Evidence for an early degradative event to the insulin molecule following binding to hepatocyte receptors.

We have used photoreactive insulin analogues to investigate as related processes, early structural modification of the receptor-bound insulin molecule and internalisation of the insulin-receptor complex. In isolated rat hepatocytes an initial modification of bound insulin leads to the generation of a molecular species unchanged in molecular weight but with reduced receptor and antibody binding affinities and altered electrophoretic mobility. Using photoreactive insulin analogues and density gradient cell fractionation the insulin receptor complex has been shown to undergo internalisation from the plasma membrane to a low density vesicular fraction, the endosome. No labelled material was found in lysosomal fractions after up to 10 min incubation at 37 degrees C. The degree of labelling of the endosome fraction depended on the position of the photoreactive group within the insulin molecule. The data suggest that before or during endocytosis, a small peptide is proteolytically cleaved from the C terminus of the insulin B chain.

Demonstration that the insulin receptor undergoes an early structural modification following insulin binding.

Processing of the insulin receptor by hepatocytes was studied using a 125I-labelled photoreactive insulin derivative which could be covalently attached to the receptor and facilitate the analysis of receptor structure in isolated subcellular fractions by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Following binding at the cell surface, the label was rapidly internalised and located in a low-density subcellular fraction ('endosomes'). The intact receptor (350 000 molecular weight) and binding (alpha) subunit (135 000), produced by in vitro disulphide reduction of the samples, were found in the plasma membrane fraction but not in endosomes. In endosomes, the label was concentrated in a band at 140 000 (non-reduced) which on reduction generated species of 100 000 and 68 000 predominantly. The insulin receptor therefore undergoes an early structural change during endocytosis. This modification does not involve complete disulphide reduction and may be due to a proteolytic event.

Biological action and fate of photoaffinity-labelled insulin-receptor complexes.

Covalent linking of two photoactivatable insulin derivatives, B2-(2-nitro,4-azidophenylacetyl)-des-PheB1-insulin and B29-(2-nitro,4-azidophenylacetyl)-insulin to viable rat adipocytes gives a system, which contains a fixed stoichiometry between hormone and receptor. The biological signal of prolonged lipogenesis has been used to study several aspects of insulin binding and action: the role of the site of the crosslink between insulin and receptor, recognition of bound photoinsulin by anti-insulin antibodies, the half-life of the biologically active complex, the pH-dependence of the biological signal, and the possible role of internalization. Furthermore, the effect of trypsin on the insulin receptor, as well as the insulin-receptor complex, has been investigated and a refined model of the receptor is presented.