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Biomedical subjects

S I Taylor

Publications and source records attributed to S I Taylor.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

A gene for congenital generalized lipodystrophy maps to human chromosome 9q34.

Congenital generalized lipodystrophy (CGL, Berardinelli-Seip Syndrome, OMIM # 269700) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by near complete absence of adipose tissue from birth. Affected individuals have marked insulin resistance, hypertriglyceridemia and acanthosis nigricans, and develop diabetes mellitus during teenage years. The genetic defect for CGL is unknown. A semi-automated genome-wide scan with a set of highly polymorphic short tandem repeats (STR) was carried out in 17 well-characterized pedigrees and identified a locus for CGL to chromosome 9q34. The maximum two-point lod score obtained was 3.6 at D9S1818 (theta(max) = 0.05). There was evidence for genetic heterogeneity (alpha = 0.73) and 2 of the pedigrees were unlinked. Multipoint linkage analysis excluding the 2 unlinked families yielded a peak lod score of 5.4 between loci D9S1818 and D9S1826. The CGL1 critical region harbors a plausible candidate gene encoding the retinoid X receptor alpha (RXRA) that plays a central role in adipocyte differentiation. Identification of the CGL gene(s) will contribute to our understanding of the adipocyte differentiation and elucidation of the mechanisms of insulin resistance in disorders of adipose tissue.

Acanthosis Nigricans↗

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.

Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing↗

Identification of a family of sorting nexin molecules and characterization of their association with receptors.

Sorting nexin 1 (SNX1) is a protein that binds to the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor and is proposed to play a role in directing EGF receptors to lysosomes for degradation (R. C. Kurten, D. L. Cadena, and G. N. Gill, Science 272:1008-1010, 1996). We have obtained full-length cDNAs and deduced the amino acid sequences of three novel homologous proteins, which were denoted human sorting nexins (SNX2, SNX3, and SNX4). In addition, we identified a presumed splice variant isoform of SNX1 (SNX1A). These molecules contain a conserved domain of approximately 100 amino acids, which was termed the phox homology (PX) domain. Human SNX1 (522 amino acids), SNX1A (457 amino acids), SNX2 (519 amino acids), SNX3 (162 amino acids), and SNX4 (450 amino acids) are part of a larger family of hydrophilic molecules including proteins identified in Caenorhabditis elegans and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Despite their hydrophilic nature, the sorting nexins are found partially associated with cellular membranes. They are widely expressed, although the tissue distribution of each sorting nexin mRNA varies. When expressed in COS7 cells, epitope-tagged sorting nexins SNX1, SNX1A, SNX2, and SNX4 coimmunoprecipitated with receptor tyrosine kinases for EGF, platelet-derived growth factor, and insulin. These sorting nexins also associated with the long isoform of the leptin receptor but not with the short and medium isoforms. Interestingly, endogenous COS7 transferrin receptors associated exclusively with SNX1 and SNX1A, while SNX3 was not found to associate with any of the receptors studied. Our demonstration of a large conserved family of sorting nexins that interact with a variety of receptor types suggests that these proteins may be involved in several stages of intracellular trafficking in mammalian cells.

Alternative Splicing↗

Analysis of the juxtamembrane dileucine motif in the insulin receptor.

Dileucine-containing motifs are involved in trans-Golgi sorting, lysosomal targeting, and internalization. Previously, we have shown that the dileucine motif (EKITLL, residues 982-987) in the juxtamembrane region of the insulin receptor is involved in receptor internalization. Substitution of alanine residues for Leu986 and Leu987 led to a 3- to 5-fold decrease in the ability of the receptors to mediate insulin uptake. In the current study, we show that mutation of the same motif to Met986Ser987, the sequence found in the homologous position in the type I insulin-like growth factor receptor, did not affect insulin uptake. Therefore, we inquired whether the sequence EKITMS as an isolated motif could mediate the targeting of a reporter molecule to endosomes and then lysosomes, as was shown previously with the EKITLL motif of the normal receptor. Chimeric molecules containing Tac antigen fused to different hexapeptide sequences showed distinct patterns of subcellular localization by immunofluorescence microscopy. Tac-EKITLL and Tac-EKITAA were found predominantly in lysosomes and the plasma membrane, respectively. In contrast, Tac-EKITMS was found at the plasma membrane, in the trans-Golgi network, and in endosomes, but only small amounts were found in lysosomes. Thus, the dileucine motif (EKITLL) plays an important role in directing endocytosis of the intact insulin receptor and in mediating efficient endocytosis and lysosomal targeting as an isolated motif. Substitution of AA for LL inhibits endocytosis and lysosomal targeting in both systems. In contrast, substitution of MS for LL permits rapid endocytosis in the intact receptor, but mediates modest endocytosis and very little targeting to lysosomes as an isolated motif. Our observations support the idea that sorting signals are recognized at multiple steps in the cell, and that specific amino acid substitutions may differentially affect each of these sorting steps.

3T3 Cells↗

Insulin receptor substrate-2 (IRS-2) can mediate the action of insulin to stimulate translocation of GLUT4 to the cell surface in rat adipose cells.

Insulin receptor substrates-1 and -2 (IRS-1 and -2) are important substrates of the insulin receptor tyrosine kinase. Previous studies have focused upon the role of IRS-1 in mediating the actions of insulin. In the present study, we demonstrate that IRS-2 can mediate translocation of the insulin responsive glucose transporter GLUT4 in a physiologically relevant target cell for insulin action. Co-immunoprecipitation experiments performed on cell lysates derived from freshly isolated rat adipose cells incubated in the presence or absence of insulin indicated that twice as much phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase was associated with endogenous IRS-1 as with IRS-2 after insulin stimulation. When rat adipose cells in primary culture were transfected with expression vectors for IRS-1 or IRS-2, we observed 40-fold overexpression of human IRS-1 or murine IRS-2. In addition, anti-phosphotyrosine immunoblotting experiments confirmed that the recombinant substrates were phosphorylated in response to insulin stimulation. To examine the role of IRS-2 in insulin-stimulated translocation of GLUT4, we studied the effects of overexpression of IRS-1 and -2 on translocation of a co-transfected epitope-tagged GLUT4 (GLUT4-HA). Overexpression of IRS-1 or IRS-2 in adipose cells resulted in a significant increase in the basal level of cell surface GLUT4 (in the absence of insulin). Interestingly, at maximally effective concentrations of insulin (60 nM), the level of cell surface GLUT4 in cells overexpressing IRS-1 or -2 significantly exceeded the maximal recruitment observed in the control cells (160 and 135% of control, respectively; p < 0.003). Our data directly demonstrate that IRS-2, like IRS-1, is capable of participating in insulin signal transduction pathways leading to the recruitment of GLUT4. Thus, IRS-2 may provide an alternative pathway for critical metabolic actions of insulin.

Adipose Tissue↗

Four mutant alleles of the insulin receptor gene associated with genetic syndromes of extreme insulin resistance.

We identified four novel mutant alleles of the insulin receptor gene in three patients with genetic syndromes associated with insulin resistance. Two mutant alleles of the insulin receptor gene were identified in a patient with the Rabson-Mendenhall syndrome who was a compound heterozygote for a mutation at the 3'-splice acceptor site of intron 4 (AG-->GG), the first mutation causing an aberrant splicing at this locus, and a deletion of eight base pairs in exon 12. The second patient with leprechaunism was also a compound heterozygote for a deletion of one base pair in exon 19 and a mutation, Thr910-->Met, which causes impaired receptor processing. Interestingly, the third patient with type A syndrome was a simple heterozygote for the identical one base pair deletion. The fact that the same one base pair deletion links to type A in a simple heterozygote and to leprechaunism in a compound heterozygote appears consistent with the hypothesis that the severity of mutations will determine the phenotype.

Alternative Splicing↗

Development of a novel polygenic model of NIDDM in mice heterozygous for IR and IRS-1 null alleles.

NIDDM is a polygenic disease characterized by insulin resistance in muscle, fat, and liver, followed by a failure of pancreatic beta cells to adequately compensate for this resistance despite increased insulin secretion. Mice double heterozygous for null alleles in the insulin receptor and insulin receptor substrate-1 genes exhibit the expected approximately 50% reduction in expression of these two proteins, but a synergism at a level of insulin resistance with 5- to 50-fold elevated plasma insulin levels and comparable levels of beta cell hyperplasia. At 4-6 months of age, 40% of these double heterozygotes become overtly diabetic. This NIDDM mouse model in which diabetes arises in an age-dependent manner from the interaction between two genetically determined, subclinical defects in the insulin signaling cascade demonstrates the role of epistatic interactions in the pathogenesis of common diseases with non-Mendelian genetics.

Alleles↗

Insulin stimulates both leptin secretion and production by rat white adipose tissue.

Leptin, the peptide encoded by the obese gene, is secreted by adipose cells and plays a role in regulating food intake, energy expenditure, and adiposity. Because earlier studies suggested that insulin increases the expression of leptin, we investigated the effect of insulin on leptin secretion by adipose tissue. Epididymal fat pads were incubated in vitro in the presence or absence of insulin over a 4-h time course. Insulin increased leptin secretion by about 80% at all time points studied. After 10 min of insulin treatment, the amount of tissue-associated leptin was lower in insulin-stimulated tissue, presumably due to the increased secretion. At later times, both tissue-associated leptin and total leptin production were higher in insulin-treated tissue. In untreated, isolated adipose cells, immunostaining of leptin was detected in the endoplasmic reticulum by confocal microscopy. After insulin treatment, there were two populations of cells. In many cells, leptin staining became fainter and was restricted to a narrow band near the plasma membrane. However, in other cells the leptin-staining pattern was unchanged. Leptin did not colocalize with GLUT4, the glucose transporter isoform found primarily in insulin-responsive cells, in either basal or insulin-stimulated adipose cells. In this study, insulin increased both secretion and production of leptin by adipose tissue fragments. Interestingly, insulin appeared to stimulate the transport of leptin from the endoplasmic reticulum rather than acting on a pool of regulated secretory vesicles. (Endocrinology 138: 4463-4472, 1997)

Adipose Tissue↗

Cloning, tissue expression, and chromosomal localization of the mouse IRS-3 gene.

Insulin receptor substrate (IRS) proteins are key regulators of basic functions such as cellular growth and metabolism. They provide an interface between multiple receptors and a complex network of intracellular signaling molecules. Two members of this family (IRS-1 and IRS-2) have been identified previously. In this investigation, we analyzed a mouse expressed sequence tag clone that proved to be a new member of the IRS family. Sequence analysis of this clone and comparison with the sequences deposited in GenBank demonstrates this protein may be the murine homolog of rat IRS-3, recently purified and cloned from rat adipocytes. Accordingly, we have named our protein mouse IRS-3. The expressed sequence tag clone contains the complete coding sequence of 1485 bp, encoding a protein of 495 amino acids. Sequence alignment with the other members of the IRS family shows that this protein contains pleckstrin homology and phosphotyrosine-binding domains that are highly conserved. In addition, there is conservation of many tyrosine phosphorylation motifs responsible for interactions with downstream signaling molecules containing SH2 domains. The murine IRS-3 messenger RNA (2.4 kilobases in length) is expressed in many tissues, with highest levels in liver and lung. Mouse IRS-3 is highly expressed in the first part of the embryonic life, when IRS-1 messenger RNA is barely detectable. Unlike the genes encoding IRS-1 and IRS-2, the IRS-3 gene contains an intron (344 bp in length) in the region between the pleckstrin homology and the phosphotyrosine-binding domains. Fluorescent in situ hybridization localized the mouse IRS-3 gene on the telomeric region of chromosome 5G2. Cloning of the murine IRS-3 gene will make it possible to apply genetic approaches to elucidate the physiological role of this new member of the IRS family of proteins.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Molecular scanning of beta-3-adrenergic receptor gene in total congenital lipoatrophic diabetes mellitus.

Total congenital lipoatrophic diabetes is characterized by absence of subcutaneous adipose tissue, hypertriglyceridemia, and insulin resistance. We hypothesized that mutations in the beta-3-adrenergic receptor (beta 3AR) gene might result in the lipoatrophic phenotype by preventing triglyceride storage in adipocytes; thereby, resulting in secondary insulin resistance. We screened the beta 3AR gene in 7 subjects with total congenital lipoatropic diabetes. We found a heterozygous substitution of a guanine to cytosine at position -153 (G-153C) in the 5'-untranslated region of 3 African-American lipoatrophic siblings and 1 sibling without lipoatrophy but with insulin resistance. To determine whether the base change was related to the lipoatrophic phenotype, we genotyped 69 African-Americans without lipoatrophy and found the G-153C substitution in 2 control subjects (allele frequency = 0.01). No other single-stranded polymorphism variants were found in any of the 7 lipoatrophic subjects. Direct sequencing of both alleles of 1 lipoatrophic subject demonstrated a thymidine insertion at position -300 in both alleles. All lipoatrophic subjects along with 20 African-American control subjects were homozygous for the base insertion, suggesting an error in the published sequence. In conclusion, mutations in the beta 3AR gene do not appear to be involved in the development of congenital total lipoatrophy.

Alleles↗

Expression of variant forms of insulin receptor substrate-1 identified in patients with noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.

Several polymorphisms have been identified in the amino acid sequence of human insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1). Some of the variant sequences have been reported to be increased in prevalence among patients with noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). This observation led to the hypothesis that these amino acid substitutions may impair the function of IRS-1, thereby causing the insulin resistance seen in patients with NIDDM. To address this question, we have designed studies to evaluate the effects of three variant sequences identified in our laboratory: Gly819-->Arg, Gly972-->Arg, and Arg1221-->Cys. We constructed four IRS-1 expression vectors for transfection in COS-7 cells: wild-type, single mutant (Gly819-->Arg), double mutant (Gly819-->Arg; Gly972-->Arg), and triple mutant (Gly819-->Arg; Gly972-->Arg; Arg1221-->Cys) IRS-1. The mutations did not alter the level of expression or the extent of insulin receptor-mediated tyrosine phosphorylation of recombinant IRS-1. Moreover, the mutations did not lead to a detectable impairment in the association of recombinant IRS-1 with important downstream effectors, including the p85 subunit of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and growth factor receptor-binding protein-2. We conclude that these amino acid substitutions do not appear to cause a major defect in the function of IRS-1, as judged by our assays. However, this type of assay probably lacks the sensitivity to detect subtle functional defects. In light of the suggestive associations observed in epidemiological studies, it is premature to totally discard the hypothesis that variant sequences of IRS-1 may contribute to the pathogenesis of NIDDM. Nevertheless, our studies cannot be interpreted as lending support to that hypothesis.

Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing↗

Physiological role of Akt in insulin-stimulated translocation of GLUT4 in transfected rat adipose cells.

Stimulation of glucose transport is among the most important metabolic actions of insulin. Studies in adipose cells have demonstrated that insulin stimulates its receptor to phosphorylate tyrosine residues in IRS-1, leading to activation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, which plays a necessary role in mediating the translocation of the insulin-responsive glucose transporter GLUT4 to the cell surface. Akt is a serine-threonine kinase recently identified as a direct downstream target of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase. A previous study in 3T3-L1 cells showed that overexpression of a constitutively active mutant of Akt is sufficient to recruit GLUT4 to the cell surface. Since effects of overexpression of signaling molecules in tissue culture models do not always reflect physiological function, we have overexpressed a dominant inhibitory mutant of Akt in rat adipose cells to investigate the effects of inhibiting endogenous Akt in a physiologically relevant insulin target cell. Cells were transfected with either wild type (Akt-WT), constitutively active (Akt-myr), or dominant inhibitory (Akt-K179A) forms of Akt, and effects of overexpression of these constructs on insulin-stimulated translocation of a cotransfected epitope-tagged GLUT4 were studied. Overexpression of Akt-WT resulted in significant translocation of GLUT4 to the cell surface even in the absence of insulin. Interestingly, overexpression of Akt-myr resulted in an even larger effect that was independent of insulin. More importantly, overexpression of Akt-K179A (kinase-inactive mutant) significantly inhibited insulin-stimulated translocation of GLUT4. Taken together, our data suggest that Akt is not only capable of stimulating the translocation of GLUT4 but that endogenous Akt is likely to play a significant physiological role in insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in insulin targets such as muscle and adipose tissue.

Adipocytes↗

Characterization of a hybrid receptor formed by dimerization of the insulin receptor-related receptor (IRR) with the insulin receptor (IR): coexpression of cDNAs encoding human IRR and human IR in NIH-3T3 cells.

In many tissues, the insulin receptor-related receptor (IRR) is colocalized with the homologous receptors for insulin and insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I). Since a ligand for the IRR has not yet been identified, it has been proposed previously that IRR may be activated and transduce its signal via formation of hybrids with the insulin and IGF-I receptors. To test this hypothesis, we have coexpressed the human IRR and the human insulin receptor (IR) in NIH-3T3 cells. Although IRR/IR hybrid receptors were detected in these cells by using immunoprecipitation techniques, only a small proportion of each receptor was assembled into hybrids. While insulin was capable of stimulating insulin receptors autophosphorylation in these cells, there was no detectable increase in the total phosphotyrosine content of IRR. We conclude that the IRR/IR hybrid receptor does not play a major role in IRR signal transduction in response to insulin in NIH-3T3-hIRR/hIR cells.

3T3 Cells↗

Cloning of the chicken insulin receptor substrate 1 gene.

The action of insulin, IGF-1, and IGF-2 is mediated via two receptor tyrosine kinases, the insulin and IGF-1 receptors. Upon ligand binding, these receptors become active kinases, undergoing autophosphorylation and phosphorylating cellular substrates, including insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1). IRS-1 acts as a docking protein and mediates multiple interactions among other proteins, resulting in transduction of the metabolic and mitogenic signals. The IRS-1 gene has been cloned from four species (human, rat, mouse, and frog). In the present study, the chicken IRS-1 gene was cloned. Chicken, as is true of birds in general, have a higher fasting and fed blood glucose than do mammals. Chicken IRS-1 DNA sequence encodes a 1240 amino acid protein. The most conserved regions were the IRS homology-2 (IH-2), the pleckstrin homology, and the shc and IRS-1 NPXY-binding (SAIN) domains. Twelve of the cIRS-1 tyrosine residues are in sequence motifs that, when phosphorylated, could interact with proteins containing SH2 domains. All twelve of these motifs were conserved. IRS-1 mRNA is expressed during embryogenesis in chicken and persists after hatching. In LMH cells, derived from a chicken hepatoma, two bands were tyrosine phosphorylated in an insulin-dependent manner: IRS-1 (approximately 180 kDa) and the insulin receptor beta subunit (approximately 95 kDa). Chicken IRS-1 is structurally and functionally similar to its human homolog, despite the difference in blood glucose levels and the evolutionary distance between birds and mammals.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Effects of overexpressing wild-type and mutant PDGF receptors on translocation of GLUT4 in transfected rat adipose cells.

Activation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) by insulin is necessary for the effect of insulin to recruit GLUT4 to the cell surface in insulin target cells. In adipose cells, stimulation of endogenous PDGF receptors (PDGF-R) results in increased PI3K activity without causing recruitment of GLUT4. We overexpressed wild-type or mutant forms of the PDGF-R in rat adipose cells and examined their effects on PDGF- and insulin-stimulated recruitment of co-transfected epitope-tagged GLUT4. Control cells expressing only tagged GLUT4 had a 3-fold increase in cell surface GLUT4 upon insulin stimulation but no response to PDGF. Cells overexpressing wild-type PDGF-R maintained insulin responsiveness and, in addition, acquired the ability to recruit GLUT4 in response to PDGF. Surprisingly, overexpression of F740/ F751 (mutant PDGF-R unable to directly activate PI3K) led to similar results. Nevertheless, wortmannin (an inhibitor of PI3K) blocked effects of both PDGF and insulin to recruit GLUT4. Our data suggest that overexpression of PDGF-R mediates positive effects on GLUT4 translocation by a wortmannin sensitive pathway not dependent on direct interaction of the PDGF-R with PI3K.

Adipose Tissue↗