Insulin receptor substrate-2-dependent interleukin-4 signaling in macrophages is impaired in two models of type 2 diabetes mellitus

We have shown previously that hyperinsulinemia inhibits interferon-alpha-dependent activation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3-kinase) through mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR)-induced serine phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate (IRS)-1. Here we report that chronic insulin and high glucose synergistically inhibit interleukin (IL)-4-dependent activation of PI3-kinase in macrophages via the mTOR pathway. Resident peritoneal macrophages (PerMPhis) from diabetic (db/db) mice showed a 44% reduction in IRS-2-associated PI3-kinase activity stimulated by IL-4 compared with PerMPhis from heterozygote (db/+) control mice. IRS-2 from db/db mouse PerMPhis also showed a 78% increase in Ser/Thr-Pro motif phosphorylation without a difference in IRS-2 mass. To investigate the mechanism of this PI3-kinase inhibition, 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate-matured U937 cells were treated chronically with insulin (1 nm, 18 h) and high glucose (4.5 g/liter, 48 h). In these cells, IL-4-stimulated IRS-2-associated PI3-kinase activity was reduced by 37.5%. Importantly, chronic insulin or high glucose alone did not impact IL-4-activated IRS-2-associated PI3-kinase. Chronic insulin + high glucose did reduce IL-4-dependent IRS-2 tyrosine phosphorylation and p85 association by 54 and 37%, respectively, but did not effect IL-4-activated JAK/STAT signaling. When IRS-2 Ser/Thr-Pro motif phosphorylation was examined, chronic insulin + high glucose resulted in a 92% increase in IRS-2 Ser/Thr-Pro motif phosphorylation without a change in IRS-2 mass. Pretreatment of matured U937 cells with rapamycin blocked chronic insulin + high glucose-dependent IRS-2 Ser/Thr-Pro motif phosphorylation and restored IL-4-dependent IRS-2-associated PI3-kinase activity. Taken together these results indicate that IRS-2-dependent IL-4 signaling in macrophages is impaired in models of type 2 diabetes mellitus through a mechanism that relies on insulin/glucose-dependent Ser/Thr-Pro motif serine phosphorylation mediated by the mTOR pathway.     

IL-3 and IL-4 activate cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases 3 (PDE3) and 4 (PDE4) by different mechanisms in FDCP2 myeloid cells

In FDCP2 myeloid cells, IL-4 activated cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases PDE3 and PDE4, whereas IL-3, granulocyte-macrophage CSF (GM-CSF), and phorbol ester (PMA) selectively activated PDE4. IL-4 (not IL-3 or GM-CSF) induced tyrosine phosphorylation of insulin-receptor substrate-2 (IRS-2) and its association with phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3-K). TNF-alpha, AG-490 (Janus kinase inhibitor), and wortmannin (PI3-K inhibitor) inhibited activation of PDE3 and PDE4 by IL-4. TNF-alpha also blocked IL-4-induced tyrosine phosphorylation of IRS-2, but not of STAT6. AG-490 and wortmannin, not TNF-alpha, inhibited activation of PDE4 by IL-3. These results suggested that IL-4-induced activation of PDE3 and PDE4 was downstream of IRS-2/PI3-K, not STAT6, and that inhibition of tyrosine phosphorylation of IRS molecules might be one mechnism whereby TNF-alpha could selectively regulate activities of cytokines that utilized IRS proteins as signal transducers. RO31-7549 (protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor) inhibited activation of PDE4 by PMA. IL-4, IL-3, and GM-CSF activated mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase and protein kinase B via PI3-K signals; PMA activated only MAP kinase via PKC signals. The MAP kinase kinase (MEK-1) inhibitor PD98059 inhibited IL-4-, IL-3-, and PMA-induced activation of MAP kinase and PDE4, but not IL-4-induced activation of PDE3. In FDCP2 cells transfected with constitutively activated MEK, MAP kinase and PDE4, not PDE3, were activated. Thus, in FDCP2 cells, PDE4 can be activated by overlapping MAP kinase-dependent pathways involving PI3-K (IL-4, IL-3, GM-CSF) or PKC (PMA), but selective activation of PDE3 by IL-4 is MAP kinase independent (but perhaps IRS-2/PI3-K dependent).     

Role of IRS-3 in the insulin signaling of IRS-1-deficient brown adipocytes

Insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1) plays an essential role in mediating the insulin signals that trigger mitogenesis, lipid synthesis, and uncoupling protein-1 gene expression in mouse brown adipocytes. Expression of IRS-3 is restricted mainly to white adipose tissue; expression of this IRS protein is virtually absent in brown adipocytes. We have tested the capacity of IRS-3 to mediate insulin actions in IRS-1-deficient brown adipocytes. Thus, we expressed exogenous IRS-3 in immortalized IRS-1-/- brown adipocytes at a level comparable with that of endogenous IRS-3 in white adipose tissue. Under these conditions, IRS-3 signaling in response to insulin was observed, as revealed by tyrosine phosphorylation of IRS-3, and the activation of phosphatidylinositol (PI) 3-kinase associated with this recombinant protein. However, although insulin promoted the association of Grb-2 with recombinant IRS-3 in IRS-1-/- cells, the exogenous expression of this IRS family member failed to activate p42/44 MAPK and mitogenesis in brown adipocytes lacking IRS-1. Downstream of PI 3-kinase, IRS-3 expression restored insulin-induced Akt phosphorylation, which is impaired by the lack of IRS-1 signaling. Whereas the generation of IRS-3 signals enhanced adipocyte determination and differentiation-dependent factor 1/sterol regulatory element-binding protein (ADD-1/SREBP-1c) and fatty acid synthase mRNA and protein expression, activation of this pathway was unable to reconstitute CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein alpha and uncoupling protein-1 transactivation and gene expression in response to insulin. Similar results were obtained following insulin-like growth factor-I stimulation. In brown adipocytes expressing the IRS-3F4 mutant, the association of the p85alpha regulatory subunit via Src homology 2 binding was lost, but insulin nevertheless induced PI 3-kinase activity and Akt phosphorylation in a wortmannin-dependent manner. In contrast, activation of IRS-3F4 signaling failed to restore the induction of ADD-1/SREBP-1c and fatty acid synthase gene expression in IRS-1-deficient brown adipocytes. These studies demonstrate that recombinant IRS-3 may reconstitute some, but not all, of the signals required for insulin action in brown adipocytes. Thus, our data further implicate a unique role for IRS-1 in triggering insulin action in brown adipocytes.     

Two new substrates in insulin signaling,IRS5/DOK4 and IRS6/DOK5

We have identified two new human genes that encode proteins with tandem pleckstrin homology-phosphotyrosine binding (PH-PTB) domains at their amino termini. Because the other known PH-PTB proteins (insulin receptor substrates: IRS-1, IRS-2, IRS-3, and IRS-4, and the downstream of kinases: DOK-1, DOK-2, and DOK-3) are substrates of insulin and insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1 receptors, we asked whether these new proteins, termed IRS5/DOK4 and IRS6/DOK5, might also have roles in insulin and IGF-1 signaling. Northern analyses indicate that IRS5/DOK4 is ubiquitously expressed but most abundant in kidney and liver. IRS6/DOK5 expression is highest in skeletal muscle. Both proteins are tyrosine-phosphorylated in response to insulin and IGF-1 in transfected cells, although the kinetics differ. Insulin receptor-phosphorylated IRS5/DOK4 associates with RasGAP, Crk, Src, and Fyn, but not phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase p85, Grb2, SHP-2, Nck, or phospholipase Cgamma Src homology 2 domains, and activates MAPK in cells. IRS6/DOK5 neither associates with these Src homology 2 domains nor activates MAPK. IRS5/DOK4 and IRS6/DOK5 represent two new signaling proteins with potential roles in insulin and IGF-1 action.     

Phosphoinositide 3-kinase-mediated reduction of insulin receptor substrate-1/2 protein expression via different mechanisms contributes to the insulin-induced desensitization of its signaling pathways in L6 muscle cells

Impaired glucose tolerance precedes type 2 diabetes and is characterized by hyperinsulinemia, which develops to balance peripheral insulin resistance. To gain insight into the deleterious effects of hyperinsulinemia on skeletal muscle, we studied the consequences of prolonged insulin treatment of L6 myoblasts on insulin-dependent signaling pathways. A 24-h long insulin treatment desensitized the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (PKB) and p42/p44 MAPK pathways toward a second stimulation with insulin or insulin-like growth factor-1 and led to decreased insulin-induced glucose uptake. Desensitization was correlated to a reduction in insulin receptor substrate (IRS)-1 and IRS-2 protein levels, which was reversed by the PI3K inhibitor LY294002. Co-treatment of cells with insulin and LY294002, while reducing total IRS-1 phosphorylation, increased its phosphotyrosine content, enhancing IRS-1/PI3K association. PDK1, mTOR, and MAPK inhibitors did not block insulin-induced reduction of IRS-1, suggesting that the PI3K serine-kinase activity causes IRS-1 serine phosphorylation and its commitment to proteasomal degradation. Contrarily, insulin-induced IRS-2 down-regulation occurred via a PI3K/mTOR pathway. Suppression of IRS-1/2 down-regulation by LY294002 rescued the responsiveness of PKB and MAPK toward acute insulin stimulation. Conversely, adenoviral-driven expression of constitutively active PI3K induced an insulin-independent reduction in IRS-1/2 protein levels. IRS-2 appears to be the chief molecule responsible for MAPK and PKB activation by insulin, as knockdown of IRS-2 (but not IRS-1) by RNA interference severely impaired activation of both kinases. In summary, (i) PI3K mediates insulin-induced reduction of IRS-1 by phosphorylating it while a PI3K/mTOR pathway controls insulin-induced reduction of IRS-2, (ii) in L6 cells, IRS-2 is the major adapter molecule linking the insulin receptor to activation of PKB and MAPK, (iii) the mechanism of IRS-1/2 down-regulation is different in L6 cells compared with 3T3-L1 adipocytes. In conclusion, the reduction in IRS proteins via different PI3K-mediated mechanisms contributes to the development of an insulin-resistant state in L6 myoblasts.     

IRS-4 mediates protein kinase B signaling during insulin stimulation without promoting antiapoptosis

Insulin receptor substrate (IRS) proteins are tyrosine phosphorylated and mediate multiple signals during activation of the receptors for insulin, insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), and various cytokines. In order to distinguish common and unique functions of IRS-1, IRS-2, and IRS-4, we expressed them individually in 32D myeloid progenitor cells containing the human insulin receptor (32D(IR)). Insulin promoted the association of Grb-2 with IRS-1 and IRS-4, whereas IRS-2 weakly bound Grb-2; consequently, IRS-1 and IRS-4 enhanced insulin-stimulated mitogen-activated protein kinase activity. During insulin stimulation, IRS-1 and IRS-2 strongly bound p85alpha/beta, which activated phosphatidylinositol (PI) 3-kinase, protein kinase B (PKB)/Akt, and p70(s6k), and promoted the phosphorylation of BAD. IRS-4 also promoted the activation of PKB/Akt and BAD phosphorylation during insulin stimulation; however, it weakly bound or activated p85-associated PI 3-kinase and failed to mediate the activation of p70(s6k). Insulin strongly inhibited apoptosis of interleukin-3 (IL-3)-deprived 32D(IR) cells expressing IRS-1 or IRS-2 but failed to inhibit apoptosis of cells expressing IRS-4. Consequently, 32D(IR) cells expressing IRS-4 proliferated slowly during insulin stimulation. Thus, the activation of PKB/Akt and BAD phosphorylation might not be sufficient to inhibit the apoptosis of IL-3-deprived 32D(IR) cells unless p85-associated PI 3-kinase or p70(s6k) are strongly activated.     

The Pleckstrin Homology and Phosphotyrosine Binding Domains of Insulin Receptor Substrate 1 Mediate Inhibition of Apoptosis by Insulin

Insulin and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) evoke diverse biological effects through receptor-mediated tyrosine phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate (IRS) proteins. We investigated the elements of IRS-1 signaling that inhibit apoptosis of interleukin 3 (IL-3)-deprived 32D myeloid progenitor cells. 32D cells have few insulin receptors and no IRS proteins; therefore, insulin failed to inhibit apoptosis during IL-3 withdrawal. Insulin stimulated mitogen-activated protein kinase in 32D cells expressing insulin receptors (32D^IR) but failed to activate the phosphatidylinositol 3 (PI 3)-kinase cascade or to inhibit apoptosis. By contrast, insulin stimulated the PI 3-kinase cascade, inhibited apoptosis, and promoted replication of 32D^IR cells expressing IRS-1. As expected, insulin did not stimulate PI 3-kinase in 32D^IR cells, which expressed a truncated IRS-1 protein lacking the tail of tyrosine phosphorylation sites. However, this truncated IRS-1 protein, which retained the NH₂-terminal pleckstrin homology (PH) and phosphotyrosine binding (PTB) domains, mediated phosphorylation of PKB/akt, inhibition of apoptosis, and replication of 32D^IR cells during insulin stimulation. These results suggest that a phosphotyrosine-independent mechanism mediated by the PH and PTB domains promoted antiapoptotic and growth actions of insulin. Although PI 3-kinase was not activated, its phospholipid products were required, since LY294002 inhibited these responses. Without IRS-1, a chimeric insulin receptor containing a tail of tyrosine phosphorylation sites derived from IRS-1 activated the PI 3-kinase cascade but failed to inhibit apoptosis. Thus, phosphotyrosine-independent IRS-1-linked pathways may be critical for survival and growth of IL-3-deprived 32D cells during insulin stimulation.     

Action of insulin receptor substrate-3 (IRS-3) and IRS-4 to stimulate translocation of GLUT4 in rat adipose cells

The insulin receptor initiates insulin action by phosphorylating multiple intracellular substrates. Previously, we have demonstrated that insulin receptor substrates (IRS)-1 and -2 can mediate insulin's action to promote translocation of GLUT4 glucose transporters to the cell surface in rat adipose cells. Although IRS-1, -2, and -4 are similar in overall structure, IRS-3 is approximately 50% shorter and differs with respect to sites of tyrosine phosphorylation. Nevertheless, as demonstrated in this study, both IRS-3 and IRS-4 can also stimulate translocation of GLUT4. Rat adipose cells were cotransfected with expression vectors for hemagglutinin (HA) epitope-tagged GLUT4 (GLUT4-HA) and human IRS-1, murine IRS-3, or human IRS-4. Overexpression of IRS-1 led to a 2-fold increase in cell surface GLUT4-HA in cells incubated in the absence of insulin; overexpression of either IRS-3 or IRS-4 elicited a larger increase in cell surface GLUT4-HA. Indeed, the effect of IRS-3 in the absence of insulin was approximately 40% greater than the effect of a maximally stimulating concentration of insulin in cells not overexpressing IRS proteins. Because phosphatidylinositol (PI) 3-kinase is essential for insulin-stimulated translocation of GLUT4, we also studied a mutant IRS-3 molecule (IRS-3-F4) in which Phe was substituted for Tyr in all four YXXM motifs (the phosphorylation sites predicted to bind to and activate PI 3-kinase). Interestingly, overexpression of IRS-3-F4 did not promote translocation of GLUT4-HA, but actually inhibited the ability of insulin to stimulate translocation of GLUT4-HA to the cell surface. Our data suggest that IRS-3 and IRS-4 are capable of mediating PI 3-kinase-dependent metabolic actions of insulin in adipose cells, and that IRS proteins play a physiological role in mediating translocation of GLUT4.     

Stat6 and IRS-2 Cooperate in Interleukin 4 (IL-4)-Induced Proliferation and Differentiation but Are Dispensable for IL-4-Dependent Rescue from Apoptosis

Stat6 and IRS-2 are two important signaling proteins that associate with the cytoplasmic tail of the interleukin 4 (IL-4) receptor. Data from numerous in vitro experiments have led to a model for IL-4 signal transduction in which the Stat6 signaling pathway is responsible for the IL-4 induced changes in gene expression and differentiation events, while the IRS-2 signaling pathway provides mitogenic and antiapoptotic signals. In order to determine the relative contributions of these signaling molecules in primary lymphocytes, we have examined IL-4 responses in T cells from mice deficient for either Stat6 or IRS-2 as well as from mice doubly deficient for both genes. Both IRS-2 and, especially, Stat6 are shown to be critically involved in IL-4-induced proliferation of T cells, presumably through the cooperative regulation of the Cdk inhibitor p27kip1. Like Stat6-deficient Th cells, IRS-2-deficient cells are also compromised in their ability to secrete Th2 cytokines, revealing a previously unrecognized role for IRS-2 in Th2 cell development. Although Stat6 and/or IRS-2 expression is required for IL-4-induced proliferative and differentiative responses, both signaling proteins are dispensable for the antiapoptotic effect of IL-4. However, treatment of lymphocytes with a protein tyrosine phosphatase inhibitor is able to block the antiapoptotic effect of IL-4 specifically in Stat6- or IRS-2-deficient cells and not in wild-type cells. Our results suggest that Stat6 and IRS-2 cooperate in promoting both IL-4-induced proliferative and differentiating responses, while an additional signaling mediator that depends on protein tyrosine phosphatase activity contributes to the antiapoptotic activities of IL-4 in primary T cells.     

Resistin inhibits glucose uptake in L6 cells independently of changes in insulin signaling and GLUT4 translocation

Elevated levels of resistin have been proposed to cause insulin resistance and therefore may serve as a link between obesity and type 2 diabetes. However, its role in skeletal muscle metabolism is unknown. In this study, we examined the effect of resistin on insulin-stimulated glucose uptake and the upstream insulin-signaling components in L6 rat skeletal muscle cells that were either incubated with recombinant resistin or stably transfected with a vector containing the myc-tagged mouse resistin gene. Transfected clones expressed intracellular resistin, which was released in the medium. Incubation with recombinant resistin resulted in a dose-dependent inhibition of insulin-stimulated 2-deoxyglucose (2-DG) uptake. The inhibitory effect of resistin on insulin-stimulated 2-DG uptake was not the result of impaired GLUT4 translocation to the plasma membrane. Furthermore, resistin did not alter the insulin receptor (IR) content and its phosphorylation, nor did it affect insulin-stimulated insulin receptor substrate (IRS)-1 tyrosine phosphorylation, its association with the p85 subunit of phosphatidylinositol (PI) 3-kinase, or IRS-1-associated PI 3-kinase enzymatic activity. Insulin-stimulated phosphorylation of Akt/protein kinase B-alpha, one of the downstream targets of PI 3-kinase and p38 MAPK phosphorylation, was also not affected by resistin. Expression of resistin also inhibited insulin-stimulated 2-DG uptake when compared with cells expressing the empty vector (L6Neo) without affecting GLUT4 translocation, GLUT1 content, and IRS-1/PI 3-kinase signaling. We conclude that resistin does not alter IR signaling but does affect insulin-stimulated glucose uptake, presumably by decreasing the intrinsic activity of cell surface glucose transporters.     

The Drosophila insulin receptor activates multiple signaling pathways but requires insulin receptor substrate proteins for DNA synthesis.

The Drosophila insulin receptor (DIR) contains a 368-amino-acid COOH-terminal extension that contains several tyrosine phosphorylation sites in YXXM motifs. This extension is absent from the human insulin receptor but resembles a region in insulin receptor substrate (IRS) proteins which binds to the phosphatidylinositol (PI) 3-kinase and mediates mitogenesis. The function of a chimeric DIR containing the human insulin receptor binding domain (hDIR) was investigated in 32D cells, which contain few insulin receptors and no IRS proteins. Insulin stimulated tyrosine autophosphorylation of the human insulin receptor and hDIR, and both receptors mediated tyrosine phosphorylation of Shc and activated mitogen-activated protein kinase. IRS-1 was required by the human insulin receptor to activate PI 3-kinase and p70s6k, whereas hDIR associated with PI 3-kinase and activated p70s6k without IRS-1. However, both receptors required IRS-1 to mediate insulin-stimulated mitogenesis. These data demonstrate that the DIR possesses additional signaling capabilities compared with its mammalian counterpart but still requires IRS-1 for the complete insulin response in mammalian cells.     

Specificity of interleukin-2 receptor gamma chain superfamily cytokines is mediated by insulin receptor substrate-dependent pathway.

Interleukins 9 (IL-9) and 4 are cytokines within the IL-2 receptor gamma chain (IL-2R gamma) superfamily that possess similar and unique biological functions. The signaling mechanisms, which may determine cytokine specificity and redundancy, are not well understood. IRS proteins are tyrosine-phosphorylated following IL-9 and IL-4 stimulation, a process in part mediated by JAK tyrosine kinases (Yin, T. G., Keller, S. R., Quelle, F. W., Witthuhn, B. A., Tsang, M. L., Lienhard, G. E., Ihle, J. N., and Yang, Y. C. (1995) J. Biol. Chem. 270, 20497--20502). In the present study, we used 32D cells stably transfected with insulin receptor (32D(IR)), which do not express any IRS proteins, as a model system to study the requirement of different structural domains of IRS proteins in IL-9- and IL-4-mediated functions. Overexpression of IRS-1 and IRS-2, but not IRS-4, induced proliferation of 32D(IR) cells in response to IL-9. The pleckstrin homology (PH) domain of IRS proteins is required for IRS-mediated proliferation stimulated by IL-9. The phosphotyrosine binding and Shc and IRS-1 NPXY binding domains are interchangeable for IRS to transduce the proliferative effect of IL-4. Therefore, the PH domain plays different roles in coupling IRS proteins to activated IL-9 and IL-4 receptors. The role of IRS proteins in determining cytokine specificity was corroborated by their ability to interact with different downstream signaling molecules. Although phosphatidylinositol 3' -kinase (PI3K) and Grb-2 interact with tyrosine-phosphorylated IRS proteins, Shp-2 only binds to IRS proteins following IL-4, but not IL-9, stimulation. Although PI3K activity is necessary for the IRS-1/2-mediated proliferative effect of IL-9 and IL-4, Akt activation is only required for cell proliferation induced by IL-4, but not IL-9. These data suggest that IRS-dependent signaling pathways work by recruiting different signaling molecules to determine specificity of IL-2R gamma superfamily cytokines.     

In vivo insulin signaling through PI3-kinase is impaired in skeletal muscle of adult rat offspring exposed to ethanol in utero.

It is now known that prenatal ethanol (EtOH) exposure is associated with impaired glucose tolerance and insulin resistance in rat offspring, but the underlying mechanism(s) is not known. To test the hypothesis that in vivo insulin signaling through phosphatidylinositol 3 (PI3)-kinase is reduced in skeletal muscle of adult rat offspring exposed to EtOH in utero, we gave insulin intravenously to these rats and probed steps in the PI3-kinase insulin signaling pathway. After insulin treatment, EtOH-exposed rats had decreased tyrosine phosphorylation of the insulin receptor beta-subunit and of insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1), as well as reduced IRS-1-associated PI3-kinase in the gastrocnemius muscle compared with control rats. There was no significant difference in basal or insulin-stimulated Akt activity between EtOH-exposed rats and controls. Insulin-stimulated PKC isoform zeta phosphorylation and membrane association were reduced in EtOH-exposed rats compared with controls. Muscle insulin binding and peptide contents of insulin receptor, IRS-1, p85 subunit of PI3-kinase, Akt/PKB, and atypical PKC isoform zeta were not different between EtOH-exposed rats and controls. Thus insulin resistance in rat offspring exposed to EtOH in utero may be explained, at least in part, by impaired insulin signaling through the PI3-kinase pathway in skeletal muscle.     

Essential role of insulin receptor substrate 1 in differentiation of brown adipocytes

The most widely distributed members of the family of insulin receptor substrate (IRS) proteins are IRS-1 and IRS-2. These proteins participate in insulin and insulin-like growth factor 1 signaling, as well as the actions of some cytokines, growth hormone, and prolactin. To more precisely define the specific role of IRS-1 in adipocyte biology, we established brown adipocyte cell lines from wild-type and IRS-1 knockout (KO) animals. Using differentiation protocols, both with and without insulin, preadipocyte cell lines derived from IRS-1 KO mice exhibited a marked decrease in differentiation and lipid accumulation (10 to 40%) compared to wild-type cells (90 to 100%). Furthermore, IRS-1 KO cells showed decreased expression of adipogenic marker proteins, such as peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARgamma), CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein alpha (C/EBPalpha), fatty acid synthase, uncoupling protein-1, and glucose transporter 4. The differentiation deficit in the KO cells could be reversed almost completely by retrovirus-mediated reexpression of IRS-1, PPARgamma, or C/EBPalpha but not the thiazolidinedione troglitazone. Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI 3-kinase) assays performed at various stages of the differentiation process revealed a strong and transient activation in IRS-1, IRS-2, and phosphotyrosine-associated PI 3-kinase in the wild-type cells, whereas the IRS-1 KO cells showed impaired phosphotyrosine-associated PI 3-kinase activation, all of which was associated with IRS-2. Akt phosphorylation was reduced in parallel with the total PI 3-kinase activity. Inhibition of PI 3-kinase with LY294002 blocked differentiation of wild-type cells. Thus, IRS-1 appears to be an important mediator of brown adipocyte maturation. Furthermore, this signaling molecule appears to exert its unique role in the differentiation process via activation of PI 3-kinase and its downstream target, Akt, and is upstream of the effects of PPARgamma and C/EBPalpha.     

Insulin receptor substrate 3 (IRS-3) and IRS-4 impair IRS-1- and IRS-2-mediated signaling

To investigate the roles of insulin receptor substrate 3 (IRS-3) and IRS-4 in the insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) signaling cascade, we introduced these proteins into 3T3 embryonic fibroblast cell lines prepared from wild-type (WT) and IRS-1 knockout (KO) mice by using a retroviral system. Following transduction of IRS-3 or IRS-4, the cells showed a significant decrease in IRS-2 mRNA and protein levels without any change in the IRS-1 protein level. In these cell lines, IGF-1 caused the rapid tyrosine phosphorylation of all four IRS proteins. However, IRS-3- or IRS-4-expressing cells also showed a marked decrease in IRS-1 and IRS-2 phosphorylation compared to the host cells. This decrease was accounted for in part by a decrease in the level of IRS-2 protein but occurred with no significant change in the IRS-1 protein level. IRS-3- or IRS-4-overexpressing cells showed an increase in basal phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase activity and basal Akt phosphorylation, while the IGF-1-stimulated levels correlated well with total tyrosine phosphorylation level of all IRS proteins in each cell line. IRS-3 expression in WT cells also caused an increase in IGF-1-induced mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphorylation and egr-1 expression ( approximately 1.8- and approximately 2.4-fold with respect to WT). In the IRS-1 KO cells, the impaired mitogenic response to IGF-1 was reconstituted with IRS-1 to supranormal levels and was returned to almost normal by IRS-2 or IRS-3 but was not improved by overexpression of IRS-4. These data suggest that IRS-3 and IRS-4 may act as negative regulators of the IGF-1 signaling pathway by suppressing the function of other IRS proteins at several steps.     

Three mitogen-activated protein kinases inhibit insulin signaling by different mechanisms in 3T3-L1 adipocytes

TNFalpha, which activates three different MAPKs [ERK, p38, and jun amino terminal kinase (JNK)], also induces insulin resistance. To better understand the respective roles of these three MAPK pathways in insulin signaling and their contribution to insulin resistance, constitutively active MAPK/ERK kinase (MEK)1, MAPK kinase (MKK6), and MKK7 mutants were overexpressed in 3T3-L1 adipocytes using an adenovirus-mediated transfection procedure. The MEK1 mutant, which activates ERK, markedly down-regulated expression of the insulin receptor (IR) and its major substrates, IRS-1 and IRS-2, mRNA and protein, and in turn reduced tyrosine phosphorylation of IR as well as IRS-1 and IRS-2 and their associated phosphatidyl inositol 3-kinase (PI3K) activity. The MKK6 mutant, which activates p38, moderately inhibited IRS-1 and IRS-2 expressions and IRS-1-associated PI3K activity without exerting a significant effect on the IR. Finally, the MKK7 mutant, which activates JNK, reduced tyrosine phosphorylation of IRS-1 and IRS-2 and IRS-associated PI3K activity without affecting expression of the IR, IRS-1, or IRS-2. In the context of our earlier report showing down-regulation of glucose transporter 4 by MEK1-ERK and MKK6/3-p38, the present findings suggest that chronic activation of ERK, p38, or JNK can induce insulin resistance by affecting glucose transporter expression and insulin signaling, though via distinctly different mechanisms. The contribution of ERK is, however, the strongest.