues Val11 and Tyr60 are important for the interaction of IGF-1 with the insulin receptor. The unchanged or minor changes in the affinities of the mutants for the type I IGF receptor contrast with the more deleterious effects of the mutations on insulin receptor binding and with the properties of analogues of insulin mutated at equivalent sites: 3-fold and 5-10-fold reductions in biological activity for [VB12I]insulin and [YA19F]insulin, respectively. Thus, the results obtained using the mutants indicate important differences between the IGF-1/type I IGF receptor and insulin/insulin receptor interactions.

Two mutant alleles of the insulin receptor gene in a family with a genetic form of insulin resistance: a 10 base pair deletion in exon 1 and a mutation substituting serine for asparagine-462

Mutations in the insulin receptor gene cause several genetic syndromes associated with extreme insulin resistance. We have studied three insulin resistant siblings with acanthosis nigricans, dental abnormalities, and acral hypertrophy. The female patient also had primary amenorrhea due to hyperandrogenism. All three patients were compound heterozygotes with two mutant alleles of the insulin receptor gene. One allele had a 10-bp deletion in the region of exon 1 encoding the hydrophobic signal peptide; this leads to a frameshift and premature chain termination at codon 61. The deletion occurs at the site of a direct repeat of a hexanucleotide sequence interrupted by a tetranucleotide sequence; the deletion may have resulted from recombination between the upstream and downstream hexanucleotide repeats. In the other mutant allele, there is a missense mutation substituting serine for Asn462-a mutation identified previously in one allele of the insulin receptor gene in a patient with type-A insulin resistance. The Ser462 mutation impaired the ability of acidic pH to dissociate insulin from the receptor. Thus, Thus, like the previously described Glu460 mutation, the Ser462 mutation may retard dissociation of insulin from the receptor in the acidic compartment of the endosome and may, as a result, accelerate the rate of receptor degradation.

Deletion of 343 amino acids from the carboxyl terminus of the beta-subunit of the insulin receptor inhibits insulin signaling

Naturally occurring mutations in the insulin receptor gene that impair the receptor tyrosine kinase activity cause insulin resistance in vivo in a dominant fashion. Previously, two unrelated families have been described that express an insulin receptor with a truncation due to a premature chain termination at codon 1000 (delta 1000), thereby deleting 343 amino acids from the carboxyl terminus of the beta-subunit. While clinical findings suggest that the truncated receptor does not mediate insulin action in vivo, a recent study suggested that a similarly truncated receptor enhanced insulin sensitivity in transfected cells by augmenting the signaling by endogenous receptors [Sasaoka, T., Takata, Y., Kusari, J., Anderson, C. M., Langlois, W. J., & Olefsky, J. M. (1993) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 90, 4379-4383]. To investigate these paradoxical data, we studied the structure and function of delta 1000 truncated insulin receptors when expressed in NIH-3T3 cells. We found that, despite the deletion of most of the tyrosine kinase domain and all of the C-terminal domain of the beta-subunit of the insulin receptor, the delta 1000 mutant receptors were processed normally and were transported to the plasma membrane where they bind insulin with high affinity. Following ligand addition, the truncated receptors are degraded with a normal half-life. However, they fail to undergo insulin-stimulated internalization, do not regulate the phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate 1, and are unable to mediate an insulin-stimulated increase in DNA synthesis and c-jun and c-fos expression.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Tyrosine kinase-deficient mutant human insulin receptors (Met1153-->Ile) overexpressed in transfected rat adipose cells fail to mediate translocation of epitope-tagged GLUT4

Insulin regulates essential pathways for growth, differentiation, and metabolism in vivo. We report a physiologically relevant system for dissecting the molecular mechanisms of insulin signal transduction related to glucose transport. This is an extension of our recently reported method for transfection of DNA into rat adipose cells in primary culture. In the present work, cDNA coding for GLUT4 with an epitope tag (HA1) in the first exofacial loop is used as a reporter gene so that GLUT4 translocation can be studied exclusively in transfected cells. Insulin stimulates a 4.3-fold recruitment of transfected epitope-tagged GLUT4 to the cell surface. Cells cotransfected with the reporter gene and the human insulin receptor gene show an increase in cell surface GLUT4 in the basal state (no insulin) to levels comparable to those seen with maximal insulin stimulation of cells transfected with the reporter gene alone. In contrast, cells overexpressing a naturally occurring tyrosine kinase-deficient mutant insulin receptor (Met1153-->Ile) show no increase in the basal cell surface GLUT4 and no shift in the insulin dose-response curve relative to cells transfected with the reporter gene alone. These results demonstrate that insulin receptor tyrosine kinase activity is essential in insulin-stimulated glucose transport in adipose cells.

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.