The insulin receptor contains a calmodulin-binding domain.

Substantial evidence suggests that calcium has a pivotal role in regulating the initial events through which insulin alters plasma membrane metabolism. Because binding of insulin to its receptor represents the initial site of insulin action in the plasma membrane, studies were undertaken to determine whether the insulin receptor is a calmodulin-binding protein. Preparations enriched in the insulin receptor and calmodulin-binding proteins were isolated from detergent-solubilized rat adipocyte membranes by chromatography with wheat germ agglutinin agarose and calmodulin-conjugated Sepharose, respectively. Substantial purification of a manganese-dependent, insulin-sensitive phosphoprotein of 95K identified as the beta subunit of the insulin receptor was accomplished. Binding and photocovalent cross-linking of iodine-125-labeled calmodulin to these affinity-purified preparations and to isolated plasma membranes, followed by immunoadsorption with insulin receptor antibodies bound to protein A Sepharose, resulted in significant purification of a binding complex of 110K to 140K. These results indicate that the adipocyte insulin receptor or a polypeptide closely associated with the receptor is a calmodulin-binding protein.

Regulation of endogenously catalyzed ADP-ribosylation in adipocyte plasma membranes by Ca2+ and calmodulin.

The effects of Ca2+ and calmodulin on endogenously catalyzed ADP-ribosylation were investigated in adipocyte plasma membranes. Four specific proteins of 70, 65, 61 and 52 kDa were labeled with [32P]ADP-ribose and ADP-ribosylation of the proteins was highly dependent upon the conditions employed. ADP-ribosylation of the 70 kDa protein was observed only in membranes supplemented with Ca2+. Maximal incorporation of [32P] into the protein was achieved with free Ca2+ concentrations of 90 microM. Calcium-stimulated ADP-ribosylation of the 70 kDa protein was inhibited by calmodulin. Half-maximal inhibition was observed in membranes incubated with 1.2 microM calmodulin. The effect of calmodulin was characterized by an inhibition of the incorporation of [32P]ADP-ribose as opposed to a stimulation of its removal. ADP-ribosylation of the 61 kDa protein was not altered by added Ca2+ and/or calmodulin whereas ADP-ribosylation of the 65 kDa protein was partially (50%) inhibited by free Ca2+ concentrations between 10(-6) - 10(-5) M. These results provide evidence that the adipocyte plasma membrane contains ADP-ribosyltransferase activities and demonstrate that ADP-ribosylation of a 70 kDa protein is regulated by Ca2+ and calmodulin.

Insulin and phorbol ester stimulate phosphorylation of a 40-kDa protein in adipocyte plasma membranes.

Several substrates of endogenous Ca2+- and phospholipid-sensitive protein kinase have been identified in plasma membranes and cytosol from rat adipocytes. Specifically, Ca2+ stimulates phosphorylation of a 40-kDa protein in isolated plasma membranes, an effect which is further enhanced by the addition of the phorbol ester tetradecanoylphorbol acetate and phospholipase C. The 40-kDa phosphoprotein is also present in the cytosol, and its phosphorylation is stimulated in a Ca2+-dependent manner by phosphatidylserine, diacylglycerol, and phorbol ester. Direct addition of insulin to adipocyte plasma membranes stimulates phosphorylation of the 40-kDa protein in a concentration-dependent manner. Maximal stimulation was observed at 10(-8) M insulin. At 6.7 X 10(-8) M insulin, phosphorylation of the 40-kDa protein was stimulated by 68 +/- 9% (n = 6). Addition of phorbol ester (1, 10, and 100 ng/ml) plus insulin further enhanced the phosphorylation (286 +/- 39, n = 3; 350 +/- 65, n = 4; and 323 +/- 42%, n = 5, stimulation, respectively). Analysis of the 40-kDa phosphoprotein by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis revealed that incubations containing no additions, insulin, and/or phorbol ester all resulted in the generation of a single and apparently identical phosphorylated 40-kDa species. These studies indicate that insulin and Ca2+- and phospholipid-dependent protein kinase stimulate phosphorylation of a 40-kDa protein in adipocyte plasma membranes.

Effects of guanine nucleotides on cholera toxin catalyzed ADP-ribosylation in rat adipocyte plasma membranes.

ADP-ribosylation of rat adipocyte plasma membrane proteins was investigated following incubation of membranes with [alpha-32P]NAD and cholera toxin in the presence and absence of various guanine nucleotides. In membranes incubated without guanine nucleotides, cholera toxin induced incorporation of 32P into three discrete proteins of 48, 45, and 41 kDa. In membranes containing 100 microM GTP or GDP, toxin-catalyzed incorporation of 32P into the 41-kDa protein was inhibited. GMP and Gpp(NH)p (100 microM) allowed moderate incorporation of 32P into the 41-kDa protein. Toxin-catalyzed labeling of all proteins was rapid, reaching maximal levels between 5 and 10 min. Toxin-catalyzed ADP-ribosylation of the 48- and 45-kDa proteins was stimulated by GTP, reaching maximal levels at 10(-5) M GTP. Inhibition of toxin-dependent labeling of the 41-kDa protein required GTP concentrations above 10(-7) M with complete inhibition occurring between 10(-5) and 10(-4) M GTP. Cholera toxin catalyzed ADP-ribosylation was increased up to 2-fold in membranes supplemented with adipocyte cytosol. These results indicate that cholera toxin catalyzes ADP-ribosylation of three distinct adipocyte plasma membrane proteins, each of which is regulated by the amount and type of added guanine nucleotides.

Rat factor X is synthesized as a single chain precursor inducible by prothrombin fragments.

Factor X in plasma is a gamma-carboxylated two-chain glycoprotein which, in activated form, plays a pivotal role in blood coagulation. We have utilized purified rat Factor X antibody, coupled to Sepharose, to isolate and characterize Factor X in rat liver, plasma, and hepatoma cells. Rat factor X is synthesized as a single chain precursor (Mr = 63,000). It is this form which undergoes vitamin K-dependent carboxylation in rat liver microsomes. Only after secretion is Factor X converted into its two-chain mature form. Single chain X synthesis and secretion in hepatoma cells is enhanced by vitamin K. The amount of single chain X secreted by these cells is one-half that of prothrombin. The NH2-terminal gamma-carboxylated fragments of prothrombin which induce prothrombin synthesis (Graves, C. B., Munns, T. W., Carlisle, T. L., Grant, G. A., and Strauss, A. W. (1981) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 78, 4772-4776) also induce single chain X synthesis by hepatoma cells. We propose that synthesis of all vitamin K-dependent proteins may be regulated by this common control mechanism.

Evidence that protein kinase C is involved in regulating glucose transport in the adipocyte.

The role of protein kinase C in the mechanism of stimulation of glucose transport in rat adipocytes was investigated. Glucose transport was stimulated by dioleoylglycerol (DOG), tetradecanoyl phorbol acetate (TPA) and phospholipase C (PLC). Agents that inhibit protein kinase C (polymyxin B, gossypol and quercitin) also inhibited glucose transport that had been stimulated by DOG, TPA, PLC and insulin.

The insulin receptor and calmodulin. Calmodulin enhances insulin-mediated receptor kinase activity and insulin stimulates phosphorylation of calmodulin.

Despite intensive research efforts, the functional role and regulation of the insulin receptor kinase remain enigmatic. In this investigation, we demonstrate that calmodulin enhances insulin-stimulated phosphorylation of the beta subunit of the insulin receptor and histone H2b and that insulin also stimulates phosphorylation of calmodulin. Using wheat germ lectin-enriched insulin receptor preparations obtained from rat adipocyte plasma membranes, calmodulin stimulated the rate and increased the amount of 32P incorporated predominantly into tyrosine residues of the beta subunit of the receptor when assayed in the presence of insulin. The stimulatory effect of calmodulin was both dose-dependent and saturable with half-maximal and maximal phosphorylation of the beta subunit occurring at 0.4 and 2.0 microM calmodulin, respectively. Ca2+ enhanced the ability of calmodulin to stimulate insulin-mediated phosphorylation of the beta subunit with an apparent K0.5 of approximately 0.6 microM. Calmodulin also induced an approximately 2-fold increase in both the rate and amount of insulin-mediated incorporation of 32P into histone H2b. The stimulatory effect of calmodulin was only observed in the presence of insulin and was concentration-dependent (K0.5 approximately 3.0 microM calmodulin), saturable (at 5 microM calmodulin), and Ca2+-dependent (K0.5 = 0.2 microM free Ca2+). Insulin also induced phosphorylation of a 17-kDa protein. On the basis of its molecular weight and purification via immunoadsorption with protein A-Sepharose-bound anti-calmodulin IgG, this phosphoprotein was identified as a phosphorylated form of calmodulin. Phosphorylation of calmodulin was only observed in the presence of insulin and was both Ca2+- and insulin concentration-dependent with half-maximal effects observed at 0.1 microM free Ca2+ and 350 microunits/ml insulin. Collectively, these results support the hypothesis that Ca2+ and calmodulin participate in the molecular mechanism whereby binding of insulin to its receptor is coupled to changes in cellular metabolism.

Induction of prothrombin synthesis by prothrombin fragments.

The mechanisms by which blood levels of prothrombin (PT) are regulated in the vitamin K-sufficient state are unknown. We have studied PT synthesis by Reuber H-35 rat hepatoma cells exposed to vitamin K and [3H]leucine in serum-free cultures. Administration to the culture system of exogenous bovine PT and rat PT was characterized by increases in endogenous PT synthesis and secretion of 2- and 3-fold, respectively. This induction required endogenous proteolytic degradation of PT. Studies conducted with bovine PT fragment 1 (residues 1-156) demonstrated up to 5-fold increases in PT synthesis. This induction was dose dependent and saturable. Addition of bovine PT chymotryptic fragments to the cells indicated that the NH2-terminal peptide of prothrombin (residues 1-42) contained the requisite structural elements for the induction. Peptide-bound gamma-carboxyglutamate residues were required for the observed stimulation of PT synthesis. These results suggest that PT synthesis might be regulated physiologically by the products formed during its normal turnover and consumption during blood coagulation.