Reconstitution of the solubilized insulin receptor in phospholipid vesicles.

The insulin receptor was solubilized from turkey erythrocyte membranes by extraction with 1% beta-octylglucopyranoside. Insulin binding was enhanced when the solubilized material was reconstituted in phospholipid vesicles. The affinity of the reconstituted vesicles for various insulins was similar to that of the intact membranes: porcine insulin greater than proinsulin greater than desoctapeptide insulin. A curvilinear Scatchard plot was obtained for insulin binding to the reconstituted system at 15 degrees C. A high affinity association constant of 1.4 x 10(9) M-1 was obtained from the Scatchard plot. This is a four-fold increase over the value for the turkey erythrocyte membrane, which contains more highly saturated phospholipids. This suggests that the insulin receptor may be sensitive to the lipid composition of the membranes in which it is embedded.     

The insulin-receptor interaction: is the kinetic approach for inferring negative-cooperative site-site interactions valid?

The dissociation of insulin from its receptor is reportedly enhanced when the dissociation is induced by dilution in the presence of insulin. This experiment is frequently conducted when curvilinear Scatchard plots of insulin binding are observed in order to infer negative cooperative site-site interactions amongst insulin receptors. However, when insulin binding to purified liver plasma membranes was measured at 15 degrees C in 50 mM Tris, pH 7.5 containing 0.1% bovine serum albumin and 100 U/ml bacitracin, the insulin binding data was characterised by a linear Scatchard plot and a Hill plot with a slope equal to unity. Thus, under the conditions of this binding assay, insulin apparently bound to a single non-interacting class of homogeneous binding sites. But, despite the apparent absence of cooperative interactions under these specific conditions, the dissociation of receptor-bound insulin was still enhanced when the dissociation of insulin from its receptor was induced by dilution in the presence of insulin. This result cast serious doubt on the validity of inferring negative-cooperative site-site interactions amongst insulin receptors based solely on the observation that the dissociation of receptor-bound insulin is enhanced by dilution in the presence of insulin.     

Characterization of the guinea pig adipocyte thyrotropin receptor

125I-TSH binding to porcine thyroid and guinea pig fat resulted in curvilinear Scatchard plots with similar dissociation constants for the high and low affinity binding components. Antibodies from the sera of patients with Graves' disease inhibited binding to the high and low affinity binding components of both tissues. Covalent cross-linking of 125I-TSH to membranes from each tissue resulted in the specific labeling of two protein bands. The guinea pig fat receptor subunits have Mr values of 52,000 and 38,000, whereas the porcine thyroid receptor subunits have values of 46,000 & 35,000. The labeling of the receptor subunits was inhibited by preincubation with Graves' autoantibodies. Despite possessing a different subunit composition, the receptors from these tissues exhibit similar affinity for TSH and share similar antigenic determinants for Graves' autoantibodies.     

The hormonal regulation and interaction of concanavalin A and insulin binding in R3230AC mammary adenocarcinoma cells

To investigate the effects of concanavalin A on insulin binding to R323AC mammary carcinomas, initial experiments were performed to characterize binding of concanavalin A. Concanavalin A binding was found to be specific and saturable. Equilibrium binding experiments demonstrated that addition of low concentration of concanavalin A enhanced the binding of [³H]concanavalin A, suggestive of positively cooperative interactions. Binding of concanavalin A was responsive to hormonal alterations; tumor cells from diabetic rats showed enhanced binding of concanavalin A and insulin compared to cells from intact rats and administration of insulin to diabetic rats returned concanavalin A and insulin binding to levels seen in controls. Incubation of tumor cells with concanavalin A prior to addition of ¹²⁵I-labelled insulin resulted in a reduction of insulin-binding capacity; succinyl-concanavalin A did not affect binding of insulin. The percent inhibition of insulin binding by concanavalin A was highest at the lower insulin concentrations, providing a linearized Scatchard plot that yielded a calculated K_d value comparable to the low-affinity portion of the curvilinear Scatchard plot for insulin binding. The dissociation rate of bound insulin depended on receptor occupancy. Addition of concanavalin A after insulin binding reached equilibrium resulted in increased insulin binding hormone concentrations, decreased rates of dissociation of insulin and a loss of the correlation between receptor occupancy and dissociation rates. Concanavalin A alone demonstrated an insulin-like effect on glucose transport, which in these tumor cells represents a decrease in transport of 3-O-methylglucose. These suggest that binding of both concanavalin A and insulin to cells from this hormonally responsive neoplasm is under insulin regulation and demonstrates similar characteristics to those reported for a variety of normal cells. Furthermore, the interaction between concanavalin A and the cell membranes affects the affinity of the insulin receptor for insulin and appears to decrease the observed negative cooperativity.     

A kainic acid receptor from frog brain purified using domoic acid affinity chromatography

A kainic acid receptor was purified from Triton X-100/digitonin-solubilized frog brain membranes. The purification was carried out in two steps: ion exchange chromatography using DEAE-Sepharose CL-6B and affinity chromatography with domoic acid immobilized on Sepharose 4B. The specific binding activity of the affinity-purified receptor is 481-fold higher than that of the crude solubilized preparation and 1617-fold higher than that of the whole membrane fraction. Scatchard analyses of the affinity-purified receptor showed a curvilinear plot which fit a two-site model with dissociation constants of 5.5 and 34 nM and Bmax values of 1700 pmol/mg protein and 4400 pmol/mg protein for the high and low affinity components, respectively. The dissociation constants of the purified receptor are similar to those of the crude soluble preparation (4.8 and 39 nM). Inhibition constants for several kainic acid analogs were also similar for the purified and crude preparations. The active purified receptor migrated with a Mr = 570,000 on gel filtration analysis using Sepharose 6B. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the affinity-purified receptor showed a single broad band with silver stain, migrating with a Mr = 48,000.     

Purification of insulin receptor with full binding activity

Insulin receptor was purified 2400-fold with an overall yield of 40% from human placental membranes by affinity chromatography on wheat germ agglutinin-Sepharose and insulin-Sepharose. The receptor was eluted from insulin-Sepharose using mild conditions, eliminating urea, so that it was stable and retained full insulin-binding activity. Chromatofocusing and gel filtration analysis indicated that the receptor preparation was apparently pure. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showed three high molecular weight protein bands with Mr = 320,000, 300,000, and 270,000 under nonreducing conditions and two major protein bands with Mr = 135,000 and 90,000 under reducing conditions. The purified receptor showed a curvilinear Scatchard plot with maximum insulin binding of 28.5 micrograms per mg of protein. In comparison, the receptor eluted from insulin-Sepharose with previously used conditions in the presence of urea resulted in maximum insulin binding of only 6 micrograms per mg of protein. This indicates that a 4-to 5-fold increase in specific activity can be obtained by using the new elution conditions.     

Mouse glomerular endothelial cells have an insulin receptor

An insulin receptor was found on the surface of cloned mouse glomerular endothelial cells in vitro. Total specific binding was 2.5 +/- 0.3%/10(6) cells at 90 min and 22 degrees C. Analysis according to Scatchard resulted in a curvilinear plot, with a kd for the high and low affinity sites estimated at 1.41 x 10(-10) and 8.2 x 10(-8) respectively. Insulin binding decreased following 12 hour exposure to 50 ng/ml of insulin suggesting that down regulation of the receptor had occurred, an effect which was reversible. Covalent crosslinking of the receptor to 125I insulin revealed one band at Mr 125,000 by SDS-PAGE which disappeared following preincubation with excess unlabeled insulin. Insulin was also able to stimulate phosphorylation of the beta subunit. The characteristics of this insulin receptor appear very similar to that of endothelial cell types from other microvascular beds.     

Comparative studies on the major features of insulin receptors in mammalian and non-mammalian liver membranes

1. The camel has insulin receptors that by multiple function criteria are very similar to those of the other mammals (rabbit and rat) and non-mammals (chicken and pigeon), with sharp pH dependence to insulin binding at pH 7.2-7.6. 2. Equilibrium binding was faster at higher temperatures (24-37 degrees C) than at lower (4 degrees C). 3. Binding data yielded curvilinear Scatchard plots with half maximal displacement of 125I-insulin at 9 x 10(-9) M, 2.5 x 10(-9) M, 6.3 x 10(-10) M for camel, rabbit, pigeon and chicken respectively, suggesting differences in mammalian and non-mammalian liver membranes. 4. Autoradiogram patterns showed the presence of an identical subunit structure with Mr 74,000 for all membranes studied. Pigeon membrane showed a band with Mr 110,000, the absence of which in other membranes could be due to the degradation factor or the concentration of disuccinimidyl suberate (DSS).     

Distribution of insulin receptors among mouse liver endomembranes

Specific binding of insulin to highly purified preparations of rough endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus, and plasma membrane of mouse liver was determined. ¹²⁵I-labeled insulin bound maximally to the plasma membrane in radio-receptor assays. Golgi apparatus fractions exhibited binding 10–20% that of plasma membrane and rough endoplasmic reticulum exhibited only 1–2% of plasma membrane binding. Binding was proportional to membrane concentration and dose vs. response curves were very similar for the different fractions. Scatchard analysis of the insulin binding data for the plasma membrane and Golgi apparatus fractions showed curvilinear plots yielding similar apparent binding affinities (0.9 and 3.0 · 10⁸ M^?1, respectively). Purity of the isolated endomembranes was analyzed by morphometry and (Na⁺ + K⁺ + Mg²⁺)-ATPase and these preparations displayed less than 1% contamination by plasma membrane. These findings provide important confirmation of the presence of insulin receptors in Golgi apparatus membranes comparable to those located on the plasma membrane. Finally, the present study did not allow us to verify the existence of insulin receptors in the endoplasmic reticulum.     

Characterization of gastric mucosal prostaglandin E2 receptor

1. The binding characteristics of gastric mucosal prostaglandin (PG) E2 (PGE2) receptor were investigated using mucosal cell membranes from rat stomach. The binding was found to be dependent upon PGE2 and membrane protein concentration, the time of incubation and the pH of the mixture, being highest at pH 3.0. 2. Scatchard analysis of the binding data revealed a curvilinear plot with high affinity binding (Kd = 2 nM; Bmax = 0.106 pmol/mg protein) and low affinity binding (Kd = 319 nM; Bmax = 2.262 pmol/mg protein) sites. 3. Competitive displacement study indicated that the receptor was specific for PGs of the E series, as PGF2 alpha and 6-keto-PGF1 alpha failed to displace the PGE2. 4. The study is the first report to provide biochemical parameters of specific PGE receptors in rat gastric mucosa.     

Secretion of soluble functional insulin receptors by transfected NIH3T3 cells

In order to determine whether the human insulin receptor ectodomain can be expressed as a functional protein, the coding regions for the transmembrane and cytoplasmic domain of a full-length human insulin receptor cDNA were deleted by site-directed mutagenesis, and the resultant construct was inserted into a bovine papilloma virus vector under the control of the mouse metallothionein promoter. After transfection of mouse NIH3T3 cells, a cell line secreting an insulin binding protein was isolated. The insulin binding alpha subunit had an Mr of 138,000 and a beta subunit of Mr 48,000 (compared to 147,000 and 105,000 for the full-length human insulin receptor expressed in NIH3T3 cells). This difference in size of the alpha subunit was due to a difference in glycosylation as N-glycanase digestion reduced the apparent size of the alpha subunits of secreted and normal membrane-bound receptors to identical values. The secreted receptor formed disulfide-linked heterotetrameric structures with an Mr of 280,000. It was synthesized as an Mr 160,000 precursor which was cleaved into mature subunits with a t1/2 of 3 h. Increasing expression of the cDNA by induction with sodium butyrate lead to the appearance of an Mr 180,000 protein in the medium as well as the mature alpha and beta subunits. A Scatchard plot of insulin binding to the secreted receptor was curvilinear with a Kd of 7 X 10(-10) M for the high affinity sites and 10(-7) M for the low affinity site (compared to Kd values of 1.1 X 10(-9) M and 10(-7) M, respectively, for human insulin receptors expressed in these cells.     

Characterization of an Insulin Receptor in Human Y79 Retinoblastoma Cells

Cultured human Y79 retinoblastoma cells bind [125I]iodoinsulin in a manner similar to that of other CNS and peripheral tissues. The only difference noted between the insulin binding properties of the Y79 cells and other CNS preparations is that insulin binding to Y79 cells is down-regulated by prolonged exposure of the cells to insulin. By contrast, studies with the various brain preparations indicate that the brain insulin receptor is not down-regulated by circulating levels of insulin. Insulin binding to Y79 cells exhibits negative cooperativity, has a pH optimum of 7.8, is responsive to cations, and gives a curvilinear Scatchard plot. Y79 cell insulin binding capacity is 26 fmol/100 micrograms of cell protein, corresponding to about 125,000 binding sites per cell. These findings are the first to report insulin binding in a human cell line of retinal origin. The characterization of the insulin binding in this cell line may facilitate an understanding of the relationship between insulin and its specific functions in the human retina.     

Distribution of insulin receptors among mouse liver endomembranes.

Specific binding of insulin to highly purified preparations of rough endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus, and plasma membrane of mouse liver was determined. 125I-labeled insulin bound maximally to the plasma membrane in radio-receptor assays. Golgi apparatus fractions exhibited binding 10--20% that of plasma membrane and rough endoplasmic reticulum exhibited only 1--2% of plasma membrane binding. Binding was proportional to membrane concentration and dose vs. response curves were very similar for the different fractions. Scatchard analysis of the insulin binding data for the plasma membrane and Golgi apparatus fractions showed curvilinear plots yielding similar apparent binding affinities (0.9 and 3.0-10(8) M-1, respectively). Purity of the isolated endomembranes was analyzed by morphometry and (Na+ + K+ + Mg2+)-ATPase and these preparations displayed less than 1% contamination by plasma membrane. These findings provide important confirmation of the presence of insulin receptors in Golgi apparatus membranes comparable to those located on the plasma membrane. Finally, the present study did not allow us to verify the existence of insulin receptors in the endoplasmic reticulum.     

Insulin receptor interaction in human placental plasma membranes

Insulin-receptor interaction in partially purified preparations of human placental plasma membranes from normal mothers at term of pregnancy has been characterized. 125I-insulin became rapidly and reversibly bound to plasma membranes, being time and temperature dependent. The binding readily appeared at 1.0 ng/ml insulin concentration which falls within the physiological range of peripheral blood. Low levels of unlabeled insulin inhibited binding; 20 ng/ml insulin produced fifty per cent inhibition. Scatchard plots of data from competitive insulin binding proved to be curvilinear. The insulin greater ability for binding observed in this preparation can be explained by the purification degree achieved at the plasma membranes. 125I-insulin was less degraded by partially purified placental plasma membranes than by a microsomal-membrane preparation obtained without differential centrifugation in sucrose linear gradient. All these properties strongly suggest that the insulin-binding sites characterized in the plasma membrane fraction of the placenta represent biologically important receptors to hormone.     

Testing Models of Insulin Binding in Rat Adipocytes using Network Thermodynamic Computer Simulations

Abstract

Many different models have been proposed to explain the complex binding behavior of insulin to its receptor, but a systematic comparison of models with experimental results is lacking. We have used network thermodynamic computer simulations to compare models of insulin binding against the results of several experimental tests designed to differentiate between the models. Six models of insulin binding were tested (simple, diffusion-reaction, conversion, dissociation, heterogeneous site, and two-step intramembrane) against results reported in the literature for isolated rat adipocytes. Although still a matter of experimental controversy, the criteria selected for modeling were curvilinear Scatchard plots, bi-or multi-exponential dissociation, insulin-accelerated dissociation, lack of dependence of the overall dissociation constant on receptor number, and receptor reserve. Using a given set of parameter values most appropriate for each model, none was able to account for all of the observed experimental results. This indicates both the complexity of the binding reaction and the need for further model development. The approach of using computer simulations to systematically test models against experimental results affords not only insight into the critical features of a model enabling it to pass a test, but also indicates potential experiments which might differentiate between models.     

Structural and Functional Characteristics of Insulin Receptors in Rat Neuroblastoma Cells

Insulin receptors were detected in a variety of rat neuroblastoma and glioma cell lines. The binding of 125I-insulin to B103 neuroblastoma cells had characteristics typical of insulin receptors in other tissues, including high affinity for insulin, low affinity for insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I), and curvilinear Scatchard plots. Using photoaffinity labeling procedures and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) gel electrophoresis to analyze the subunit structure of insulin receptors in B103 cells, the predominantly labeled protein had an apparent molecular weight of 125K and the mobility of this protein was shifted after removal of sialic acid residues. On the basis of size and susceptibility to neuraminidase, the insulin binding subunit in neuroblastoma cells was identical to the alpha-subunit of insulin receptors in adipocytes and different from the 115K subunit found in brain. The presence of an "adipocyte" form of the insulin receptor in clonal cells derived from brain is probably a consequence of transformation and results from more extensive oligosaccharide processing of the 115K receptor expressed in normal brain cells. The fully glycosylated receptors in neuroblastoma cells were capable of exerting functions typical of insulin receptors in adipocytes such as internalization of insulin and stimulation of glucose transport.     

Purification and properties of insulin-activated nitric oxide synthase from human erythrocyte membranes

A membrane bound form of nitric oxide synthase of human erythrocytes that could be activated by insulin was purified to homogeneity by detergent solubilization of the purified membrane preparation of these cells. The purified enzyme (M(r) 230 KD) was found to be composed of one heavy chain (M(r) 135 KD) and one light chain (Mr 95 KD) held together by disulphide bond(s). Scatchard plot analysis of insulin binding to the purified enzyme showed the presence of 2 different populations of the binding sites and the activation were directly related to the hormone binding to the protein. Line weaver Burk plot of the purified enzyme showed that the stimulation of the enzymic activity by insulin was related to the decrease of K(m) with simultaneous increase of V(max). Treatment of the purified enzyme with anti insulin receptor antibody inhibited the activation of the enzyme and the binding of the hormone to the protein. Furthermore NO itself, at low concentration (<0.4 microM) activated the enzyme, but at higher concentration (>0.8 microM) had no effect on the activation. Incubation of the purified enzyme with insulin simultaneously stimulated the tyrosine kinase and nitric oxide synthase activities of the preparations, that could be inhibited by genistein (an inhibitor of tyrosine kinase). These results indicated that the insulin activated nitric oxide synthase could be the insulin receptor itself.     

Ontogeny of insulin receptors in the rat hemochorial placenta

Binding of 125I-insulin to rat placental membranes was time and protein concentration dependent, reversible, and specific. Unlabeled porcine insulin competed for 125I-insulin binding with an IC50 of 65 nM, while IGF-I was much less potent with an IC50 of 2.12 mM. Specific binding of 125I-insulin decreased during the second half of gestation from Days 11 to 19. Scatchard analysis of the binding data for membranes prepared from Gestation Days 11 and 19 yielded typical curvilinear plots which showed a marked decrease in the number of binding sites in late gestation placenta. Beginning on Day 14, insulin binding was characterized with isolated labyrinth and basal zone portions of the hemochorial placenta. There was no evidence for differences in Kd values or the number of binding sites in these two functionally distinct portions of the rat placenta. Crosslinking of 125I-insulin followed by SDS-PAGE showed a single protein with a molecular weight of 130,000 from placental tissues on Gestation Days 11 and 19 and confirmed a gestational decrease in the number of insulin receptors. In solubilized, lectin-purified preparations from placenta and liver membranes, insulin stimulated the phosphorylation of a Mr 95,000 protein. 32P-incorporation into this 95,000 protein was stimulated fivefold by insulin in Day 11 placenta receptor, whereas no detectable 32P-incorporation was found in Day 19 placenta. Thus, while the alpha- and beta-subunits of insulin receptors in mid and late gestation placenta have molecular weights which are similar to receptors in maternal liver, data indicate the presence of a functional difference in insulin-stimulated kinase activities.     

Receptor binding of pancreatic spasmolytic polypeptide in intestinal mucosal cells and membranes

Rat intestinal mucosal cells contain receptors for pancreatic spasmolytic polypeptide (PSP). The binding of 125I-PSP was rapid, saturable, reversible and specific. PSP competed with 125I-PSP for binding to the receptors and 10(-7) M of PSP half-maximally inhibited 125I-PSP binding. The normalized PSP dose-response graphs in intact cells and crude membranes were superimposable. Scatchard plots of PSP binding to membranes were curvilinear, indicating multiple classes of binding sites, negative cooperative interaction between sites or a combination of both. PSP increased the rate of dissociation of the 125I-PSP-receptor complex compared to the rate observed by dilution only, thus giving evidence that negative cooperative interaction may occur between PSP binding sites. The half-life of the fast dissociating complex was about 1.5 min and that of the slow dissociating complex 38 min. These values were independent of the receptor occupancy. The increased rate of dissociation at high receptor occupancy stemmed from a shift in the ratio of the pool sizes of fast and slow dissociating receptor complexes.     

Solubilization and Purification of an α-Amino-3-Hydroxy-5-Methylisoxazole-4-Propionic Acid Binding Protein from Bovine Brain

alpha-Amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-propionic acid (AMPA) is a selective ligand for an excitatory amino acid receptor subtype in mammalian brain. We have solubilized an AMPA binding protein from bovine brain membranes with 1% Triton X-100 in 0.5 M phosphate buffer and 20% glycerol at 37 degrees C and purified the stable binding sites using a series of chromatographic steps. Scatchard analysis of the purified preparation showed a curvilinear plot with dissociation constants of 10.6 and 323 nM and Bmax values of 670 and 1,073 pmol/mg of protein for the high- and low-affinity sites, respectively. Inhibition constants for several excitatory amino acid analogues were similar to those obtained for other membrane and solubilized preparations. Gel filtration of the soluble AMPA binding protein showed a single peak of [3H]AMPA binding activity at Mr approximately 500,000. With sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, the purified AMPA binding protein showed a single major band at Mr = 110,000. Previously, we have shown that a monoclonal antibody (KAR-B1) against a frog brain kainate binding protein selectively recognizes an unknown protein in mammalian brain migrating at Mr approximately 100,000. We now show that this antibody recognizes the major component of the purified AMPA binding protein, supporting a structural similarity between the frog brain kainate binding protein and the mammalian AMPA binding protein.