Natural protection from apoptosis by surfactant protein A in type II pneumocytes

Surfactant-associated protein A (SP-A) is a component of pulmonary surfactant that binds to a specific receptor (SPAR) on the surface of type II alveolar cells of the lung and regulates gene expression and surfactant secretion. Previously we have shown that activation of SPAR by SP-A binding initiates a signal through pathways that involve tyrosine phosphorylation, include IRS-1, and entail activation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K). In other cell types, cytokines that activate the PI3K signaling pathway promote cell survival. Therefore we investigated whether there was an effect of SP-A on apoptosis as measured by DNA laddering, FACS analysis, TUNEL assay, and annexin V binding. SP-A protected primary cultures of rat type II alveolar cells against the apoptotic effects of etoposide and UV light and also protected the H441 human Clara lung tumor cell line against staurosporine-induced apoptosis. The protective effects of SP-A were abrogated by inhibition of either tyrosine-specific protein kinase activity or PI3K. SP-A/SPAR interaction thus initiates a signaling pathway that regulates apoptosis in type II cells. These findings may be important in understanding the pathogenesis of acute lung injury and pulmonary tumorigenesis and may suggest new therapeutic options.     

Survival signaling in type II pneumocytes activated by surfactant protein-A

Surfactant-associated protein-A (SP-A) is a component of pulmonary surfactant that acts as a cytokine through interaction with a cell-surface receptor (SPAR) on lung epithelial cells. SP-A regulates important physiological processes including surfactant secretion, gene expression, and protection against apoptosis. Tyrosine kinase and PI3K inhibitors block effects of SP-A, suggesting that SPAR may be a receptor tyrosine kinase and activate the PI3K-PKB/Akt pathway. Here we report that SP-A treatment leads to rapid tyrosine-specific phosphorylation of several important proteins in lung epithelial cells including insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1), an upstream activator of PI3K. Analysis of anti-apoptotic signaling species downstream of IRS-1 showed activation of PKB/Akt but not of MAPK. Phosphorylation of IkappaB was minimally affected by SP-A as was NFkappaB gel shift activity. However, FKHR was rapidly phosphorylated in response to SP-A and its DNA-binding activity was significantly reduced. Since FKHR is pro-apoptotic, this may play an important role in signaling the anti-apoptotic effects of SP-A. Therefore, we have characterized survival-enhancing signaling activated by SP-A leading from SPAR through IRS-1, PI3K, PKB/Akt, and FKHR. The activity of this pathway may explain, in part, the resilience of type II cells to lung injury and their survival to repopulate alveolar epithelium after peripheral lung damage.     

Angiotensin II subtype 2 receptor activation inhibits insulin-induced phosphoinositide 3-kinase and Akt and induces apoptosis in PC12W cells

In the present study, we identified novel negative cross-talk between the angiotensin II subtype 2 (AT2) receptor and insulin receptor signaling in the regulation of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K), Akt, and apoptosis in rat pheochromocytoma cell line, PC12W cells, which exclusively express AT2 receptor. We demonstrated that insulin-mediated insulin receptor substrate (IRS)-2-associated PI3K activity was inhibited by AT2 receptor stimulation, whereas IRS-1-associated PI3K activity was not significantly influenced. AT2 receptor stimulation did not change insulin-induced tyrosine phosphorylation of IRS-2 or its association with the p85alpha subunit of PI3K, but led to a significant reduction of insulin-induced p85alpha phosphorylation. AT2 receptor stimulation increased the association of a protein tyrosine phosphatase, SHP-1, with IRS-2. Moreover, we demonstrated that AT2 receptor stimulation inhibited insulin-induced Akt phosphorylation and that insulin-mediated antiapoptotic effect was also blocked by AT2 receptor activation. Overexpression of a catalytically inactive dominant negative SHP-1 markedly attenuated the AT2 receptor- mediated inhibition of IRS-2-associated PI3K activity, Akt phosphorylation, and antiapoptotic effect induced by insulin. Taken together, these results indicate that AT2 receptor-mediated activation of SHP-1 and the consequent inhibition IRS-2-associated PI3K activity contributed at least partly to the inhibition of Akt phosphorylation, thereby inducing apoptosis.     

Active Rho kinase (ROK-alpha ) associates with insulin receptor substrate-1 and inhibits insulin signaling in vascular smooth muscle cells.

Recent studies from our laboratory have shown that insulin stimulates myosin-bound phosphatase (MBP) in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) by decreasing site-specific phosphorylation of the myosin-bound subunit (MBS) of MBP via nitric oxide/cGMP-mediated Rho/Rho kinase inactivation. Here we tested potential interactions between Rho kinase and insulin signaling pathways. In control VSMCs, insulin inactivates ROK-alpha, the major Rho kinase isoform in VSMCs, and inhibits thrombin-induced increase in ROK-alpha association with the insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1). Hypertension (in spontaneous hypertensive rats) or expression of an active RhoA(V14) up-regulates Rho kinase activity and increases ROK-alpha/IRS-1 association resulting in IRS-1 serine phosphorylation that leads to inhibition of both insulin-induced IRS-1 tyrosine phosphorylation and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3-kinase) activation. In contrast, expression of dominant negative RhoA or cGMP-dependent protein kinase type I alpha inactivates Rho kinase, abolishes ROK-alpha/IRS-1 association, and potentiates insulin-induced tyrosine phosphorylation and PI3-kinase activation leading to decreased MBS(T695) phosphorylation and decreased MBP inhibition. Collectively, these results suggest a novel function for ROK-alpha in insulin signal transduction at the level of IRS-1 and potential cross-talk between cGMP-dependent protein kinase type I alpha, Rho/Rho kinase signaling, and insulin signaling at the level of IRS-1/PI3-kinase.     

Insulin signaling in vascular endothelial cells: a key role for heterotrimeric G proteins revealed by siRNA-mediated Gbeta1 knockdown

Activation of insulin receptors stimulates the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3-K)/Akt signaling pathway in vascular endothelial cells. Heterotrimeric G proteins appear to modulate some of the cellular responses that are initiated by receptor tyrosine kinases, but the roles of specific G protein subunits in signaling are less clearly defined. We found that insulin treatment of cultured bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAEC) activates the alpha isoform of PI3-K (PI3-Kalpha) and discovered that purified G protein Gbeta1gamma2 inhibits PI3-Kalpha enzyme activity. Transfection of BAEC with a duplex siRNA targeting bovine Gbeta1 leads to a 90% knockdown in Gbeta1 protein levels, with no effect on expression of other G protein subunits. siRNA-mediated Gbeta1 knockdown markedly and specifically potentiates insulin-dependent activation of kinase Akt, likely reflecting the removal of the inhibitory effect of Gbetagamma on PI3-Kalpha activity. Insulin-induced tyrosine phosphorylation of insulin receptors is unaffected by Gbeta1 siRNA. By contrast, Gbeta1 knockdown leads to a significant decrease in the level of serine phosphorylation of the insulin receptor substrate IRS-1. We explored the effects of siRNA on several serine/threonine protein kinases that have been implicated in insulin signaling. Gbeta1 siRNA significantly attenuates phosphorylation of the 70 kDa ribosomal protein S6 kinase (p70S6K) in the basal state and following insulin treatment. We also found that IGF-1-initiated activation of Akt is significantly enhanced after siRNA-mediated Gbeta1 knockdown, while IGF-1-induced p70S6K activation is markedly suppressed following transfection of Gbeta1 siRNA. We propose that Gbeta1 participates in the activation of p70S6K, which in turn promotes the serine phosphorylation and inhibition of IRS-1. Taken together, these studies suggest that Gbeta1 plays an important role in insulin and IGF-1 signaling in endothelial cells, both by inhibiting the activity of PI3-Kalpha and by stimulating pathways that lead to activation of protein kinase p70S6K and to the serine phosphorylation of IRS-1.     

Chemical modification of surfactant protein A alters high affinity binding to rat alveolar type II cells and regulation of phospholipid secretion

Alveolar type II cells express a high affinity receptor for pulmonary surfactant protein A (SP-A), and the interaction of SP-A with these cells leads to inhibition of surfactant lipid secretion. We have investigated the binding of native and modified forms of SP-A to isolated rat alveolar type II cells. Native and deglycosylated forms of SP-A readily competed with 125I-SP-A for cell surface binding. Alkylation of SP-A with excess iodoacetamide yielded forms of SP-A that did not inhibit surfactant lipid secretion and did not compete with 125I-SP-A for cell surface binding. Reductive methylation of SP-A with H2CO and NaCNBH3 yielded forms of SP-A with markedly reduced receptor binding activity that also exhibited significantly reduced capacity to inhibit lipid secretion. Modification of SP-A with cyclohexanedione reversibly altered cell surface binding and the activity of SP-A as an inhibitor of lipid secretion. Two monoclonal antibodies that block the function of SP-A as an inhibitor of lipid secretion completely prevented the high affinity binding of SP-A to type II cells. A monoclonal antibody that recognizes epitopes on SP-A but failed to block the inhibition of secretion also failed to completely attenuate high affinity binding to the receptor. Concanavalin A inhibits phospholipid secretion of type II cells by a mechanism that is reversed in the presence of excess alpha-methylmannoside. Concanavalin A did not block the high affinity binding of 125I-SP-A to the receptor. Neither the high affinity binding nor the inhibitor activity of SP-A was prevented by the presence of mannose or alpha-methylmannoside. The SP-A derived from humans with alveolar proteinosis is a potent inhibitor of surfactant lipid secretion but failed to completely displace 125I-SP-A binding from type II cells. From these data we conclude that: 1) cell surface binding activity of rat SP-A is directly related to its capacity to inhibit surfactant lipid secretion; 2) monoclonal antibodies directed against SP-A can be used to map binding domains for the receptor; 3) the lectin activity of SP-A against mannose ligands does not appear to be essential for cell surface binding; 4) concanavalin A does not compete with SP-A for receptor binding; and 5) the human SP-A derived from individuals with alveolar proteinosis exhibits different binding characteristics from rat SP-A.     

Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and protein kinase D1 specifically cooperate to negatively regulate the insulin-like growth factor signaling pathway

Insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1) is a key protein in the insulin-like growth factor (IGF) signaling whose tyrosine phosphorylation by the type 1 IGF receptor is necessary for the recruitment and activation of the downstream effectors. Through the analysis of cross-talks occurring between different tyrosine kinase receptor-dependent signaling pathways, we investigated how two growth factors [epidermal growth factor (EGF) and fibroblast growth factor (FGF)] could modulate the IGF-I-induced IRS-1 tyrosine phosphorylation and its downstream signaling. EGF and FGF inhibited IGF-I-stimulated tyrosine phosphorylation of IRS-1 and the subsequent IGF-I-induced phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI 3-kinase) activity. These EGF- and FGF-inhibitory effects were dependent on both PI 3-kinase and protein kinase D1 (PKD1) signaling pathways but independent on the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathway. PKD1, which was activated independently of the PI 3-kinase pathway, associated with IRS-1 in response to EGF or FGF. Unlike PI 3-kinase, PKD1 did not mediate the EGF- or FGF-induced-IRS-1 serine 307 phosphorylation which was described to inhibit IRS-1. Interestingly, specific inhibition of either PI 3-kinase or PKD1 totally impaired EGF- or FGF-induced inhibition of IGF-I-stimulated IRS-1 tyrosine phosphorylation. This indicated that serine 307 phosphorylation of IRS-1 is not sufficient per se to inhibit the IGF signaling pathway and demonstrated for the first time that the negative regulation of IRS-1 requires the coordinated action of PI 3-kinase and PKD1. This further suggests that PKD1 may be an attractive target for innovative strategies that target the IGF signaling pathway.     

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.     

The TSC1-2 tumor suppressor controls insulin-PI3K signaling via regulation of IRS proteins

Insulin-like growth factors elicit many responses through activation of phosphoinositide 3-OH kinase (PI3K). The tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC1-2) suppresses cell growth by negatively regulating a protein kinase, p70S6K (S6K1), which generally requires PI3K signals for its activation. Here, we show that TSC1-2 is required for insulin signaling to PI3K. TSC1-2 maintains insulin signaling to PI3K by restraining the activity of S6K, which when activated inactivates insulin receptor substrate (IRS) function, via repression of IRS-1 gene expression and via direct phosphorylation of IRS-1. Our results argue that the low malignant potential of tumors arising from TSC1-2 dysfunction may be explained by the failure of TSC mutant cells to activate PI3K and its downstream effectors.     

20-Hydroxyeicosatetraenoic Acid Impairs Endothelial Insulin Signaling by Inducing Phosphorylation of the Insulin Receptor Substrate-1 at Ser616

20-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (20-HETE) induces endothelial dysfunction and is correlated with diabetes. This study was designed to investigate the effects of 20-HETE on endothelial insulin signaling.Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) or C57BL/6J mice were treated with 20-HETE in the presence or absence of insulin, and p-ERK1/2, p-JNK, IRS-1/PI3K/AKT/eNOS pathway, were examined in endothelial cells and aortas by immunoblotting. eNOS activity and nitric oxide production were measured. 20-HETE increased ERK1/2 phosphorylation and IRS-1 phosphorylation at Ser⁶¹⁶; these effects were reversed by ERK1/2 inhibition. We further observed that 20-HETE treatment resulted in impaired insulin-stimulated IRS-1 phosphorylation at Tyr⁶³² and subsequent PI3-kinase/Akt activation. Furthermore, 20-HETE treatment blocked insulin-stimulated phosphorylation of eNOS at the stimulatory Ser¹¹⁷⁷ site, eNOS activation and NO production; these effects were reversed by inhibiting ERK1/2. Treatment of C57BL/6J mice with 20-HETE resulted in ERK1/2 activation and impaired insulin-dependent activation of the IRS-1/PI3K/Akt/eNOS pathway in the aorta. Our data suggest that the 20-HETE activation of IRS-1 phosphorylation at Ser⁶¹⁶ is dependent on ERK1/2 and leads to impaired insulin-stimulated vasodilator effects that are mediated by the IRS-1/PI3K/AKT/eNOS pathway.     

The Prolyl Peptidases PRCP/PREP Regulate IRS-1 Stability Critical for Rapamycin-induced Feedback Activation of PI3K and AKT

The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (PKB/AKT)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway conveys signals from receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) to regulate cell metabolism, proliferation, survival, and motility. Previously we found that prolylcarboxypeptidase (PRCP) regulate proliferation and survival in breast cancer cells. In this study, we found that PRCP and the related family member prolylendopeptidase (PREP) are essential for proliferation and survival of pancreatic cancer cells. Depletion/inhibition of PRCP and PREP-induced serine phosphorylation and degradation of IRS-1, leading to inactivation of the cellular PI3K and AKT. Notably, depletion/inhibition of PRCP/PREP destabilized IRS-1 in the cells treated with rapamycin, blocking the feedback activation PI3K/AKT. Consequently, inhibition of PRCP/PREP enhanced rapamycin-induced cytotoxicity. Thus, we have identified PRCP and PREP as a stabilizer of IRS-1 which is critical for PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling in pancreatic cancer cells.     

Mild stretch activates cPLA2 in alveolar type II epithelial cells independently through the MEK/ERK and PI3K pathways

Alveolar epithelial type II cells (AT II) in which lung surfactant synthesis and secretion take place, are subjected to low magnitude stretch during normal breathing. The aim of the study was to explore the effect of mild stretch on phospholipase A(2) (PLA(2)) activation, an enzyme known to be involved in surfactant secretion. In A549 cells (a model of AT II cells), we showed, using a fluorometric assay, that stretch triggers an increase of total PLA(2) activity. Western blot experiments revealed that the cytosolic isoform cPLA(2) is rapidly phosphorylated under stretch, in addition to a modest increase in cPLA(2) mRNA levels. Treatment of A549 cells with selective inhibitors of the MEK/ERK pathway significantly attenuated the stretch-induced cPLA(2) phosphorylation. A strong interaction of cPLA(2) and pERK enzymes was demonstrated by immunoprecipitation. We also found that inhibition of PI3K pathway attenuated cPLA(2) activation after stretch, without affecting pERK levels. Our results suggest that low magnitude stretch can induce cPLA(2) phosphorylation through the MEK/ERK and PI3K-Akt pathways, independently.     

Inhibition of phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase enhances insulin stimulation of insulin receptor substrate 1 tyrosine phosphorylation and extracellular signal-regulated kinases in mouse R- fibroblasts

Insulin stimulates phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K) and extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK) in various mammalian cells. To study the role of PI3K in insulin stimulation of ERK, we employed PI3K inhibitor LY294002 and mouse embryonic R- fibroblasts lacking IGF-1 receptors. In these R- cells, PI3K inhibition by LY294002 enhanced insulin stimulation of ERK phosphorylation whereas LY294002 inhibited insulin stimulation of Akt phosphorylation. The enhanced insulin stimulation of ERK phosphorylation was accompanied by increased IRS-1 tyrosine phosphorylation. Insulin stimulation of insulin receptor tyrosine phosphorylation was not altered. PI3K inhibition increased IRS-1-Grb2 complex formation and ras activity following insulin treatment of cells. Increased insulin stimulation of ERK by PI3K inhibition was mediated by the MEK/ERK pathway, but did not involve inhibitory Ser259 phosphorylation of raf that was reported to be mediated by Akt. In summary, PI3K inhibition in R- cells enhanced insulin stimulation of ERK phosphorylation by mechanisms involving enhancement of IRS-1 tyrosine phosphorylation, IRS-1-Grb2 complex formation and the ras/MEK/ERK pathway.     

Interferon-dependent activation of the serine kinase PI 3'-kinase requires engagement of the IRS pathway but not the Stat pathway

Several signaling pathways are activated by interferon alpha (IFNalpha) in hematopoietic cells, including the Jak-Stat and the insulin receptor substrate (IRS) pathways. It has been previously shown that IFNalpha activates the phosphatidylinositol (PI) 3'-kinase via an interaction of the p85 subunit of PI 3'-kinase with IRS proteins. Other studies have proposed that Stat-3 also functions as an adapter for p85. We sought to identify the major pathway that regulates IFNalpha activation of the PI3'-kinase in hematopoietic cells. Our data demonstrate that IFNalpha induces the interaction of p85 with IRS-1 or IRS-2, but not Stat-3, in various hematopoietic cell lines in which IRS-1 and/or IRS-2 and Stat-3 are activated by IFNalpha. In addition, inhibition of PI 3'-kinase activity by preincubation of cells with the PI 3'-kinase inhibitor LY294002 does not affect IFN-dependent formation of SIF complexes that contain Stat-3. To determine whether phosphorylation of tyrosine residues in the IFN receptor is required for activation of the PI 3'-kinase, we performed studies using mouse L929 fibroblasts transfected with mutated human IFNAR1 and/or IFNAR2 subunits of the Type I IFN receptor, lacking tyrosine phosphorylation sites. The serine kinase activity of the PI-3K was activated by human IFNalpha in these cells, suggesting that phosphorylation of the Type I IFN receptor is not essential for PI3K activation. We then determined whether IFNalpha activates the Akt kinase, a known downstream target for PI 3'-kinase that mediates anti-apoptotic signals. Akt was activated by insulin or IGF-1, but not IFNalpha, in the IFNalpha-sensitive U-266 myeloma cell line. Altogether, our data establish that the IRS pathway and not the Stat pathway, is the major pathway regulating engagement of PI 3'-kinase in hematopoietic cells. Furthermore, the selective activation of Akt by insulin/IGF-1 suggests the existence of distinct regulatory activities of PI3'-kinase in growth factor versus interferon signaling.     

Identification of Insulin Receptor Substrate 1 (IRS-1) and IRS-2 as Signaling Intermediates in the α6β4 Integrin-Dependent Activation of Phosphoinositide 3-OH Kinase and Promotion of Invasion

Expression of the alpha6beta4 integrin increases the invasive potential of carcinoma cells by a mechanism that involves activation of phosphoinositide 3-OH kinase (PI3K). In the present study, we investigated the signaling pathway by which the alpha6beta4 integrin activates PI3K. Neither the alpha6 nor the beta4 cytoplasmic domain contains the consensus binding motif for PI3K, pYMXM, indicating that additional proteins are likely to be involved in the activation of this lipid kinase by the alpha6beta4 integrin. We identified insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS-1) and IRS-2 as signaling intermediates in the activation of PI3K by the alpha6beta4 integrin. IRS-1 and IRS-2 are cytoplasmic adapter proteins that do not contain intrinsic kinase activity but rather function by recruiting proteins to surface receptors, where they organize signaling complexes. Ligation of the alpha6beta4 receptor promotes tyrosine phosphorylation of IRS-1 and IRS-2 and increases their association with PI3K, as determined by coimmunoprecipitation. Moreover, we identified a tyrosine residue in the cytoplasmic domain of the beta4 subunit, Y1494, that is required for alpha6beta4-dependent phosphorylation of IRS-2 and activation of PI3K in response to receptor ligation. Most importantly, Y1494 is essential for the ability of the alpha6beta4 integrin to promote carcinoma invasion. Taken together, these results imply a key role for the IRS proteins in the alpha6beta4-dependent promotion of carcinoma invasion.     

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.     

Inhibition of Phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase Enhances Insulin Stimulation of Insulin Receptor Substrate 1 Tyrosine Phosphorylation and Extracellular Signal-Regulated Kinases in Mouse R− Fibroblasts

Insulin stimulates phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K) and extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK) in various mammalian cells. To study the role of PI3K in insulin stimulation of ERK, we employed PI3K inhibitor LY294002 and mouse embryonic R^? fibroblasts lacking IGF-1 receptors. In these R^? cells, PI3K inhibition by LY294002 enhanced insulin stimulation of ERK phosphorylation whereas LY294002 inhibited insulin stimulation of Akt phosphorylation. The enhanced insulin stimulation of ERK phosphorylation was accompanied by increased IRS-1 tyrosine phosphorylation. Insulin stimulation of insulin receptor tyrosine phosphorylation was not altered. PI3K inhibition increased IRS-1–Grb2 complex formation and ras activity following insulin treatment of cells. Increased insulin stimulation of ERK by PI3K inhibition was mediated by the MEK/ERK pathway, but did not involve inhibitory Ser²⁵⁹ phosphorylation of raf that was reported to be mediated by Akt. In summary, PI3K inhibition in R^? cells enhanced insulin stimulation of ERK phosphorylation by mechanisms involving enhancement of IRS-1 tyrosine phosphorylation, IRS-1–Grb2 complex formation and the ras/MEK/ERK pathway.