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C R Kahn

Publications and source records attributed to C R Kahn.

At least 289 records · Page 16Linked to original sources

Insulin receptor regulation and desensitization in rat hepatoma cells. The loss of the oligomeric forms of the receptor correlates with the change in receptor affinity.

We have previously reported that prolonged incubations of Fao cells, a cell line derived from the well-differentiated Reuber H35 rat hepatoma, with 10(-6) M insulin, induced a decrease in receptor number (down-regulation), an increase in receptor affinity for insulin, and a loss of insulin's biological effect (desensitization). In the present study, we have investigated the relationship between these changes in insulin binding and action and changes in the structure of the insulin receptor. Intact cells were surface labeled with Na125I and lactoperoxidase, and the 125I-labeled insulin receptor was immunoprecipitated using specific antibodies and analyzed on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Autoradiography of gels done under reducing conditions demonstrated the alpha (Mr = 135,000) and the beta (Mr = 95,000) subunits of the receptor. In nonreduced gels, free insulin receptor subunits were observed as well as four higher molecular weight bands with Mr = 210,000, 270,000, 350,000, and 520,000. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis revealed that these bands correspond to alpha-beta heterodimer, alpha 2 homodimer, and two alpha-beta oligomers of high molecular weights, respectively. Cross-linking of 125I-insulin to intact cells with disuccinimidyl suberate revealed bands of Mr = 125,000, 210,000, 250,000 and 320,000, indicating that most of the forms of the receptor could bind insulin. After incubation with 10(-6) M insulin for 24 h, Fao cells revealed a marked decrease of the four oligomeric forms of the receptor, with little change in the level of the free alpha and beta subunits. A similar decrease of the oligomeric forms of the insulin receptor and an increase in the free subunits was observed when normal Fao cells are treated with 7 mM dithiothreitol. In dithiothreitol-treated cells, 125I-insulin binding was increased and this increase was accounted for by a change in affinity. In contrast to Fao cells, down-regulation of the insulin receptor in IM-9 lymphocytes occurs without a change in receptor affinity. In these cells, surface labeling revealed a decrease in total receptors after down-regulation, but not change in the proportion of the oligomeric forms to the free subunits of the receptor. These data suggest the following in Fao hepatoma cells. In the native state, the insulin receptor consists of free alpha and beta subunits and several kinds of disulfide-linked oligomers of these subunits.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Animals↗

Familial hyperproinsulinemia due to a proposed defect in conversion of proinsulin to insulin.

Familial hyperproinsulinemia is a genetic disorder characterized by elevated plasma levels of proinsulin-like material. In two previously described kindreds this has been shown to be due to a structural abnormality in the proinsulin molecule. We have identified a third family with hyperproinsulinemia in which there appeared to be a different defect. The propositus, a 12-year-old girl, had borderline glucose intolerance and markedly elevated immunoreactive-insulin levels on oral glucose-tolerance testing. Gel filtration of plasma revealed that 66 per cent of circulating insulin immunoreactivity was accounted for by the proinsulin-like components. Two of four siblings, the father, and the paternal grandfather also had elevated fasting insulin immunoreactivity in the presence of normal plasma glucose concentrations and elevated levels of proinsulin-like material. In vitro tryptic digestion of plasma proinsulin-like material from an affected family member revealed that proinsulin was converted to insulin in a manner indistinguishable from that in the control. Similarly, proinsulin and insulin exhibited normal activity in a radioreceptor assay. These findings suggest that the proinsulin molecule in this family was normal and that hyperproinsulinemia was due to a defect in the conversion of proinsulin to insulin.

Adult↗

Differences in risk of insulin-dependent diabetes in offspring of diabetic mothers and diabetic fathers.

To examine the role of heritable factors in insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM), we studied the incidence of IDDM in the offspring of patients with the disease who were identified by the medical records of the Joslin Diabetes Center from 1928 to 1939. We found 187 survivors who, after the diagnosis of IDDM, had produced 419 offspring for whom information about diabetes status was available. By the age of 20, 6.1 per cent of the offspring of the 88 men had diabetes; in contrast, only 1.3 per cent of the offspring of the 99 women had the disease by the age of 20 (P less than 0.05). Daughters and sons of the men with IDDM were affected equally (there were insufficient numbers of affected offspring of diabetic women to permit determination of whether the sexes were equally affected). We conclude that IDDM is transmitted less frequently to the offspring of diabetic women than to those of diabetic men. More study is required to determine whether this difference reflects a genetic mechanism or, instead, selective perinatal loss of the affected offspring of diabetic mothers.

Adult↗

Phosphorylation and dephosphorylation of the insulin receptor: evidence against an intrinsic phosphatase activity.

We have studied the reversibility of insulin receptor phosphorylation to establish the relation between this autophosphorylation reaction and the initiation of insulin action and between dephosphorylation and the termination of insulin effects in cells. In cultured Fao hepatoma cells labeled with 32PO4(3-), insulin increased 5-fold the phosphorylation of the beta-subunit of the insulin receptor at serine, threonine, and tyrosine residues. Addition of anti-insulin antiserum to cells incubated with insulin caused dissociation of insulin from the receptor and concurrent dephosphorylation of the beta-subunit. 32PO4(3-) associated with the insulin-stimulated receptor could be decreased by the addition of sodium phosphate to the medium but with a slower time course. Insulin stimulated phosphorylation of insulin receptor purified partially on immobilized wheat germ agglutinin. This reaction utilized [gamma-32P] ATP and occurred exclusively on tyrosine residues. Addition of unlabeled ATP caused a decrease in the amount of PO4(3-) associated with the receptor. Insulin-stimulated phosphorylation was also observed if the receptors were further purified by immunoprecipitation with anti-insulin receptor antibody prior to the phosphorylation reaction; however, addition of unlabeled ATP to this system did not chase the labeled 32PO4(3-) from the beta-subunit. These data are consistent with the notion that phosphorylation and dephosphorylation of the insulin receptor parallel the onset and termination of insulin action. Phosphatase activity involved in the dephosphorylation of the insulin receptor appears to be a glycoprotein because it was retained after partial purification of the receptor on wheat germ agglutinin-agarose; however, this phosphatase activity is distinct from the insulin receptor because it was not retained after immunoprecipitation of the receptor with anti-insulin receptor antibodies.

Animals↗

Kinetic properties and sites of autophosphorylation of the partially purified insulin receptor from hepatoma cells.

Autophosphorylation of the insulin receptor was studied using a glycoprotein fraction solubilized and purified partially from the rat hepatoma cell line, Fao. Incubation of this receptor preparation with [gamma-32P] ATP, Mn2+, and insulin yielded a single insulin-stimulated phosphoprotein of Mr = 95,000 which corresponds to the beta-subunit of the insulin receptor. At 22 degrees C, incorporation of 32P was half-maximal at 30 s and about 90% complete after 2 min. At steady state, about 200 pmol of 32P were incorporated per mg of protein; this value corresponded to about 2 molecules of phosphate per insulin binding site estimated from Scatchard plots. Insulin increased the Vmax for autophosphorylation of the insulin receptor kinase nearly 20-fold with no effect on the Km for ATP. Mn2+ stimulated autophosphorylation by decreasing the Km of the kinase for ATP, whereas Mg2+ had no effect. Dilution of the insulin receptor over a 10-fold concentration range did not decrease the rate of autophosphorylation suggesting that it may occur by an intramolecular mechanism. When the phosphorylated beta-subunit of the insulin receptor was digested with trypsin, at least 5 phosphopeptides could be separated by high performance liquid chromatography on a mu Bondapak C18 reverse-phase column. Insulin stimulated the phosphorylation of all sites. These phosphate acceptor sites varied in their rate and degree of phosphorylation. Phosphopeptides pp4 and pp5 were phosphorylated very rapidly and reached steady state within 20 s, whereas phosphorylation of pp1 and pp2 required several minutes to reach steady state.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

Phosphorylation of the solubilized insulin receptor by the gene product of the Rous sarcoma virus, pp60src.

Both the insulin receptor and the gene product of the Rous sarcoma virus, pp60src, are protein kinases which phosphorylate themselves and other proteins on tyrosine residues. Addition of the solubilized insulin receptor to purified pp60src increased the phosphorylation of the beta-subunit of the insulin receptor. Phosphorylation of the insulin receptor by pp60src occurred both in the absence and presence of insulin but did not alter the insulin dose response for autophosphorylation of the receptor. Increasing concentrations of pp60src increased the phosphorylation of the receptor and at high concentrations equaled the maximal effect produced by insulin. Our observations suggest a possible mechanism by which the metabolically regulated insulin receptor tyrosine kinase could be altered by other tyrosine kinases such as that associated with pp60src. Further studies will be required to determine if the insulin receptor is phosphorylated by pp60src in Rous sarcoma virus-infected cells.

Animals↗

In vivo imaging and quantitative analysis of insulin-receptor interaction in lean and obese Zucker rats.

Imaging and quantitative analysis of insulin-receptor interaction was studied in vivo in lean and obese Zucker rats, using a recently developed technique in which purified Tyr A14 123I-monoiodoinsulin is intravenously injected and the tracer followed by scintillation scanning. The obese rats were 72% overweight, had near normal blood glucose concentrations and an 11-fold increase in plasma insulin concentration. In both groups of rats, the tracer was rapidly taken up by the liver (by a receptor mediated mechanism) and the kidneys (by a non-receptor mediated process). Past this maximum, radioactivity decreased in both organs as 123I-insulin was degraded and free 123I-iodide was released into the plasma compartment. Heart radioactivity (i.e. blood pool) mirrored that of the liver and kidneys. The rapid initial decrease of blood radioactivity was concomitant with liver and kidney uptake of 123I-insulin. Release of free iodide from these organs induced a slow secondary rise of blood radioactivity followed by a final decline corresponding to clearance of plasma iodide, mainly by urinary excretion. Liver radioactivity profiles of lean and obese rats were parallel. When expressed per g weight, liver radioactivity was significantly decreased in obese rats. However, due to hepatomegaly in obese rats, total liver radioactivity was significantly higher in homozygous fa/fa rats than in lean littermates. Furthermore, if the marked hyperinsulinaemia of the obese rats is taken into account, total bound insulin was enhanced in the liver of fa/fa rats whatever reference is used, either g weight or total liver.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗

Analysis of insulin receptors on human lymphoblastoid cell lines by flow cytometry.

Antibodies to the insulin receptor have provided important experimental probes of receptor structure and function. In the present study, we have characterized the insulin receptor on human lymphoblastoid cell lines using polyclonal and monoclonal anti-receptor antibodies and fluorescence flow cytometry. The cell lines were derived by Epstein-Barr virus transformation of peripheral mononuclear leucocytes from normal subjects or patients with disorders that affect the insulin receptor. Fluorescence analysis revealed a high level of specific fluorescence on lymphoid cell lines from normal individuals (mean peak fluorescence 30-50 units above the control) and was similar to the labelling of the spontaneously transformed lymphoblastoid cell line IM-9. Transformed cells from patients with syndromes of insulin resistance, such as the Rabson Mendenhall syndrome, leprechaunism and the type A syndrome of insulin resistance and acanthosis nigricans, exhibited little or no specific fluorescence. In all cases, there was an unimodal distribution of receptors on cells. In addition, there was a good correlation between specific binding of 125I-insulin and percentage peak fluorescence. The data indicate that fluorescence flow cytometry can be used to study the distribution of insulin receptor on different cell lines and to study cells derived from patients with disease states.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗

Analysis of the insulin receptor by anti-receptor antibodies and flow cytometry.

We characterized insulin receptors on a human lymphoblastoid cell line (IM-9) and studied their regulation using anti-receptor antibodies and fluorescence flow cytometry. The fluorescence intensity distribution of insulin receptors on cells was determined by incubating the cells with one of three different anti-receptor antisera (human serum B-9 containing polyclonal autoantibodies, serum from a rabbit with polyclonal antibodies, and a monoclonal antibody to the receptor produced in mouse hybridomas), followed by incubation with an appropriate fluorescein isothiocyanate-labeled second antibody and analysis on an Epics-V flow cytometer. All three anti-receptor antibodies specifically labeled the insulin receptors. The monoclonal antibody showed the highest level of labeling. Treatment of cells with proteolytic enzymes, such as trypsin or chymotrypsin, produced a dose-dependent loss of 125I-labeled insulin (125I-insulin) binding but a relatively small decrease in the binding of anti-receptor antibodies, suggesting that most antibody binding occurred in domains other than the insulin binding site. Treatment with glycosidic enzymes, such as neuraminidase and beta-galactosidase did not affect the binding of 125I-insulin, and fluorescence was actually enhanced by about 20% in the beta-galactosidase-treated cells. Exposure of IM-9 cells to insulin resulted in a reduction in the number of insulin receptors. Analysis of the down-regulated cells by immunofluorescence revealed a complete correlation between the percent binding of 125I-insulin and percent peak fluorescence. In all cases, receptors were lost proportionally from all cells, yielding a single symmetrical peak by fluorescence analysis. Exposure of IM-9 cells to anti-receptor antibodies at 37 degrees C for 16 hr also produced a down-regulation in the number of insulin receptors. Incubation with human antiserum B-9 caused a 95% loss of both 125I-insulin binding and peak fluorescence, while the monoclonal antibody resulted in a 50% loss of receptors. Incubation of cells with anti-receptor antibodies for 2 hr at 4 degrees C did not produce any receptor loss; however, the human anti-receptor antisera B-2 and B-9 inhibited the binding of the monoclonal anti-receptor antibody by about 50%, suggesting that these antisera contained autoantibodies directed at the monoclonal antibody binding site. These data indicate that insulin receptors can be regulated by both insulin and anti-receptor antibody and demonstrate the utility of immunofluorescence and flow cytometry as a tool for the study of the insulin receptor.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗

Phorbol esters modulate insulin receptor phosphorylation and insulin action in cultured hepatoma cells.

The effect of the tumor-promoting agent phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) on insulin receptors and insulin action was studied in rat hepatoma cells in culture. PMA (0.1-1.0 micrograms/ml) did not affect insulin binding either acutely or chronically but inhibited insulin stimulation of glycogen synthase and tyrosine aminotransferase. PMA (1 microgram/ml) stimulated the phosphorylation of the beta subunit of insulin receptor purified from [32P]phosphate-labeled Fao cells by 1.3-fold in the absence of insulin. In contrast, insulin-stimulated phosphorylation in the presence of PMA was reduced. Phosphoamino acid analysis of the beta subunit after PMA stimulation revealed an increase of both phosphoserine and phosphothreonine residues, whereas insulin stimulated primarily phosphorylation of tyrosine and serine residues. Insulin stimulation of cells after PMA treatment revealed a decrease in phosphotyrosine when compared to cells stimulated by insulin alone. Tryptic peptide mapping of the beta subunit by a two-dimensional chromatographic/electrophoretic separation revealed nine phosphopeptides from the cells treated with PMA. Insulin stimulated phosphorylation at six new sites in the receptor, three of which appeared to be similar to those in PMA-treated cells. This report shows that phorbol esters stimulate insulin receptor phosphorylation, inhibit insulin-induced receptor phosphorylation and insulin action, and suggest a physiologic relation between insulin action and the calcium-activated and phospholipid-dependent protein kinase C.

Animals↗

Abnormality of insulin binding and receptor phosphorylation in an insulin-resistant melanoma cell line.

The insulin receptor possesses an insulin-stimulated tyrosine-kinase activity; however, the significance of receptor phosphorylation in terms of the binding and signaling function of the receptor is unclear. To help clarify this problem, we have studied insulin binding and receptor phosphorylation in a Cloudman S91 melanoma cell line and two of its variants: the wild type (1A) in which insulin inhibits cell growth, an insulin-resistant variant (111) in which insulin neither stimulates or inhibits growth, and a variant (46) in which insulin stimulates cell growth. 125I-insulin binding to intact cells was similar for the wild-type 1A and insulin-stimulated variant 46. The insulin-resistant variant 111, in contrast, showed approximately 30% decrease in insulin binding. This was due to a decrease of receptor affinity with no major difference in receptor number. When the melanoma cells were solubilized in 1% Triton X-100 and the insulin receptor was partially purified by chromatography on wheat germ agglutinin-agarose, a similar pattern of binding was observed. Phosphorylation was studied by incubation of the partially purified receptor with insulin and [gamma-32P]ATP, and the receptor was identified by immunoprecipitation and NaDodSO4 PAGE. Insulin stimulated phosphorylation of the 95,000-mol-wt beta-subunit of the receptor in all three cells types with similar kinetics. The amount of 32P incorporated into the beta-subunit in the insulin-resistant cell line 111 was approximately 50% of that observed with the two other cell lines. This difference was reflected throughout the entire dose-response curve (10(-9) M to 10(-6) M). Qualitatively similar results were obtained when phosphorylation was studied in the intact cell. Peptide mapping of the beta-subunit using tryptic digestion and reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography column separation indicated three sites of phosphorylation in receptor from the wild type and variant 46, but only two major sites of phosphorylation of variant 111. These data suggest that the insulin-resistant variant melanoma 111 possesses a specific defect in the insulin receptor which alters both its binding and autophosphorylation properties, and also suggests a possible role of receptor phosphorylation in both the binding and the signaling function of the insulin receptor.

Binding, Competitive↗

Visualization of the insulin receptor by immunoblotting.

Insulin receptors from rat hepatoma cells (Fao) and human placenta were partially purified by detergent solubilization and lectin purification. The insulin receptor preparations were subjected to sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis under reducing or nonreducing conditions. The proteins were transferred to nitrocellulose paper and the electrophoretic blots were treated with human anti-receptor autoantibodies, rabbit antibody to purified insulin receptor, or a monoclonal antibody to human insulin receptor. The nitrocellulose paper was then treated with 125I protein A or 125I second antibody followed by autoradiography. The rabbit polyclonal antiserum and one of the human autoantibodies recognized both the alpha (Mr = 135,000) and beta (Mr = 95,000) subunits after transfer from a SDS gel to nitrocellulose paper. On transfers from nonreduced gels, several high-molecular species were labeled ranging from Mr = 200,000 to Mr = 330,000. Similar high-molecular bands of the receptor were seen if highly purified human placental receptor, as well as partially purified receptor from rat or human origin, were used. As little as 0.1-0.5 microgram of pure receptor could be detected by this technique. Treatment of the receptor with neuraminidase (50 mU/ml) before gel electrophoresis resulted in a 50% increase in intensity of intact receptor and about a 70% increase in the labeling of the alpha-subunit of the receptor, but no change in labeling of the beta-subunit. The monoclonal antibody used, as well as two other human autoantibodies, did not recognize the receptor after transfer to nitrocellulose paper.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗

Insulin receptor regulation and desensitization in rat hepatoma cells. Concomitant changes in receptor number and in binding affinity.

We have studied the effects of chronic exposure to insulin on the binding and the biologic activity of the hormone using a well-differentiated cell line (Fao) derived from the Reuber H35 rat hepatoma. Prolonged incubation (24 h) with 10(-6) M insulin produced a 20-25% decrease in binding of tracer concentrations (2 X 10(-11) M) of 125I-insulin, and a leftward shift of the curve for inhibition by unlabeled insulin. Scatchard analysis of the binding data revealed that a 75-80% decrease in the number of binding sites had occurred in the insulin-treated cells, but was accompanied by an increase in apparent receptor affinity. Kinetic studies suggested negative cooperativity in insulin binding and indicated that the change in affinity was accounted for by a decrease in the rate of dissociation. Both the decrease in receptor number and the increase in affinity were dependent on time, temperature, and the insulin concentration during the treatment period. Both effects were also blocked by cycloheximide, suggesting that they required new protein synthesis. Plasma membranes isolated from downregulated cells retained both the change in receptor number and affinity. Anti-receptor antibodies present in two human sera (B-2 and B-9) inhibited 125I-insulin binding in downregulated cells with equal or slightly greater sensitivity than in control cells. The changes in insulin binding were accompanied by changes in insulin's biologic effects in these cells.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗

Processing of insulin by bovine endothelial cells in culture. Internalization without degradation.

Insulin binding and processing was studied in monolayer cultures of bovine aortic endothelial cells. Specific 125I-insulin binding was both time and temperature dependent. Maximum binding at 37 degrees C occurred at 90 min, and was 3.8%/mg protein and, at 15 degrees C, 7%/mg protein at 4 h. 125I-insulin was crosslinked to its receptor using disuccinimidyl suberate (DSS), and the structure of the receptor complex was identified by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and autoradiography; a major band with Mr = 145,000 was identified, which corresponds to the alpha-subunit of the insulin receptor reported in other tissues. Receptor-bound insulin was internalized, and both the rate and the amount of internalization were temperature dependent. The rate of internalization was slowest at 4 degrees C, and fastest at 37 degrees C, and the maximum amount of 125I-insulin internalized in 120 min was 16% at 4 degrees C, 45% at 15 degrees C, and 81% at 37 degrees C. Despite the high rate of internalization, endothelial cells do not appear to degrade insulin significantly, as determined by gel chromatography and TCA solubility (7% at 4 h) of media-associated radioactivity. In addition, the majority of internalized insulin (75%) was released by 60 min, largely as intact insulin. Chloroquine treatment at high concentration did not exert any major effect on insulin binding or degradation within the first 60 min, but thereafter produced a marked increase in cell-associated radioactivity.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Affinity Labels↗

Insulin binding and insulin-dependent phosphorylation of the insulin receptor solubilized from human erythrocytes.

Insulin receptors were extracted from human erythrocytes contained in 100 ml of blood with the nonionic detergent Triton X-100 with almost 100% yield. The solubilized receptor had binding characteristics similar to those of the intact cell. Using 125I-monoiodoinsulin as tracer and a computer-assisted statistical curve-fitting program, a cooperative model gave values of 1.7 X 10(9) M-1 for the Ke (affinity of the empty receptor) and of 1.6 X 10(8) M-1 for Kf (affinity of the filled receptor). Bovine desalanine-desasparagine insulin inhibited tracer binding with 3-6% the potency of porcine insulin. Serum (B-8) containing anti-insulin receptor antibodies inhibited binding by 70% at a dilution of 1:100. Receptor autophosphorylation reaction was studied by incubation of the Triton extract with [gamma-32P]ATP and Mn2+ in the presence or absence of insulin, and the receptor was identified by immunoprecipitation with anti-receptor antibodies and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Porcine insulin stimulated 4- to 5-fold the incorporation of 32P in a protein of Mr = 95,000, corresponding to the beta-subunit of the insulin receptor. Phosphoamino acid analysis revealed phosphorylation of the tyrosyl residues exclusively. The dose-response curve for insulin stimulation was sigmoidal; some effect of insulin was observed at 1 ng/ml but maximal effect was observed at 10 micrograms/ml. Bovine desalanine-desasparagine insulin, a noncooperative analogue of insulin, was able to fully stimulate the phosphate incorporation, but the dose-response curve was shifted to the right and steeper, consistent with the intrinsic affinity of this analogue for the insulin receptor. When insulin binding was performed under the same conditions as the phosphorylation, half-maximal stimulation of phosphate incorporation occurred with 6-29% of the fractional occupancy of the receptor. These data suggest that the insulin receptor of the human erythrocyte, as in other cells, is a tyrosine-specific protein kinase. Coupling between the receptor occupancy and kinase activation is complex. Furthermore, sufficient quantities of receptor can be easily obtained from a single individual to study the binding and kinase properties of the receptor opening the opportunity to a wide field of applications in human pathology.

Amino Acids↗

Characterization of the insulin receptor kinase purified from human placental membranes.

The insulin receptor purified from human placenta by sequential affinity chromatography on wheat germ agglutinin- and insulin-Sepharose to near homogeneity retained tyrosine-specific protein kinase activity. This purified insulin receptor kinase specifically catalyzed the incorporation of 32P from [gamma-32P]ATP into not only the beta-subunit of the insulin receptor but also histone H2B, a synthetic peptide which is sequentially similar to the site of tyrosine phosphorylation in pp60src (a gene product of the Rous sarcoma virus) and antibodies to pp60src present in the sera obtained from three rabbits bearing tumors induced by the Rous sarcoma virus. In each case, phosphorylation occurred exclusively on tyrosine residues. Insulin stimulated phosphorylation of these substrates 3- to 5-fold. Kinetic analysis using the synthetic peptide indicated that insulin acted by increasing the Vmax of peptide phosphorylation from about 3.1 to 9.5 nmol X mg-1 of protein X min-1, whereas the value of the Km for the peptide, about 1.5 mM, was not significantly changed. This kinase acted weakly on casein, alpha-S-casein, actin, and a tyrosine-containing peptide analogue of a serine-containing peptide used commonly as a substrate for the cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinases. These data show that the insulin receptor kinase displays specificity toward exogenous substrates similar to the substrate specificity observed for pp60src and the protein kinase activity associated with the receptor for epidermal growth factor. The data suggest that the catalytic sites of these three tyrosine kinases are similar and that insulin activates its receptor kinase by increasing the Vmax.

Animals↗

Glucagon resistance of hepatoma cells. Evidence for receptor and post-receptor defects.

Of all available liver cells in culture, only primary cultured hepatocytes are known to respond to glucagon in vitro. In the present study we investigated whether glucagon could stimulate amino acid transport and tyrosine aminotransferase (TAT;EC 2.6.1.5) activity (two well-characterized glucagon effects in the liver) in Fao cells, a highly differentiated rat hepatoma cell line. We found that glucagon had no effect on transport of alpha-aminoisobutyric acid (AIB; a non-metabolizable alanine analogue) nor on TAT activity, even though both activities could be fully induced by insulin [2-fold and 3-fold effects for AIB transport and TAT activity, respectively, after 6h; EC50 (median effective concentration) = 0.3 nM], or by dexamethasone (5-8-fold effects after 20 h; EC50 = 2 nM). Analysis of [125I]iodoglucagon binding revealed that Fao cells bind less than 1% as much glucagon as do hepatocytes, whereas insulin binding in Fao cells was 50% higher than in hepatocytes. The addition of dibutyryl cyclic AMP, which fully mimics the glucagon stimulation of both AIB transport and TAT activity in hepatocytes, induced TAT activity in Fao cells (a 2-fold effect at 0.1 mM-dibutyryl cyclic AMP) but had no effect on AIB transport. Cholera toxin stimulated TAT activity to the same extent as did dibutyryl cyclic AMP. These results indicate that the lack of glucagon responsiveness in cultured hepatoma cells results from both a receptor defect and, for amino acid transport, an additional post-receptor defect. Moreover, the results show that amino acid transport and TAT activity, which appeared to be co-induced by insulin or by dexamethasone in these cells, respond differently to cyclic AMP. This suggests that different mechanisms are involved in the induction of these activities by glucagon in liver.

Aminoisobutyric Acids↗