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Endocrinology Vol. 139, No. 1 358-364
Copyright © 1998 by The Endocrine Society


ARTICLES

Ligand-Independent GLUT4 Translocation Induced by Guanosine 5'-O-(3-Thiotriphosphate) Involves Tyrosine Phosphorylation1

Tetsuro Haruta, Aaron J. Morris, Peter Vollenweider, James G. Nelson, David W. Rose, Michael Mueckler and Jerrold M. Olefsky

Department of Medicine, University of California-San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093; the Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, Washington University School of Medicine (M.M.), St. Louis, Missouri 63110; and the Veterans Administration Research Service (J.M.O.), San Diego, California 92161

Address all correspondence and requests for reprints to: Jerrold M. Olefsky, M.D., Department of Medicine (0673), University of California-San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, California 92093-0673.


    Abstract
 Top
 Abstract
 Introduction
 Materials and Methods
 Results
 Discussion
 References
 
To delineate the signaling pathway leading to glucose transport protein (GLUT4) translocation, we examined the effect of microinjection of the nonhydrolyzable GTP analog, guanosine 5'-O-(3-thiotriphosphate) (GTP{gamma}S), into 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Thirty minutes after the injection of 5 mM GTP{gamma}S, 40% of injected cells displayed surface GLUT4 staining indicative of GLUT4 translocation compared with 55% for insulin-treated cells and 10% in control IgG-injected cells. Treatment of the cells with the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase inhibitor wortmannin or coinjection of GST-p85 SH2 fusion protein had no effect on GTP{gamma}S-mediated GLUT4 translocation. On the other hand, coinjection of antiphosphotyrosine antibodies (PY20) blocked GTP{gamma}S-induced GLUT4 translocation by 65%. Furthermore, microinjection of GTP{gamma}S led to the appearance of tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins around the periphery of the plasma membrane, as observed by immunostaining with PY20. Treatment of the cells with insulin caused a similar phosphotyrosine-staining pattern. Electroporation of GTP{gamma}S stimulated 2-deoxy-D-glucose transport to 70% of the extent of insulin stimulation. In addition, immunoblotting with phosphotyrosine antibodies after electroporation of GTP{gamma}S revealed increased tyrosine phosphorylation of several proteins, including 70- to 80-kDa and 120- to 130-kDa species. These results suggest that GTP{gamma}S acts upon a signaling pathway either downstream of or parallel to activation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and that this pathway involves tyrosine-phosphorylated protein(s).


    Introduction
 Top
 Abstract
 Introduction
 Materials and Methods
 Results
 Discussion
 References
 
INSULIN stimulation of the translocation of glucose transport proteins (GLUT4) to the cell surface is the major mechanism by which insulin causes increased glucose uptake into target tissues. However, the molecular components of the signaling pathway mediating this effect are poorly understood. Using single cell microinjection of 3T3-L1 adipocytes coupled with immunofluorescence detection of GLUT4 proteins, we previously reported that tyrosine phosphorylation of intracellular protein(s) as well as target-ing and stimulation of phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI 3-kinase) activity are critical events leading to translocation of the insulin-sensitive glucose transporter from the intracellular compartment to the plasma membrane in differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes (1). However, the distal part of this pathway, downstream of PI 3-kinase activation, is largely unknown.

To further clarify the mechanisms of GLUT4 translocation, we examined the effect of the nonhydrolyzable GTP analog, guanosine 5'-O-(3-thiotriphosphate) (GTP{gamma}S), on GLUT4 translocation. GTP{gamma}S has been reported to stimulate glucose transport and GLUT4 translocation in insulin-responsive cells such as rat adipocytes (2, 3), 3T3-L1 adipocytes (4), and cardiac myocytes (5). It has previously been shown that treatment of permeabilized 3T3-L1 adipocytes with a PI-3 kinase inhibitor, wortmannin, only partially inhibits GTP{gamma}S-induced GLUT4 translocation (6). Therefore, the effect of GTP{gamma}S may converge on the insulin signaling pathway downstream of PI-3 kinase, which couples to GLUT4 translocation. In the present study, using immunofluorescence detection of GLUT4 proteins, we show that microinjection of GTP{gamma}S into living intact 3T3-L1 adipocytes stimulates GLUT4 translocation. GTP{gamma}S-induced GLUT4 translocation is not affected by treatment of the cells with wortmannin or coinjection of a GST fusion protein comprised of the SH2 domain of the p85 subunit of PI-3 kinase. To clarify the possible role of tyrosine phosphorylation in this PI 3-kinase-independent GLUT4 translocation, we examined the relationship between GTP{gamma}S-induced GLUT4 translocation and phosphotyrosine proteins using microinjection and electroporation techniques.


    Materials and Methods
 Top
 Abstract
 Introduction
 Materials and Methods
 Results
 Discussion
 References
 
Materials
Porcine insulin was provided by Eli Lilly Co. (Indianapolis, IN). Polyclonal anti-GLUT4 antibody (F349) was described previously (7). Sodium azide-free monoclonal antiphosphotyrosine antibody (PY20) and horseradish peroxidase-conjugated phosphotyrosine antibody (RC20) were obtained from Transduction Laboratories (Lexington, KY). PY20 was concentrated, and buffer was exchanged using Microcon 30 (Amicon, Danvers, MA). GST-p85 SH2 fusion protein was provided by A. R. Saltiel, and its preparation and use were described previously (8). All reagents for microinjection were dissolved in microinjection buffer containing 5 mM sodium phosphate (pH 7.2) and 100 mM KCl. Sheep IgG and fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)- and aminomethylcouarin-conjugated antirabbit, antimouse, and antisheep IgG antibodies were obtained from Jackson ImmmunoResearch Laboratories (West Grove, PA). GTP{gamma}S, Lucifer yellow, and all other reagents were purchased from Sigma Chemical Co. (St. Louis, MO). Electroporation equipment for adherent cells (Epizap System) was obtained from Ask Science Products (Ontario, Canada).

Cell culture and microinjection
3T3-L1 cells were cultured and differentiated as previously described (1). Microinjection of various reagents was carried out using a semiautomated Eppendorf microinjection system. Cells on glass coverslips were serum starved for 2 h, microinjected within 30 min, and fixed 30 min after microinjection unless otherwise indicated. All reagents except PY20 were coinjected with 10 mg/ml sheep IgG for identification of injected cells.

Immunostaining and fluorescence microscopy
GLUT4 staining. Immunostaining of GLUT4 was performed essentially as previously described (1). The cells were fixed in 3.7% formaldehyde in PBS for 10 min at room temperature. After washing, the cells were permeabilized and blocked with 0.1% Triton X-100 and 2% FCS in PBS for 10 min. The cells were then incubated with F349 (1 µg/ml) in PBS with 2% FCS overnight at 4 C. After washing, GLUT4 and injected IgG were detected by incubation with FITC-conjugated donkey antirabbit IgG antibody and AMCA-conjugated donkey antisheep or antimouse IgG antibody, respectively, followed by observation under immunofluorescence microscope. In all counting experiments, each coverslip was blindly examined, and the AMCA-positive microinjected cells on each coverslip were evaluated for the presence of plasma membrane-associated GLUT4 staining.

Phosphotyrosine staining. Cells were fixed and permeabilized as described above and incubated with mouse monoclonal antiphosphotyrosine antibody (PY20; 20 µg/ml) in PBS with 5% FCS overnight at 4 C. After washing, phosphotyrosine and microinjected cells were identified by incubation with FITC-conjugated donkey antimouse IgG antibody and AMCA-conjugated donkey antisheep IgG antibody, respectively.

Electroporation
Electroporation of adherent 3T3-L1 adipocytes plated on indium-tin oxide-coated conductive glass (9, 10) was performed using Epizap System (Ask Science Products) essentially according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Briefly, on days 7–8 of differentiation, 3T3-L1 adipocytes were plated on a conductive surface glass slide with a 10 x 32-mm insulating frame and cultured until the cells were fully differentiated. After washing the cells with PBS, an electrode was placed on top of the cells, and 5 mM GTP{gamma}S dissolved in PBS was added between the electrode and the cells. An electrical pulse was applied at 50 V with a capacitor setting of 47 µF. One minute after the pulse, cells were incubated in {alpha}MEM containing 0.1% BSA at 37 C for the indicated times. With these settings, more than 90% of the cells incorporated the fluorescent dye, Lucifer yellow. Electroporation with PBS only had no effect on cell viability, GLUT4 staining, or 2-deoxy-D-glucose uptake (data not shown).

2-Deoxy-D-glucose uptake
Glucose transport was measured by a modification of the methods described by Klip et al. (11). After electroporation, 3T3-L1 adipocytes were incubated in {alpha}MEM containing 0.1% BSA in the absence or presence of 100 ng/ml insulin for 1 h at 37 C. Glucose uptake was determined after the addition of 60 µl substrate [0.1 µCi 2-deoxy-D-[3H]glucose; final concentration, 0.01 mM] for 5 min at 25 C.

Immunoblotting
At the indicated times after electroporation, 3T3-L1 adipocytes were lysed in RIPA buffer containing 20 mM Tris-HCl (pH 7.5), 140 mM NaCl, 1% Nonidet P-40, 1 mM EDTA, 1 mM sodium orthovanadate, 50 U/ml aprotinin, 1 mM phenylmethylsulfonylfluoride, and 50 mM sodium fluoride. Laemmli buffer containing 5% 2-mercaptoethanol was added and boiled for 5 min. Each sample containing 60 µg protein was subjected to SDS-7.5% PAGE and transferred onto nitrocellulose filters. The filters were incubated with horseradish peroxidase-conjugated phosphotyrosine antibody (RC20) or PY20, and subsequently with horseradish peroxidase-conjugated antimouse IgG antibody. Chemiluminescence was detected with the ECL system (Amersham, Arlington Heights, IL).


    Results
 Top
 Abstract
 Introduction
 Materials and Methods
 Results
 Discussion
 References
 
Microinjection of GTP{gamma}S results in GLUT4 translocation in 3T3-L1 adipocytes
Differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes were microinjected with 5 mM GTP{gamma}S, followed by immunostaining with anti-GLUT4 antibody. Untreated cells display GLUT4 staining mostly localized around the nucleus, with some staining distributed throughout the cytoplasm (Fig. 1AGo). Insulin treatment led to an increase in plasma membrane GLUT4 localization, giving the cells a surface staining pattern that looked like a ring around the cell (Fig. 1BGo). As previously described, the percentage of cells that are positive for GLUT4 translocation increased in a dose- and time-dependent manner in response to insulin (1). Microinjection of GTP{gamma}S caused redistribution of GLUT4 with a staining pattern indistinguishable from that caused by insulin (Fig. 1Go, C and D). After injection of 5 mM GTP{gamma}S, the percentage of cells displaying surface GLUT4, indicative of translocation, was 40% at 15 min and declined after 45 min (Fig. 2Go). Therefore, we examined GLUT4 translocation 30 min after the injection of GTP{gamma}S in the subsequent experiments.



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Figure 1. GLUT4 staining of 3T3-L1 adipocytes microinjected with GTP{gamma}S and the effects of wortmannin, GST-p85 SH2, and PY20 on GTP{gamma}S-induced GLUT4 translocation. A and B, 3T3-L1 adipocytes on coverslips were treated without (A) or with (B) 10 ng/ml insulin for 20 min and stained with anti-GLUT4 antibody (F349) followed by incubation with FITC-conjugated antirabbit IgG antibody. C–H, Individual 3T3-L1 adipocytes were microinjected with 5 mM GTP{gamma}S combined with 10 mg/ml sheep IgG (C and D), 12 mg/ml GST-p85 SH2 and 10 mg/ml sheep IgG (E and F), or 10 mg/ml antiphosphotyrosine antibody (PY20; G and H). Thirty minutes after microinjection, the cells were fixed and stained with anti-GLUT4 antibody (F349) followed by incubation with FITC-conjugated antirabbit IgG antibody and AMCA-conjugated antisheep or mouse IgG antibody. GLUT4 staining (C, E, and G) and IgG staining demonstrating injected cells (D, F, and H) are shown.

 


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Figure 2. Time course of GLUT4 translocation in 3T3-L1 adipocytes injected with GTP{gamma}S. 3T3-L1 adipocytes on coverslips were microinjected with 5 mM GTP{gamma}S combined with 10 mg/ml sheep IgG. After the indicated times, the cells were fixed and stained with anti-GLUT4 antibody (F349), followed by incubation with FITC-conjugated antirabbit IgG antibody and AMCA-conjugated antisheep IgG antibody. AMCA-positive injected cells were evaluated for GLUT4 translocation. The percentage of cells positive for GLUT4 translocation was calculated by counting at least 100 cells at each point. The mean of two experiments is shown.

 
GTP{gamma}S-induced GLUT4 translocation is not blocked by inhibition of PI 3-kinase
Upon binding of insulin, insulin receptors are autophosphorylated, followed by tyrosine phosphorylation of endogenous substrates such as insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1), IRS-2, Shc, and Grb2-associated binder-1 (Gab-1) (12, 13, 14, 15), which can recruit various SH2 domain-containing molecules, one of which is the p85 regulatory subunit of PI 3-kinase (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17). We and others have previously shown that activation of PI 3-kinase is necessary and sufficient for insulin-induced GLUT4 translocation (1, 6, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22). However, GTP{gamma}S-induced glucose transport is only partially inhibited by the PI-3 kinase inhibitor wortmannin in permeabilized cells (6). In our study also, treatment of the cells with 1 µM wortmannin, which completely inhibited insulin-induced GLUT4 translocation (Fig. 3Go) did not inhibit GLUT4 translocation induced by microinjection of GTP{gamma}S (Fig. 3Go). We also examined the effect of a GST-p85 SH2 fusion protein on GTP{gamma}S-induced GLUT4 translocation. We have previously shown that microinjection of GST-p85 SH2 inhibits both insulin-induced mitogenesis (8) and insulin-induced GLUT4 translocation (1). Coinjection of this GST-SH2 fusion protein with GTP{gamma}S into 3T3-L1 adipocytes had no effect on GLUT4 translocation (Fig. 1Go, E and F, and Fig. 3Go). Taken together, these results show that inhibition of the enzymatic activity of PI 3-kinase or its proper intracellular targeting does not affect GTP{gamma}S-induced GLUT4 intracellular targeting.



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Figure 3. Effects of wortmannin and coinjection of GST-p85 SH2 fusion protein on GTP{gamma}S-induced GLUT4 translocation. 3T3-L1 adipocytes on coverslips were microinjected with 10 mg/ml sheep IgG, 5 mM GTP{gamma}S combined with 10 mg/ml sheep IgG, or 5 mM GTP{gamma}S combined with both 12 mg/ml GST-p85 SH2 and 10 mg/ml sheep IgG. Insulin stimulation was carried out by incubating the cells with 10 ng/ml insulin for 20 min. Wortmannin treatment was started 10 min before microinjection, and the cells were incubated with 1 µM wortmannin for 60 min. Thirty minutes after microinjection, the cells were fixed and stained for GLUT4 and coinjected sheep IgG. The percentage of cells positive for GLUT4 translocation was calculated by counting at least 100 cells at each point. Error bars represent the SE for four experiments.

 
PY20 blocks GTP{gamma}S-induced GLUT4 translocation
Activation of the insulin receptor tyrosine kinase and tyrosine phosphorylation of endogenous substrates are critical for both the mitogenic and metabolic actions of insulin, and microinjection of an antiphosphotyrosine antibody (PY20) blocks both insulin-stimulated DNA synthesis in fibroblasts and GLUT4 translocation in 3T3-L1 adipocytes (1). In the current series of experiments, this antibody inhibited insulin-induced GLUT4 translocation by 69% (Fig. 4AGo), but had no effect on basal cell surface GLUT4 content, which confirms previous results (1). To examine the possible role of tyrosine phosphorylation in GTP{gamma}S-induced GLUT4 translocation, we coinjected PY20 with GTP{gamma}S into 3T3-L1 adipocytes and evaluated GLUT4 staining of each injected cell. Each coverslip injected with the various reagents was blindly evaluated and counted for GLUT4 translocation-positive cells. The results revealed that coinjection of PY20 significantly inhibited GTP{gamma}S-induced GLUT4 translocation by 65% (Fig. 1Go, G and H, and Fig. 4AGo). Coinjection of phosphotyrosine with PY20 neutralized the inhibitory effect of PY20 on GTP{gamma}S-induced GLUT4 translocation (Fig. 4AGo), indicating that the effect of PY20 was specific for phosphotyrosine residues. To further confirm the specificity of the PY20 antibody, we examined the effects of different concentrations of PY20 and unrelated antibodies on GTP{gamma}S-induced GLUT4 translocation. Microinjection of PY20 inhibited the effect of GTP{gamma}S on GLUT4 translocation in a dose-responsive manner when injected at concentrations ranging from 2.5–10.0 mg/ml (Fig. 4BGo). Neither anti-Ras antibody (1), anti-Shc antibody (1), nor sheep IgG, each at a concentration of 10 mg/ml, inhibited GTP{gamma}S-induced GLUT4 translocation (Fig. 4BGo).



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Figure 4. A, Effect of antiphosphotyrosine antibody (PY20) on GTP{gamma}S-induced GLUT4 translocation. 3T3-L1 adipocytes on coverslips were microinjected and treated with the indicated reagents. Sheep IgG and antiphosphotyrosine antibody (PY20) were injected at a concentration of 10 mg/ml. Phosphotyrosine (2 mg/ml) was preincubated with PY20 for 60 min at 4 C before injection (right lane). Thirty minutes after microinjection, the cells were fixed and stained for both GLUT4 and injected IgG. Insulin stimulation was carried out by incubating the cells with 10 ng/ml insulin for 20 min. The percentage of cells positive for GLUT4 translocation was calculated by counting at least 100 cells at each point. Error bars represent the SE for five experiments. B, Effects of different concentrations of antiphosphotyrosine antibody (PY20) and unrelated antibodies on GTP{gamma}S-induced GLUT4 translocation. 3T3-L1 adipocytes on coverslips were microinjected with the indicated concentrations of antibodies and 5 mM GTP{gamma}S. Thirty minutes after microinjection, the cells were fixed and stained for both GLUT4 and injected IgG. The percentage of cells positive for GLUT4 translocation was calculated by counting at least 100 cells at each point.

 
Plasma membrane-associated tyrosine phosphorylated proteins are induced in response to GTP{gamma}S
The observation that PY20 inhibits GTP{gamma}S-induced GLUT4 translocation indicates that one or more tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins are involved in the GTP{gamma}S mechanism. Thus, we next examined the effect of GTP{gamma}S on phosphotyrosyl staining, as assessed by indirect immunofluorescence microscopy with the PY20 antibody. In the unstimulated state, specific staining with PY20 was hardly observed throughout the cell (Fig. 5AGo). After injection of GTP{gamma}S, the injected cells displayed discrete punctate staining with PY20 around the periphery of the plasma membrane (Fig. 5Go, B and C). Stimulation with insulin caused a similar staining pattern, although the intensity was less than that in GTP{gamma}S-injected cells (Fig. 5DGo). In the insulin-stimulated cells, staining of phosphorylated IRS proteins was not observed in the cytoplasm, presumably because of the relatively diffuse nature of the localization of these proteins.



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Figure 5. Effect of GTP{gamma}S on phosphotyrosine staining in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. 3T3-L1 adipocytes on coverslips were untreated (A), microinjected with 5 mM GTP{gamma}S combined with 10 mg/ml sheep IgG (B and C), or stimulated with 20 ng/ml insulin (D). Thirty minutes after microinjection or 10 min after insulin stimulation, the cells were fixed and stained with antiphosphotyrosine antibody (PY20) followed by incubation with FITC-conjugated antimouse IgG antibody and AMCA-conjugated antisheep IgG antibody. Phosphotyrosine staining (A, B and D) and IgG staining demonstrating injected cells (C) are shown.

 
GTP{gamma}S stimulates glucose transport and induces tyrosine phosphorylation of 70- to 80-kDa and 120- to 130-kDa proteins
To further characterize the effect of GTP{gamma}S, we performed electroporation of GTP{gamma}S into monolayer 3T3-L1 adipocytes, followed by measurements of glucose transport and immunoblotting with phosphotyrosine antibodies. Compared with the cells electroporated with PBS only, introduction of GTP{gamma}S stimulated 2-deoxy-D-glucose uptake of the cells by 2.8-fold, which was 69% of the insulin effect (Fig. 6Go). This indicated that GTP{gamma}S was successfully introduced into the cells, and that the subsequent translocation of GLUT4 to the cell surface was functionally significant, leading to increased uptake of glucose. Electroporation with other nucleotides, i.e. GTP or ATP, had no effect on glucose transport, and the effects of GTP{gamma}S plus insulin were equal to those of insulin alone (data not shown). Immunoblotting of the cell lysates revealed that electroporation with GTP{gamma}S stimulated protein tyrosine phosphorylation (Fig. 7AGo). In particular, tyrosine phosphorylation of 70- to 80-kDa and 120- to 130-kDa species was significantly increased, with maximum phosphorylation 20 min after electroporation (Fig. 7AGo). This effect of GTP{gamma}S was inhibited in a dose-dependent manner by the tyrosine kinase inhibitor genestin, but not by wortmannin (not shown). In contrast, electroporation with PBS, GTP, or ATP was without significant effect on these proteins (Fig. 7Go, A and B). Treatment of the cells with insulin stimulated tyrosine phosphorylation of 95- and 180-kDa proteins 5 min after insulin stimulation, and these presumably represent the insulin receptor ß-subunit and IRS-1, respectively (Fig. 7CGo). In addition, at later time points, insulin treatment caused tyrosine phosphorylation of the 70- to 80-kDa protein, which appeared to be the same protein as that tyrosine phosphorylated by GTP{gamma}S (Fig. 7CGo). As a control, stimulation of cells with LPA (a ligand for G protein-coupled receptors) did not stimulate glucose transport of tyrosine phosphorylation of 120- to 130-kDa or 70- to 80-kDa proteins (data not shown).



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Figure 6. Effect of electroporation with GTP{gamma}S on 2-deoxy-D-[3H]glucose uptake in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. 3T3-L1 adipocytes on conductive glass slides were electroporated with either PBS only or 5 mM GTP{gamma}S dissolved in PBS. 2-Deoxy-D-glucose uptake was measured 60 min after incubation with or without 100 ng/ml insulin. The mean and SE for three experiments are shown.

 


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Figure 7. A, Effect of electroporation with GTP{gamma}S on tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. 3T3-L1 adipocytes on conductive glass slides were electroporated with either PBS or 5 mM GTP{gamma}S. After the indicated times, cells were lysed, and phosphorylated proteins were detected by immunoblotting with antiphosphotyrosine antibody. Data are representative of three experiments with similar results. B, Effects of electroporation with nucleotides on tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. 3T3-L1 adipocytes on conductive glass slides were electroporated with PBS, 5 mM GTP{gamma}S, 5 mM GTP, or 5 mM ATP. After 30 min, cells were lysed, and phosphorylated proteins were detected by immunoblotting with antiphosphotyrosine antibody. C, Effect of insulin on tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. 3T3-L1 adipocytes were treated with 100 ng/ml insulin for the indicated times. Cells were lysed, and phosphorylated pro-teins were detected with immunoblotting with antiphosphotyrosine antibody. Similar results were obtained in three such experiments.

 

    Discussion
 Top
 Abstract
 Introduction
 Materials and Methods
 Results
 Discussion
 References
 
One of insulin’s major metabolic effects is stimulation of overall in vivo glucose disposal, and this is accomplished largely by inducing recruitment, or translocation, of the insulin-sensitive glucose transporter (GLUT4) to the cell surface in target tissues such as skeletal muscle, adipose tissue, and cardiac muscle. However, despite the importance of the signaling pathway leading to this bioeffect, the molecular mechanisms leading to GLUT4 translocation are not well understood. We have recently devised a single cell microinjection system, in which single, living, fully differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes can be microinjected with reagents designed to probe this signaling pathway, followed by detection of GLUT4 translocation using immunofluorescence microscopy (1). In the current studies, we have used this approach to show that microinjection of GTP{gamma}S into 3T3-L1 adipocytes stimulates GLUT4 translocation and that this effect was not blocked by inhibition of PI 3-kinase enzymatic activity or targeting of PI 3-kinase to its intracellular sites of action. However, the effect of GTP{gamma}S was blocked by coinjection of antiphosphotyrosine antibodies. We also used an electroporation system to show that GTP{gamma}S can stimulate both glucose transport and protein tyrosine phosphorylation. Although it has been known that GTP{gamma}S can stimulate glucose transport, the novel findings in this paper are that GTP{gamma}S can do this by mediating GLUT4 translocation in 3T3-L1 adipocytes, that GTP{gamma}S acts in the signaling pathway either downstream of or parallel to PI 3-kinase, and that its effects are dependent on the induction of one or more downstream phosphotyrosine-containing proteins.

GTP{gamma}S is a poorly hydrolyzed GTP analog that can bind to various classes of GTP-binding proteins, converting them to the active GTP-bound form. Alternatively, binding of GTP{gamma}S can inactivate other classes of guanosine triphosphatases by inhibiting their GTP-hydrolyzing function. Thus, it is possible that GTP-binding proteins activated or inactivated by GTP{gamma}S could stimulate exocytosis or inhibit the endocytosis of GLUT4 proteins. Indeed, evidence for both stimulation of exocytosis and inhibition of endocytosis has been reported (3). Recently, a role of heterotrimeric G proteins in insulin signaling has been suggested, as transgenic mice expressing antisense RNA to Gi{alpha}2 display insulin resistance (23). In these mice, deficiency of Gi{alpha}2 leads to an increase in protein tyrosine phosphatase activity and attenuation of insulin-stimulated tyrosine phosphorylation of IRS-1 (23). Therefore, the effect of Gi{alpha}2 appears to lie upstream of that of PI 3-kinase. As our results show that the effect of GTP{gamma}S is independent or downstream of PI 3-kinase, it seems unlikely that GTP{gamma}S-induced GLUT4 translocation is mediated through stimulation of Gi{alpha}2. GTP{gamma}S could potentially activate Ras protein, but we have previously demonstrated that p21ras is not necessary for GLUT4 translocation (1), making this also an unlikely target of GTP{gamma}S in mediating GLUT4 translocation. Other classes of GTP-binding proteins include members of the Rho and Rab families. Rab family members could be potentially stimulated by binding GTP{gamma}S, and they have been implicated in various steps of vesicle trafficking (24). In fact, evidence exists implicating Rab4 in insulin-induced GLUT4 translocation, consistent with the possibility that Rab4 is a target of GTP{gamma}S in this system (25, 26, 27). Another GTP-binding protein, dynamin, which functions by hydrolyzing GTP to GDP, has been implicated in clathrin-mediated endocytosis (28). Thus, inactivation of dynamin-like guanosine triphosphatase by binding to GTP{gamma}S may block endocytosis of GLUT4, leading to an increased amount of GLUT4 on the plasma membrane.

Several reports have indicated that PI 3-kinase is a critical component of insulin-induced GLUT4 translocation (1, 6, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22). Thus, using the single cell microinjection system, we have shown that introducing a GST fusion protein containing an SH2 domain of the p85 subunit of PI 3-kinase into 3T3-L1 adipocytes inhibits insulin-stimulated GLUT4 translocation (1), presumably by behaving as an intracellular competitive inhibitor of the binding of endogenous PI 3-kinase to its proper intracellular targets. In addition, wortmannin, which inhibits the enzymatic activity of the p110 catalytic subunit of PI 3-kinase, also inhibits insulin-stimulated glucose transport and GLUT4 translocation (6, 20), whereas expression of a constitutively active form of the p110 stimulates GLUT4 translocation (22). However, the current studies clearly demonstrate that the GTP{gamma}S effect on GLUT4 redistribution was not inhibited by treating cells with wortmannin or coinjecting cells with GST-p85 SH2. Therefore, neither the enzymatic activity of PI 3-kinase nor its proper intracellular targeting are necessary for the GTP{gamma}S effect, indicating that GTP{gamma}S acts downstream of PI 3-kinase or in a pathway completely parallel to that of PI 3-kinase.

It has previously been established that microinjection of antiphosphotyrosine antibodies can block insulin-induced DNA synthesis in fibroblasts as well as GLUT4 translocation in 3T3-L1 adipocytes (1), and this is consistent with the general idea that activation of the insulin receptor tyrosine kinase with subsequent phosphorylation of receptor substrates such as IRS-1, IRS-2, Shc, and Gab1 leads to activation of a signaling cascade that includes the Ras/MAP kinase and PI 3-kinase pathways (12, 13, 14, 15). However, our observation that coinjection of antiphosphotyrosine antibodies effectively blocks GTP{gamma}S-induced GLUT4 translocation indicates that additional tyrosine phosphorylation events, independent of the insulin receptor kinase, are necessary for the effects of GTP{gamma}S and might also be involved in insulin-induced GLUT4 translocation.

To further pursue the role of phosphotyrosine proteins in the GTP{gamma}S effect, we assessed tyrosine phosphorylation events by immunostaining cells with antiphosphotyrosine antibodies using immunofluorescence detection. In basal cells, no phosphotyrosine staining was observed. Upon microinjection of GTP{gamma}S, clustering of phosphotyrosine staining appeared in a discrete, punctate distribution at the periphery of the plasma membrane. Insulin stimulation of cells induced a similar phosphotyrosine-staining pattern, although the intensity was somewhat less than that induced by GTP{gamma}S. We extended this observation by performing antiphosphotyrosine immunoblotting of cell lysates prepared from GTP{gamma}S-electroporated cells. We found that GTP{gamma}S induced the tyrosine phosphorylation of several proteins, including one at 70–80 kDa and another at 120–130 kDa. It is reasonable to suggest that the phosphotyrosine proteins that appear after GTP{gamma}S might be involved in GLUT4 translocation, and this certainly is consistent with the fact that microinjection of antiphosphotyrosine antibodies inhibits the effect of GTP{gamma}S on GLUT4 distribution. In this regard, GTP{gamma}S did not cause tyrosine phosphorylation of the insulin receptor ß-subunit or IRS-I/II, and this coupled with the finding that the effects of GTP{gamma}S on glucose transport were not inhibited by wortmannin or microinjection of the p85 SH2 domain indicate that GTP{gamma}S stimulates glucose transport through a tyrosine phosphorylation event downstream of (or parallel to) the insulin receptor and IRS-I/II, and independent of PI3 kinase.

In summary, we have demonstrated that GTP{gamma}S can directly lead to GLUT4 translocation in 3T3-L1 adipocytes, and that this effect is mediated by a signaling pathway downstream of or parallel with the activation and targeting of PI 3-kinase. Furthermore, we have shown that the GTP{gamma}S effect is dependent on tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins. The specific GTP-binding protein(s) and the downstream tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins involved in this process remain to be defined.


    Footnotes
 
1 This work was supported in part by NIH Grant DK-33651, the V.A. Medical Research Service, a Mentor-Based Fellowship grant from the American Diabetes Association (to T.H.), NIDDK Research Fellowship DK-09415 (to A.J.M.), a Swiss National Foundation Fellowship (to P.V.), and a Career Development Award from the American Diabetes Association (to D.W.R.). Back

Received June 24, 1997.


    References
 Top
 Abstract
 Introduction
 Materials and Methods
 Results
 Discussion
 References
 

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