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M Kellerer

Publications and source records attributed to M Kellerer.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Protein kinase C (PKC) epsilon enhances the inhibitory effect of TNF alpha on insulin signaling in HEK293 cells.

Recently we have shown that PKC beta1 and beta2 are able to inhibit the tyrosine kinase activity of the human insulin receptor (HIR). Now we have investigated whether a distinct PKC isoform might be involved in the inhibitory effect of TNF alpha on insulin signaling in HEK293 cells. TNF alpha induces a rapid translocation of the PKC isoform epsilon (TNF alpha 10(-9) M, maximal effect within 5-10 min) in rat-1 fibroblasts, while no effect occurred on other isoforms. Cotransfection of HIR with PKC epsilon did not significantly reduce the insulin stimulated receptor kinase activity; however, when cells were incubated with TNF alpha for 10 min (10(-9) M) a 62 +/- 17% (n = 5) inhibition of the insulin receptor kinase activity was observed which was significantly (P<0.01) higher than that observed in cells which were not transfected with PKC (32 +/- 11.5%, n = 5). The data suggest that translocation of PKC epsilon induced by TNF alpha enables this PKC isoform to interact with insulin signaling and to inhibit the insulin receptor kinase activity.

Animals↗

Impact of mutations at different serine residues on the tyrosine kinase activity of the insulin receptor.

Insulin binding to its receptor activates a cascade of signaling events which are initiated by tyrosine autophosphorylation of the receptor and activation of the tyrosine kinase activity towards the insulin receptor substrates. In addition to phosphorylation at tyrosine residues a serine phosphorylation of the insulin receptor is observed. Neither the functional significance of serine phosphorylation of the receptor nor the location of relevant regulatory sites has been determined exactly so far. We studied potential functions of serine residues in human insulin receptor (HIR) with respect to its ability to undergo insulin stimulated autophosphorylation. Using site directed mutagenesis of HIR we exchanged serine to alanine at 13 different positions in the HIR beta-subunit. Sites were chosen according to the criteria of known serine phosphorylation sites (1023/25, 1293/94, 1308/09), conserved positions in hIR, hIGF-1 receptor, hIRR, and dIR (962, 994, 1037, 1055, 1074/78, 1168, 1177/78/82, 1202, 1263, 1267). All HIR mutants were expressed in HEK 293 cells and basal and insulin stimulated autophosphorylation were determined. We found that the exchange of serine to alanine at position 994 and at position 1023/25 increased insulin stimulated receptor autophosphorylation significantly (147% +/- 12% and 129% +/- 6% of control, p < 0.01, n = 7), while all other exchanges did not significantly alter insulin stimulated HIR autophosphorylation. The data suggest that the serine residues at position 994 as well as 1023/25 might be part of inhibitory domains of the insulin receptor.

Amino Acid Substitution↗

Leptin stimulates glucose transport and glycogen synthesis in C2C12 myotubes: evidence for a P13-kinase mediated effect.

It was recently shown that leptin impairs insulin signalling, i.e. insulin receptor autophosphorylation and insulin-receptor substrate (IRS)-1 phosphorylation in rat-1 fibroblasts, NIH3T3 cells and HepG2 cells. To evaluate whether leptin might impair the effects of insulin in muscle tissue we studied the interaction of insulin and leptin in a muscle cell system, i.e. C2C12 myotubes. Preincubation of C2C12 cells with leptin (1-500 ng/ml) did not significantly affect insulin stimulated glucose transport and glycogen synthesis (1.8 to 2 fold stimulation); however, leptin by itself (1 ng/ml) was able to mimic approximately 80-90% of the insulin effect on glucose transport and glycogen synthesis. Both glucose transport as well as glycogen synthesis were inhibited by the phosphatidylinositol-3 (PI3)-kinase inhibitor wortmannin and the protein kinase C inhibitor H7 while no effect was observed with the S6-kinase inhibitor rapamycin. We determined whether the effect of leptin occurs through activation of IRS-1 and PI3-kinase. Leptin did not stimulate PI3-kinase activity in IRS-1 immunoprecipitates; however, PI3-kinase activation could be demonstrated in p85 alpha immunoprecipitates (3.04 +/- 1.5 fold of basal). In summary the data provide the first evidence for a positive crosstalk between the signalling chain of the insulin receptor and the leptin receptor. Leptin mimics in C2C12 myotubes insulin effects on glucose transport and glycogen synthesis most likely through activation of PI3-kinase. This effect of leptin occurs independently of IRS-1 activation in C2C12 cells.

1-(5-Isoquinolinesulfonyl)-2-Methylpiperazine↗

Leptin activates PI-3 kinase in C2C12 myotubes via janus kinase-2 (JAK-2) and insulin receptor substrate-2 (IRS-2) dependent pathways.

We have recently shown that leptin mimicks insulin effects on glucose transport and glycogen synthesis through a phosphatidylinositol-3 (PI) kinase dependent pathway in C2C12 myotubes. The aim of the present study was to identify the signalling path from the leptin receptor to the PI-3 kinase. We stimulated C2C12 myotubes with insulin (100 nmol/l, 5 min) or leptin (0.62 nmol/l, 10 min) and determined PI-3 kinase activity in immunoprecipitates with specific non-crossreacting antibodies against insulin-receptor substrate (IRS 1/IRS 2) and against janus kinase (JAK 1 and JAK 2). While insulin-stimulated PI-3 kinase activity is detected in IRS-1 and IRS-2 immunoprecipitates, leptin-stimulated PI-3 kinase activity is found only in IRS-2 immunoprecipitates, suggesting that the leptin signal to PI-3 kinase occurs via IRS-2 and not IRS-1. Leptin-, but not insulin-stimulated PI-3 kinase activity is also detected in immunoprecipitates with antibodies against JAK-2, but not JAK-1. The data suggest that JAK-2 and IRS-2 couple the leptin signalling pathway to the insulin signalling chain. Since we have also detected leptin-stimulated tyrosine phosphorylation of JAK-2 and IRS-2 in C2C12 myotubes it can be assumed that leptin activates JAK-2 which induces tyrosine phosphorylation of IRS-2 leading to activation of PI-3 kinase. As we could not detect the long leptin receptor isoform in C2C12 myotubes we conclude that this signalling pathway is activated by a short leptin receptor isoform.

Animals↗

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha- and hyperglycemia-induced insulin resistance. Evidence for different mechanisms and different effects on insulin signaling.

Inhibition of insulin receptor signaling by high glucose levels and by TNF-alpha was recently observed in different cell systems. The aim of the present study was to characterize the mechanism of TNF-alpha-induced insulin receptor inhibition and to compare the consequences of TNF-alpha- and hyperglycemia-induced insulin receptor inhibition for signal transduction downstream from the IR. TNF-alpha (0.5-10 nM) and high glucose (25 mM) showed similar rapid kinetics of inhibition (5-10 min, > 50%) of insulin receptor autophosphorylation in NIH3T3 cells overexpressing the human insulin receptor. TNF-alpha effects were completely prevented by the phosphotyrosine phosphatase (PTPase) inhibitors orthovanadate (40 microM) and phenylarsenoxide (35 microM), but they were unaffected by the protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor H7 (0.1 mM), the phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase inhibitor wortmannin (5 microM), and the thiazolidindione troglitazone (CS045) (2 microgram/ml). In contrast, glucose effects were prevented by PKC inhibitors and CS045 but unaffected by PTPase inhibitors and wortmannin. To assess effects on downstream signaling, tyrosine phosphorylation of the following substrate proteins of the insulin receptor was determined: insulin receptor substrate-1, the coupling protein Shc, focal adhesion kinase (FAK125), and unidentified proteins of 130 kD, 60 kD. Hyperglycemia (25 mM glucose) and TNF-alpha showed analogous (> 50% inhibition) effects on tyrosine phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate-1, Shc, p60, and p44, whereas opposite effects were observed for tyrosine phosphorylation of FAK125, which is dephosphorylated after insulin stimulation. Whereas TNF-alpha did not prevent insulin-induced dephosphorylation of FAK125, 25 mM glucose blocked this insulin effect completely. In summary, the data suggest that TNF-alpha and high glucose modulate insulin receptor-signaling through different mechanisms: (a) TNF-alpha modulates insulin receptor signals by PTPase activation, whereas glucose acts through activation of PKC. (b) Differences in modulation of the insulin receptor signaling cascade are found with TNF-alpha and high glucose: Hyperglycemia-induced insulin receptor inhibition blocks both insulin receptor-dependent tyrosine phosphorylation and dephosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate proteins. In contrast, TNF-alpha blocks only substrate phosphorylation, and it does not block insulin-induced substrate dephosphorylation. The different effects on FAK125 regulation allow the speculation that long-term cell effects related to FAK125 activity might develop in a different way in hyperglycemia- and TNF-alpha-dependent insulin resistance.

3T3 Cells↗

Elevated venous glutamate levels in (pre)catabolic conditions result at least partly from a decreased glutamate transport activity.

Abnormally high postabsorptive venous plasma glutamate levels have been reported for several diseases that are associated with a loss of body cell mass including cancer, human/simian immunodeficiency virus infection, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Studies on exchange rates in well-nourished cancer patients now show that high venous plasma glutamate levels may serve as a bona fide indicator for a decreased uptake of glutamate by the peripheral muscle tissue in the postabsorptive period and may be indicative for a precachectic state. High glutamate levels are also moderately correlated with a decreased uptake of glucose and ketone bodies. Relatively high venous glutamate levels have also been found in non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus and to some extent also in the cubital vein of normal elderly subjects, i.e., in conditions commonly associated with a decreased glucose tolerance and progressive loss of body cell mass.

ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters↗

Insulin leads to a parallel translocation of PI-3-kinase and protein kinase C zeta.

Protein kinase C consists of a family of at least 12 isoforms which exhibit clear differences in their cofactor dependence and responsiveness to phospholipids. Insulin effects on PKC translocation/activation are now clearly established but responsiveness to this hormone was observed so far only for the classical PKC-isoforms alpha and beta. While activation of the classical PKC's requires Ca2+ and occurs mainly through Diacylglycerol (DAG), stimulation of the atypical isoform PKC-zeta appears to function through a different mechanism involving PI-3-kinase activation. In the present study we used rat-1 fibroblasts stably over-expressing human insulin receptor to investigate whether insulin can activate PKC-zeta and whether such an effect might be related to insulin's effect on PI-3-kinase. After stimulation of the cells with insulin (10(-7) mol/l) for one to ten minutes, a rapid translocation of PKC-zeta to the plasma membrane was detectable, as determined by immunoblotting of plasma membrane proteins with antibodies against PKC-zeta. In parallel immunoblots applying antibodies against the regulatory subunit of PI-3-kinase (p85), an insulin-induced translocation of p85 was detectable within one minute after stimulation. The translocation of p85 was associated with an increase in PI-3-kinase activity at the plasma membrane. The data show that insulin stimulates translocation of PKC-zeta in rat-1 fibroblasts. The parallel kinetics of PI-3-kinase translocation/activation and PKC-zeta translocation are compatible with the idea that the insulin effect on PKC-zeta is transduced through PI-3-kinase activation.

Animals↗

Circulating TNF-alpha and leptin levels in offspring of NIDDM patients do not correlate to individual insulin sensitivity.

Obesity plays a central role in the development of skeletal muscle insulin resistance. The molecular mechanism causing skeletal muscle insulin resistance in obese people is still poorly understood. It has been speculated that circulating factors derived from adipose tissue impair insulin signalling in the skeletal muscle cell. TNF-alpha and leptin, which are overproduced in fat tissue of obese insulin resistant animal models and in obese humans, might mediate such an inhibitory effect on insulin signalling in skeletal muscle. The aim of the present study was to evaluate whether circulating TNF-alpha and leptin correlates to the individual skeletal muscle insulin sensitivity in individuals with different degrees of obesity and insulin resistance. We measured circulating TNF-alpha and leptin values in non diabetic offsprings of NIDDM patients. 36 German and 47 Finnish subjects participated in the study. The GDR of each participant was determined by the euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamp technique, a range between 1.37 to 14.01 mg/kg LBM x min was observed. Percent of desirable body weight (PDW) covered also a wide range (87.58% to 197.06%). Although linear regression analysis suggested a dependence between TNF-alpha and GDR (Germany group: r = -0.37, p < 0.05, Finnish group: r = -0.32, p < 0.05) and a dependence between TNF and PDW (German group: r = 0.46, p < 0.05, Finnish group: r = 0.38, p < 0.05), in multiple linear regression analysis only the correlation with PDW was significant. Leptin levels were measured from 29 German and 36 Finnish subjects and a strong association was found between leptin and PDW (German group: r = 0.55, p < 0.05, Finnish group: r = 0.73, p < 0.05). In contrast, leptin levels did not correlate with GDR and TNF-alpha. In summary, even though, in a few insulin resistant subjects, higher circulating TNF-alpha or leptin levels with the individual insulin sensitivity can be demonstrated, the data suggest that the circulating pool of TNF-alpha and leptin in blood is unlikely to be a major contributing factor for obesity induced insulin resistance in the vast majority of individuals at high risk to develop NIDDM.

Adult↗

Modulation of insulin receptor signaling. Potential mechanisms of a cross talk between bradykinin and the insulin receptor.

Insulin resistance of the skeletal muscle plays a key role in the development of the metabolic endocrine syndrome and its further progression to type II diabetes. Impaired signaling from the insulin receptor to the glucose transport system and to glycogen synthase is thought to be the cause of skeletal muscle insulin resistance. An incomplete activation of the insulin receptor tyrosine kinase, which is found in type II diabetes, appears to contribute to the pathogenesis of the signaling defect. Available data suggest that the impaired tyrosine kinase function of the insulin receptor is not due to an inherited defect but rather is caused by a modulation of insulin receptor function. We used rat-1 fibroblasts and NIH-3T3 cells stably overexpressing human insulin receptor and 293 cells transiently overexpressing human insulin receptor to characterize conditions modulating the signaling function of the insulin receptor kinase. Using these cell models, we could demonstrate that activation of different protein kinase C (PKC) isoforms by high glucose levels or phorbol esters causes a rapid inhibition of the receptor tyrosine kinase activity. This effect is most likely mediated through serine phosphorylation of the receptor beta-subunit. It can be prevented by PKC inhibitors and the new oral antidiabetic agent thiazolidindione. The data suggest that PKC might be an important negative regulator of insulin receptor function. Because we have recently shown that bradykinin activates different isoforms of PKC in these cell types, an inhibitory cross talk between the bradykinin receptor and the insulin receptor through PKC activation seemed possible. However, we were unable to observe an insulin receptor tyrosine kinase inhibition through bradykinin, suggesting that different isoforms of PKC are activated by hyperglycemia and bradykinin. On the other hand, a modulation of bradykinin signals by insulin could be demonstrated in these cells. Bradykinin-induced tyrosine phosphorylation of proteins of approximately 130 and 70 kDa was inhibited by insulin treatment of rat-1 fibroblasts. These data suggest that signals from the insulin receptor modify signaling from the bradykinin receptor to tyrosine phosphorylation of different cellular proteins.

Animals↗

Insulin- and insulin-like growth-factor-I receptor tyrosine-kinase activities in human renal carcinoma.

We studied expression and functional characteristics of the insulin- and insulin-like-growth-factor-I (IGF-I) receptors in human renal carcinoma. Ligand-binding properties and tyrosine-kinase activity of both receptors, as well as the expression of the 2 isoforms of the human insulin receptor (HIR-A and -B) were analyzed in renal carcinoma and normal adjacent kidney tissue of 8 adult patients. Partially purified insulin- and IGF-I receptors from normal and renal cell carcinoma tissue possessed identical affinities for their ligands. Renal cell carcinoma, however, contained 3- to 4-fold more specific insulin-binding sites and 2-fold more IGF-I binding sites than adjacent normal kidney tissue. In addition, we determined the relative content of insulin/IGF-I receptor hybrids in both tissues. Renal cell carcinoma and adjacent normal tissue revealed similar amounts of insulin/IGF-I receptor hybrids, i.e., 44 +/- 8.2% of tracer IGF-I binding in normal tissue and 46 +/- 12.0% in renal cell carcinoma. When equal amounts of insulin- and IGF-I receptor protein were studied, we found significantly increased receptor autophosphorylation and elevated substrate phosphorylation in carcinoma tissue. To assess whether the differences in insulin-receptor tyrosine-kinase activity were caused by an altered pattern of insulin receptor isoform expression, we determined mRNA levels for HIR-A and -B. The 2 insulin receptor isoforms were, however, expressed in highly variable ratios in both normal and tumor tissue. Our experiments show that renal carcinoma expresses an elevated amount of insulin- and IGF-I receptor protein with increased specific autophosphorylation and tyrosine-kinase activity each. The increase of insulin-receptor tyrosine-kinase activity in renal carcinoma cannot be explained by an altered expression pattern of insulin receptor isoforms.

Carcinoma↗

C-terminus or juxtamembrane deletions in the insulin receptor do not affect the glucose-dependent inhibition of the tyrosine kinase activity.

We have previously shown, in rat-1 fibroblasts which stably overexpress high levels of human insulin receptor (HIR), that high glucose levels induce an inhibition of insulin receptor tyrosine kinase (IRK) activity [Berti, L., Mosthaf, L., Kellerer, M., Tippmer, S., Mushack, J., Seffer, E., Seedorf, K., Häring, H. (1994) J. Biol. Chem. 269, 3381-3386]. This effect appears to be mediated through activation of protein kinase C and phosphorylation of the receptor beta-subunit on threonine or serine residues. The aim of the present study was to determine whether the juxtamembrane region or the C-terminus tail of the receptor are involved in the IRK modulation by glucose. In these domains increased serine and threonine phosphorylation was observed after phorbol ester or insulin stimulation of cells, and a regulatory function for IRK activity seems conceivable. We used an antibody directed against one potential regulatory site in the C-terminus tail, i.e. PSer1315, to study the effect of glucose. An increased signal was detected in HIR from rat-1 fibroblasts treated with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate or glucose (25 mM). To investigate whether this site in the C-terminus is essential for glucose-dependent IRK inhibition, rat-1 fibroblasts stably overexpressing a C-terminus-truncated human insulin receptor lacking 43 amino acids (HIR delta CT) were studied in parallel with cells expressing the wild-type receptor. As described earlier, HIR delta CT has lost the ability to stimulate glucose uptake. Glucose (25 mM) inhibited the insulin effect on the autophosphorylation of both receptors to a similar extent. Thus, glucose (25 mM) stimulates phosphorylation of Ser1315, however, this appears not to mediate the inhibitory effect on IRK. To test whether serine residues 955/956 and 962/964 in the juxtamembrane region of the insulin receptor are involved in the inhibitory effect of glucose, 293 cells transiently transfected either with wild-type HIR or HIR with a juxtamembrane deletion spanning amino acids 954-965 [des-(954-965)-HIR] were studied in parallel. As described earlier, the des-(954-965)-HIR has lost the ability to stimulate PI-3 kinase. However, 25 mM glucose equally inhibited the insulin effect on tyrosine phosphorylation of the receptor. Together, the data suggest that the regulatory serine or threonine phosphorylation site(s) involved in the inhibitory effect of hyperglycemia are neither located in the C-terminus nor in the juxtamembrane region of the insulin receptor beta subunit.

3-O-Methylglucose↗

Pathogenesis of insulin resistance: modulation of the insulin signal at receptor level.

The insulin resistance of skeletal muscle plays an important role in the pathogenesis of the metabolic endocrine syndrome and diabetes mellitus Type II. Impairment of the signal transmission from the insulin receptor to glycogen synthase and the glucose transport system was shown in insulin resistant subjects. A reduced receptor activation contributes also to insulin resistance. We investigated the mechanisms of modulation of receptor function in isolated cell systems which are transfected with human insulin receptor. Action of TNF alpha and acute hyperglycaemic effects were studied in particular. Acute hyperglycaemia gives rise, in the isolated cell system, to inhibition of the tyrosine kinase activity of the insulin receptor within a few minutes. This inhibitory effect seems to be mediated by translocation and activation of various isoforms of protein kinase C. Activation of protein kinase C probably leads to phosphorylation of the beta-subunit of the insulin receptor at serine residues. The domains of the insulin receptor, which are responsible for the inhibitory effect of hyperglycaemia do not seem to be localized either in the C terminus or in the juxtamembranary region of the insulin receptor. The hyperglycaemic effect can be antagonized in the isolated cell system both by protein kinase C inhibitors and so-called insulin sensitizers such as thiazolidindiones. Similar inhibitory effects, as induced by hyperglycaemia, can also be mediated by administration of the cytokine TNF alpha. As TNF alpha is probably increasingly expressed in obesity, the modulation of receptor kinase activity by TNF alpha could be an important factor for insulin resistance in obesity.

Animals↗

Mechanism of insulin receptor kinase inhibition in non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus patients. Phosphorylation of serine 1327 or threonine 1348 is unaltered.

The tyrosine kinase activity of insulin receptor isolated from the skeletal muscle of NIDDM patients has previously been found to be decreased compared with the activity of receptor from nondiabetic subjects but the mechanism underlying this defect is unknown. Phosphorylation of receptor serine/threonine residues has been proposed to exert an inhibitory influence on receptor tyrosine kinase activity and Ser 1327 and Thr 1348 have been identified as specific sites of phosphorylation in the insulin receptor COOH terminal domain. To address the potential negative regulatory role of phosphorylation of these residues in vivo, we assessed the extent of phosphorylation of each site in insulin receptor isolated from the skeletal muscle of 12 NIDDM patients and 13 nondiabetic, control subjects. Phosphorylation of Ser 1327 and Thr 1348 was determined using antibodies that specifically recognize insulin receptor phosphorylated at these sites. In addition, a phosphotyrosine-specific antibody was used to monitor receptor tyrosine phosphorylation. The extent of insulin-induced tyrosine autophosphorylation was decreased in receptor isolated from diabetic versus nondiabetic muscle, thus confirming earlier reports. In contrast, there was no significant difference in the extent of phosphorylation of either Ser 1327 or Thr 1348 in receptor isolated from diabetic or nondiabetic muscle as assessed by immunoprecipitation (Ser 1327: 5.6 +/- 1.6% diabetics vs. 4.7 +/- 2.0% control; Thr 1348: 3.8 +/- 1.0% diabetics vs. 3.2 +/- 1.2% control). Moreover, within each group there was no correlation between the level of tyrosine kinase activity and the extent of serine/threonine phosphorylation. It is concluded that the stoichiometry of serine/threonine phosphorylation of insulin receptor in vivo is low, and that increased phosphorylation of Ser 1327 or Thr 1348 is not responsible for the decreased insulin receptor tyrosine kinase activity observed in the skeletal muscle of NIDDM patients.

Aged↗

Acute hyperglycemia provides an insulin-independent inducer for GLUT4 translocation in C2C12 myotubes and rat skeletal muscle.

GLUT4 translocation and activation of glucose uptake in skeletal muscle can be induced by both physiological (i.e., insulin, nerve stimulation, or exercise) and pharmacological (i.e., phorbol ester) means. Recently, we demonstrated that high glucose levels may mimic the effects of phorbol esters on protein kinase C (PKC) and insulin receptor function (J Biol Chem 269:3381-3386, 1994). In this study, we tested whether the previously described effects of phorbol esters on translocation of GLUT4 in myotubes in culture and also in rat skeletal muscle might be mimicked by glucose. We found that stimulation of C2C12 myotubes with both insulin (10(-7) mol/l, 5 min) and glucose (25 mmol/l, 10 min) induces a comparable increase of the GLUT4 content in the plasma membrane. To test whether this effect occurs in intact rat skeletal muscle as well, two different model systems were used. As an in vitro model, isolated rat hindlimbs were perfused for 80 min with medium containing 6 mmol/l glucose +/- insulin (1.6 x 10(-9) mmol/l, 40 min) or 25 mmol/l glucose. As an in vivo model, acute hyperglycemia (> 11 mmol/l glucose, 20 min) was induced in Wistar rats by intraperitoneal injection of glucose under simultaneous suppression of the endogenous insulin release by injection of somatostatin. In both models, subcellular fractions were prepared from hindlimb skeletal muscle, and plasma membranes were characterized by the enrichment of the marker enzyme alpha 1 Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗

Glucose-induced translocation of protein kinase C isoforms in rat-1 fibroblasts is paralleled by inhibition of the insulin receptor tyrosine kinase.

Rat-1 fibroblasts stably overexpressing high levels of human insulin receptor were used as a model system to study the effects of hyperglycemia on insulin receptor tyrosine kinase (IRK) activity and protein kinase C (PKC) translocation in parallel in the intact cell. Glucose (10-25 mM) induced a significant reduction of IRK activity (tyrosine phosphorylation of IR-beta-subunit and IR-substrate-1) within 10 min. This effect was paralleled by a rapid translocation of several PKC isoforms (cPKC alpha, nPKC delta, nPKC epsilon, nPKC zeta) to the plasma membrane within 1 min. Kinetics of IRK inhibition and PKC translocation are consistent with the idea that the glucose effect on IRK is mediated by PKC activation. This hypothesis is supported by further observations. Addition of the protein kinase C inhibitor H-7 can prevent the effect of glucose on IRK. Inhibition of IRK is also observed after stimulation of the cells with the phorbol ester 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate, which can substitute for a physiological activator of PKC. Glucose (25 mM) increases the 32P incorporation in serine residues of the beta-subunit of IRK. We conclude that high levels of glucose induce inhibition of IRK in vivo. There is indirect evidence that this effect is mediated by a glucose-induced PKC translocation/activation and serine phosphorylation of the insulin receptor.

3-O-Methylglucose↗

Modulation of insulin receptor signalling: significance of altered receptor isoform patterns and mechanism of hyperglycaemia-induced receptor modulation.

Insulin resistance of the skeletal muscle plays a key role in the development of the metabolic endocrine syndrome and its further progression to non-insulin dependent diabetes (NIDDM). Available data suggest that insulin resistance is caused by an impaired signal from the insulin receptor to the glucose transport system and to glycogen synthase. The impaired response of the insulin receptor tyrosine kinase which is found in NIDDM appears to contribute to the pathogenesis of the signalling defect. The reduced kinase activation is not caused by mutations within the insulin receptor gene. We investigated two potential mechanisms that might be relevant for the abnormal function of the insulin receptor in NIDDM, i.e. changes in the expression of the receptor isoforms and the effect of hyperglycaemia on insulin receptor tyrosine kinase activity. The insulin receptor is expressed in two different isoforms (HIR-A and HIR-B). We found that HIR-B expression in the skeletal muscle is increased in NIDDM. However, the characterisation of the functional properties of HIR-A and HIR-B revealed no difference in their tyrosine kinase activity in vivo. The increased expression of HIR-B might represent a compensatory event. In contrast, hyperglycaemia might directly inhibit insulin-receptor function. We have found that in rat-1 fibroblasts which overexpressing human insulin receptor an inhibition of the tyrosine kinase activity of the receptor may be induced by high glucose levels. This appears to be mediated through activation of certain protein kinase C isoforms which form stable complexes with the insulin receptor and modulate the tyrosine kinase activity of the insulin receptor through serine phosphorylation of the receptor beta subunit.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗

Modulation of insulin signalling in non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus: significance of altered receptor isoform patterns and mechanisms of glucose-induced receptor modulation.

Insulin resistance in skeletal muscle plays a key role in the development of the metabolic-endocrine syndrome and its further progression to non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). Available data suggest that insulin resistance is caused by impaired signalling from the insulin receptor to the glucose transport system and to glycogen synthase. The impaired response of the insulin receptor tyrosine kinase, which is found in NIDDM, appears to contribute to the pathogenesis of the signalling defect. The reduced kinase activation is not caused by mutation of the receptor. Two potential mechanisms were investigated that might be relevant to the abnormal function of the insulin receptor in NIDDM. That is, changes of the receptor isoforms and the effect of hyperglycaemia. The insulin receptor is expressed in two different isoforms (HIR-A and HIR-B). HIR-B expression in skeletal muscle is increased in NIDDM. Characterization of the functional properties of HIR-B, however, revealed that increased HIR-B expression did not cause impaired tyrosine kinase activity, but more probably represented a compensatory event. In contrast, hyperglycaemia is able to inhibit insulin receptor function. In a rat-1 fibroblast cell line overexpressing human insulin receptor, inhibition of the tyrosine kinase activity of the receptor can be induced by high glucose levels. This effect appears to be mediated through activation of certain protein kinase C isoforms, which are able to form stable complexes with the insulin receptor and modulate its tyrosine kinase activity through serine phosphorylation of the receptor beta-subunit. This mechanism might also be relevant in human skeletal muscle and thereby contribute to the pathogenesis of insulin resistance.

Animals↗

Troglitazone prevents glucose-induced insulin resistance of insulin receptor in rat-1 fibroblasts.

Troglitazone (CS045), a compound belonging to the thiazolidine diones, is being tested as a new oral antidiabetic agent. Evidence exists from animal studies and clinical trials with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus patients that Troglitazone might reduce insulin resistance. The molecular mechanism of this effect is not understood. In this study, we investigated whether Troglitazone might interfere with the mechanism of glucose-induced insulin resistance. Several studies indicate that hyperglycemia reduces the kinase activity of the insulin receptor in different cell types. This effect is paralleled by translocation of several protein kinase C (PKC) isoforms, and it can be prevented by PKC inhibitors, which suggests that glucose-induced receptor desensitization is mediated by activation of PKC. We studied the effect of hyperglycemia on the insulin receptor kinase activity and its modulation by Troglitazone in rat-1 fibroblasts that stably overexpress the human insulin receptor. Before stimulation with insulin (10(-7) M), cells were acutely exposed to hyperglycemic conditions in the absence or presence of Troglitazone (0.01-2 micrograms/ml). The insulin receptor was solubilized from a plasma membrane fraction or whole cell lysates, and proteins were separated by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and immunoblotted against antiphosphotyrosine and anti-insulin receptor beta-subunit (CT 104) antibodies. Acute hyperglycemia (25 mM glucose) induced a significant inhibition of the insulin receptor kinase (IRK) activity within 30 min (inhibition to 30 +/- 12.5% of maximal insulin-stimulated beta-subunit phosphorylation, n = 9, P < 0.01).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

1-(5-Isoquinolinesulfonyl)-2-Methylpiperazine↗