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Molecular and Cellular Biology, December 1998, p. 6971-6982, Vol. 18, No. 12
0270-7306/98/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1998, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.

Requirement of Atypical Protein Kinase Clambda for Insulin Stimulation of Glucose Uptake but Not for Akt Activation in 3T3-L1 Adipocytes

Ko Kotani,1 Wataru Ogawa,1,* Michihiro Matsumoto,1 Tadahiro Kitamura,1 Hiroshi Sakaue,1 Yasuhisa Hino,1 Kazuaki Miyake,1 Wataru Sano,1 Kazunori Akimoto,2 Shigeo Ohno,2 and Masato Kasuga1

Second Department of Internal Medicine, Kobe University School of Medicine, Chuo-ku, Kobe 650-0017,1 and Department of Molecular Biology, Yokohama City University School of Medicine, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama 236-0004,2 Japan

Received 25 February 1998/Returned for modification 15 April 1998/Accepted 14 August 1998

    ABSTRACT
Top
Abstract
Introduction
Materials & Methods
Results
Discussion
References

Phosphoinositide (PI) 3-kinase contributes to a wide variety of biological actions, including insulin stimulation of glucose transport in adipocytes. Both Akt (protein kinase B), a serine-threonine kinase with a pleckstrin homology domain, and atypical isoforms of protein kinase C (PKCzeta and PKClambda ) have been implicated as downstream effectors of PI 3-kinase. Endogenous or transfected PKClambda in 3T3-L1 adipocytes or CHO cells has now been shown to be activated by insulin in a manner sensitive to inhibitors of PI 3-kinase (wortmannin and a dominant negative mutant of PI 3-kinase). Overexpression of kinase-deficient mutants of PKClambda (lambda KD or lambda Delta NKD), achieved with the use of adenovirus-mediated gene transfer, resulted in inhibition of insulin activation of PKClambda , indicating that these mutants exert dominant negative effects. Insulin-stimulated glucose uptake and translocation of the glucose transporter GLUT4 to the plasma membrane, but not growth hormone- or hyperosmolarity-induced glucose uptake, were inhibited by lambda KD or lambda Delta NKD in a dose-dependent manner. The maximal inhibition of insulin-induced glucose uptake achieved by the dominant negative mutants of PKClambda was ~50 to 60%. These mutants did not inhibit insulin-induced activation of Akt. A PKClambda mutant that lacks the pseudosubstrate domain (lambda Delta PD) exhibited markedly increased kinase activity relative to that of the wild-type enzyme, and expression of lambda Delta PD in quiescent 3T3-L1 adipocytes resulted in the stimulation of glucose uptake and translocation of GLUT4 but not in the activation of Akt. Furthermore, overexpression of an Akt mutant in which the phosphorylation sites targeted by growth factors are replaced by alanine resulted in inhibition of insulin-induced activation of Akt but not of PKClambda . These results suggest that insulin-elicited signals that pass through PI 3-kinase subsequently diverge into at least two independent pathways, an Akt pathway and a PKClambda pathway, and that the latter pathway contributes, at least in part, to insulin stimulation of glucose uptake in 3T3-L1 adipocytes.

    INTRODUCTION
Top
Abstract
Introduction
Materials & Methods
Results
Discussion
References

Phosphoinositide (PI) 3-kinase, a lipid kinase composed of an SRC homology 2 (SH2) domain-containing regulatory subunit and a 110-kDa catalytic subunit, catalyzes phosphorylation of the D3 position of PIs (46, 48). This enzyme was first identified complexed with SRC kinase and the middle T antigen of polyomavirus and was later found to associate with various tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins in response to stimulation of cells with growth factors or cytokines (46, 48). Activation of PI 3-kinase, either by targeting of the enzyme to the plasma membrane (27) or as a consequence of direct interaction between the SH2 domain of the regulatory subunit and phosphorylated tyrosine residues present within specific motifs (5), results in the triggering of various important biological actions. Thus, with the use of either a dominant negative protein that blocks the interaction between PI 3-kinase and tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins (21, 33, 41) or pharmacological inhibitors of the enzyme, such as wortmannin or LY294002 (12, 47), PI 3-kinase has been shown to participate in intracellular trafficking, organization of the cytoskeleton, cell growth and transformation, prevention of apoptosis, cell differentiation, and several metabolic actions of insulin (11, 17, 23, 24, 33, 41, 46, 48). However, relatively little is known about the downstream effectors of PI 3-kinase that mediate each of these biological effects.

Recently, two types of serine-threonine kinase have been shown to act downstream of PI 3-kinase. One of these kinases is Akt (also known as protein kinase B), which contains a pleckstrin homology domain. Several growth factors induce rapid activation of Akt in intact cells (10, 16, 28). However, the mechanism of Akt activation in cells is not fully understood. Phosphatidylinositol 3,4-bisphosphate, one of the products of PI 3-kinase activity in vivo, binds directly to the pleckstrin homology domain of Akt and stimulates kinase activity in vitro (18, 28), suggesting that Akt may be directly activated by this lipid in intact cells. On the other hand, activation of Akt was shown to parallel its phosphorylation status, and replacement of serine and threonine residues that are sites of ligand-induced phosphorylation in the enzyme abolished its activation (3, 31). These data, together with the identification of a kinase that phosphorylates and activates Akt (4, 44), suggest that Akt activity is regulated mainly by phosphorylation. Whichever mechanism is primarily responsible for regulation of Akt, the observation that pharmacological or molecular biological inhibitors of PI 3-kinase prevent Akt activation in intact cells (10, 16, 26, 29) indicates that Akt acts downstream of PI 3-kinase.

The protein kinase C (PKC) family of serine-threonine kinases comprises at least 11 members (37). One class of PKC isozymes, termed atypical PKC, is distinct from other members of this family in several respects. For example, the atypical PKC enzymes, consisting of PKClambda and PKCzeta , are not activated by diacylglycerol or phorbol ester, whereas members of the other two classes, conventional PKC and novel PKC, are activated by these reagents both in vitro and in vivo (1, 2, 36-38, 40, 49). PKCiota , also identified as an atypical PKC isozyme, is the human counterpart of mouse PKClambda (42). Evidence suggests that atypical PKC is the second type of serine-threonine kinase that acts downstream of PI 3-kinase. PKCzeta is activated in vitro by phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-trisphosphate (36), another product of PI 3-kinase activity (46). When expressed in 3Y1 fibroblasts or HepG2 hepatoma cells expressing various mutant platelet-derived growth factor receptors, PKClambda contributed to trans activation of the tetradecanoyl phorbol acetate-responsive element in response to platelet-derived growth factor or epidermal growth factor in a PI 3-kinase-dependent manner (2). Furthermore, the activity of atypical PKC stimulated by either insulin or bacterial lipopolysaccharide was shown to be inhibited by either a pharmacological inhibitor or a dominant negative mutant of PI 3-kinase (22, 34, 43). All of these observations indicate that atypical PKC isozymes are downstream effectors of PI 3-kinase.

Stimulation of glucose uptake into skeletal muscle and adipocytes is one of the most important actions of insulin. Insulin-stimulated glucose uptake and translocation of the glucose transporter GLUT4 to the plasma membrane, an essential step for glucose uptake in muscle and adipocytes, were markedly attenuated by pharmacological inhibitors or a dominant negative mutant of PI 3-kinase (13, 39, 41). Furthermore, a constitutively active mutant of PI 3-kinase promoted glucose uptake and translocation of GLUT4 in quiescent adipocytes (20). These observations suggest a central role for PI 3-kinase in regulation of glucose transport. However, a downstream effector of PI 3-kinase that mediates stimulation of glucose uptake has not been identified.

Although Akt and atypical PKC act downstream of PI 3-kinase, it remains unclear which actions of PI 3-kinase are mediated by which protein kinase. It is also not known whether Akt and atypical PKC act in the same signaling pathway or whether they transmit signals through different pathways. To address these important questions, we have investigated the roles of these protein kinases in insulin-stimulated glucose uptake. We recently showed that a mutant Akt in which the sites of ligand-induced phosphorylation were replaced by alanine acts in a dominant negative manner (26). Because this mutant did not affect insulin-induced glucose uptake (26), we have now examined the possible role of atypical PKC as a downstream effector of PI 3-kinase in this process. We have investigated the effects of dominant negative mutants and a constitutively active mutant of PKClambda in order to determine whether this enzyme participates in the regulation of glucose uptake by insulin in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. We have also investigated whether Akt and PKClambda function in the same or different signaling pathways.

    MATERIALS AND METHODS
Top
Abstract
Introduction
Materials & Methods
Results
Discussion
References

Cells and antibodies. 3T3-L1 preadipocytes were maintained and induced to differentiate into adipocytes as described previously (41). To establish CHO-IR cells that express (in addition to human insulin receptors) tagged PKClambda (CHO-IR/PKClambda cells), we transfected CHO-IR cells with both pSV40-high (which confers resistance to hygromycin) and an SRD vector encoding T7 epitope-tagged mouse PKClambda (2). Transfected cells were selected and cloned as described previously (25). CHO cells that express FLAG epitope-tagged Akt (CHO-Akt cells) have been described previously (26). To prepare a construct encoding mouse PKCzeta tagged with the T7 epitope, we performed PCR with a sense primer (5'-AAG GCC ATG GCT AGC ATG ACT GGT GGA CAG CAA ATG GGT CCC AGC AGG ACC GAC), an antisense primer (5'-GAG GTC GAA GTC TTG CAG CCC), and a full-length mouse PKCzeta cDNA as the template. The resulting PCR product, containing nucleotides 4 to 762 of PKCzeta cDNA fused with a DNA sequence encoding the T7 epitope, was digested with PstI and ligated to the PstI site of cDNA encoding mouse PKCzeta . The resulting cDNA construct encoded T7 epitope-tagged mouse PKCzeta and was subcloned into an SRalpha expression vector.

Polyclonal antibodies to PKClambda (alpha lambda 190) and to PKCzeta (alpha zeta 170) were generated against glutathione S-transferase (GST) fusion proteins containing amino acids 190 to 240 of mouse PKClambda or amino acids 170 to 240 of mouse PKCzeta , respectively. A monoclonal antibody (MAb) to PKClambda (alpha lambda CT), induced by a GST fusion protein containing amino acids 397 to 558 of mouse PKClambda , was obtained from Transduction Laboratories. Polyclonal antibodies to PKCzeta (alpha zeta CT), generated in response to a peptide corresponding to the COOH terminus of rat PKCzeta (amino acids 577 to 592), were obtained from GIBCO BRL. Polyclonal antibodies to PKClambda (alpha lambda 197) that were generated in response to a peptide corresponding to amino acids 197 to 213 of mouse PKClambda were as described previously (1). Polyclonal antibodies to Akt, induced by a GST fusion protein containing amino acids 428 to 480 of rat Akt1, as well as a MAb (1F8) and polyclonal antibodies to GLUT4 were as described previously (41). Antibodies to Akt2 and to Akt3 were obtained from Upstate Biotechnology.

RT-PCR. Transcripts encoding PKClambda or PKCzeta were detected by reverse transcription (RT)-PCR analysis. Complementary DNA was synthesized, with the use of a FastTrack 2.0 kit and a cDNA Cycle kit (Invitrogen), from ~300 µg of polyadenylated RNA extracted from 3T3-L1 adipocytes or total RNA extracted from mouse brain. PCR was then performed with 1/10 of the resulting cDNA as the template and with primers that correspond to nucleotides 247 to 265 and 576 to 595 of mouse PKClambda cDNA or to nucleotides 145 to 164 and 700 to 719 of mouse PKCzeta cDNA. The amplification protocol comprised 30 cycles of denaturation at 94°C for 1 min, annealing at 50°C for 1 min, and extension at 72°C for 1 min.

Construction of and infection with adenovirus vectors. Various PKClambda mutant constructs are shown in Fig. 1. Complementary DNAs encoding wild-type mouse PKClambda (lambda WT) and a kinase-deficient mutant in which glutamate is substituted for Lys273 in the kinase domain (lambda KD) were as described previously (2). To prepare constructs encoding lambda Delta PD and lambda Delta PDKD, hemagglutinin (HA) epitope-tagged, NH2-terminal-deletion mutants of PKClambda , we performed PCR with sense (5'-TTA GGT ACC ATG TAC CCA TAC GAT GTT CCG GAT TAC GCT AGC CTC GCC AAA CGT TTC AAT AGG CGC) and antisense (5'-GAT ACC ACT CTC CCT GGT) primers and wild-type mouse PKClambda cDNA as a template. The resulting PCR product, containing nucleotides 442 to 735 of PKClambda cDNA fused with a DNA sequence encoding the HA epitope, was digested with EcoT22I and ligated to the EcoT22I site of cDNA encoding either lambda WT or lambda KD. To construct lambda Delta NKD, we performed PCR with sense (5'-TTA GGT ACC ATG TAC CCA TAC GAT GTT CCG GAT TAC GCT AGC CTC TCG TCC AGT CTA GGT CTG CAG) and antisense (5'-GAT AGA ATG CAG CCC GAC) primers and lambda KD cDNA as a template. The resulting product, containing nucleotides 742 to 966 of PKClambda cDNA fused with a DNA sequence encoding the HA epitope, was digested with ClaI and fused with the ClaI site of cDNA encoding lambda WT. Complementary DNA encoding the wild-type or various mutant proteins was subcloned into pAxCAwt (35), and adenovirus vectors containing these cDNAs were generated by transfecting 293 cells with the corresponding pAxCAwt plasmid together with DNA-terminal protein complex (35), as described previously (41). The resulting vectors were termed AxCAlambda WT, AxCAlambda KD, AxCAlambda Delta PD, AxCAlambda Delta PDKD, and AxCAlambda Delta NKD, respectively.


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FIG. 1.   Structures of various mutants of PKClambda , lambda KD, lambda Delta NKD, and lambda Delta PDKD contain a Lys273-to-Glu mutation (K273E). lambda Delta PD, lambda Delta PDKD, and lambda Delta NKD contain the HA epitope at their truncated NH2 termini. The first and last amino acids of each protein are numbered. PD, CR, and CD, pseudosubstrate, cysteine-rich, and catalytic domains, respectively.

An adenovirus vector encoding a dominant negative mutant of PI 3-kinase (AxCADelta p85) was as described previously (41). An adenovirus vector encoding a mutant Akt (AxCAAkt-AA) in which the phosphorylation sites (Thr308 and Ser473) targeted by growth factors are replaced by alanine was as previously described (26). CHO cells or 3T3-L1 adipocytes were infected with adenovirus vectors at the multiplicities of infection (MOIs) (in PFU per cell) indicated in Results, as described previously (41, 50). The cells were used in experiments 24 to 48 h after infection.

After we submitted this paper, the wild-type mouse PKClambda cDNA used to construct the adenoviruses encoding the various mutant proteins was found to lack the nucleotides encoding the 47 NH2-terminal amino acids. Although the deleted amino acid sequence does not contain any known functional domains, we repeated all of the experiments that used the NH2-terminally deleted lambda WT or lambda KD with adenovirus vectors encoding a full-length wild-type or a full-length kinase-deficient PKClambda , and we obtained essentially identical results. This further suggests that the NH2-terminal 47 amino acids are not essential for the signaling of insulin-induced glucose uptake.

Kinase assays. CHO cells or 3T3-L1 adipocytes were deprived of serum for 16 to 20 h, incubated in the absence or presence of insulin, and then immediately frozen with liquid nitrogen. For assay of the kinase activity of endogenous or T7 epitope-tagged PKClambda , the frozen cells were lysed as described previously (2) and the lysate was centrifuged (15,000 × g for 20 min). The protein concentration in the resulting supernatants was determined with the use of the bicinchoninic acid protein assay reagent (Pierce), and equal amounts of protein were subjected to immunoprecipitation with polyclonal antibodies or MAbs to PKClambda or with antibodies to the T7 epitope tag. After washing twice with buffer A (50 mM MOPS [morpholinepropanesulfonic acid]-HCl [pH 7.5], 0.5% Triton X-100, 10% glycerol, 0.1% bovine serum albumin, 5 mM EDTA, 5 mM EGTA, 20 mM NaF, 50 mM beta -glycerophosphate, 2 mM sodium orthovanadate, 2 mM dithiothreitol, 1 µg of leupeptin per ml, and 2 mM phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride), once with buffer A containing 1 M NaCl, and then once with a solution containing 20 mM Tris-HCl (pH 7.5), 5 mM MgCl2, and 1 mM EGTA, the immunoprecipitates were incubated for 14 min at 30°C with 0.4 µCi of [gamma -32P]ATP in a reaction mixture (25 µl) containing 35 mM Tris-HCl (pH 7.5), 10 mM MgCl2, 0.5 mM EGTA, 0.1 mM CaCl2, 40 µM unlabeled ATP, and 30 µM myelin basic protein (MBP) as a substrate. When indicated, phosphatidylserine (PS) (100 µg/ml) was also present in the reaction mixture.

For assay of the kinase activity of endogenous or FLAG-tagged Akt, the frozen cells were lysed in a solution containing 50 mM HEPES-NaOH (pH 7.6), 150 mM NaCl, 1% Triton X-100, 1 mg of bacitracin per ml, 1 mM phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride, 1 mM EDTA, 1 mM sodium orthovanadate, 10 mM NaF, and 30 mM sodium pyrophosphate. The lysates were subjected to immunoprecipitation with antibodies to Akt or to FLAG. After three washes with HEPES-buffered saline (pH 7.5) containing 0.1% Triton X-100, the immunoprecipitates were incubated for 30 min at 30°C with 3.0 µCi of [gamma -32P]ATP in a reaction mixture (30 µl) containing 20 mM Tris-HCl (pH 7.5), 10 mM MgCl2, 25 µM unlabeled ATP, 1 µM protein kinase inhibitor, and 0.2 mg of histone 2B per ml as a substrate.

All kinase reactions were terminated by the addition of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) sample buffer, and the samples were then fractionated by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The radioactivity incorporated into substrates was determined with a Fuji BAS 2000 image analyzer.

Glucose uptake and translocation of GLUT4. Glucose uptake was assayed as described previously (41). In brief, 3T3-L1 adipocytes were incubated for 16 h in Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium containing 5.6 mM glucose and 0.5% fetal bovine serum. The cells were washed twice with DB buffer (140 mM NaCl, 2.7 mM KCl, 1 mM CaCl2, 1.5 mM KH2PO4, 8 mM Na2HPO4 [pH 7.4], 0.5 mM MgCl2) and then incubated with 100 nM insulin for 15 min, 0.5 µg of growth hormone (GH) per ml for 10 min, or 300 mM sorbitol for 60 min. DB buffer (1 ml) containing bovine serum albumin (1 mg/ml) and 0.1 mM 2-deoxy-D-[1,2-3H]glucose (1 µCi) was added to each well, and after 5 min, the cells were washed and then solublized with 0.1% SDS. The radioactivity incorporated into the cells was measured with a liquid scintillation counter.

Translocation of GLUT4 to the plasma membrane was measured by the plasma membrane lawn assay as previously described (41). In brief, 3T3-L1 adipocytes cultured on coverslips were incubated in a hypotonic buffer and immediately disrupted by being placed under an ultrasonic microprobe. For antibody labeling, sonicated cells were fixed in 2% paraformaldehyde, and the lawn of plasma membrane fragments was prepared with antibodies to GLUT4 and tetramethyl rhodamine isothiocyanate-labeled secondary antibodies. Samples were then examined with a fluorescence microscope.

    RESULTS
Top
Abstract
Introduction
Materials & Methods
Results
Discussion
References

Expression of PKClambda in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Atypical PKC isozymes comprise PKClambda and PKCzeta . To examine the relative abundances of these two isoforms in 3T3-L1 adipocytes, we prepared antibodies specific for each. T7 epitope-tagged PKClambda or PKCzeta was transiently expressed in COS7 cells, and cell lysates were subjected to immunoprecipitation with antibodies either to PKClambda (alpha lambda 190), to PKCzeta (alpha zeta 170), or to the T7 epitope or with control serum. The immunoprecipitates were then subjected to immunoblot analysis with antibodies to T7 (Fig. 2A). Proteins of ~80 kDa reactive with antibodies to T7 were detected in the immunoprecipitates prepared from the lysates expressing T7-tagged PKClambda with alpha lambda 190 or with antibodies to T7 and in the immunoprecipitates prepared from the lysates expressing T7-tagged PKCzeta with alpha zeta 170 or with antibodies to T7. These results indicate that alpha lambda 190 and alpha zeta 170 specifically recognize PKClambda and PKCzeta , respectively. In contrast, polyclonal antibodies generated against a peptide corresponding to the COOH terminus of rat PKCzeta (alpha zeta CT) detected both T7-tagged PKClambda and PKCzeta (Fig. 2B), indicating that these antibodies recognize both PKClambda and PKCzeta .


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FIG. 2.   Expression of PKClambda , but not PKCzeta , in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. (A) Specificity of antibodies to PKClambda and PKCzeta . COS7 cells cultured in 6-cm-diameter dishes were transiently transfected, with the use of Lipofectamine (Gibco), with 6 µg of SRD or SRalpha vectors encoding T7 epitope-tagged PKClambda or PKCzeta . Cell lysates were subjected to immunoprecipitation (IP) with antibodies to T7, to PKClambda (alpha lambda 190), or to PKCzeta (alpha zeta 170) or with control serum (Cont), and the resulting immunoprecipitates were subjected to immunoblot analysis with antibodies to T7. (B) Recognition of both PKClambda and PKCzeta by antibodies generated in response to a peptide corresponding to the COOH terminus of rat PKCzeta (alpha zeta CT). COS7 cells transiently transfected as described for panel A were lysed and subjected to immunoprecipitation with either antibodies to T7 or normal mouse globulin (NMG). The resulting immunoprecipitates were then subjected to immunoblot analysis with either antibodies to T7 (lower panel) or alpha zeta CT (upper panel). (C) Analysis of PKClambda and PKCzeta protein expression in mouse brain and 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Lysates prepared from mouse brain or 3T3-L1 adipocytes were subjected to immunoprecipitation with alpha lambda 190, alpha zeta 170, or control rabbit serum, and the immunoprecipitates were subjected to immunoblot analysis with alpha zeta CT. (D) Analysis of PKClambda and PKCzeta transcripts in mouse brain and 3T3-L1 adipocytes. PCR was performed with primers specific for mouse PKClambda or PKCzeta cDNA and with either the indicated concentration of full-length PKClambda or PKCzeta cDNA subcloned into the SRD vector (left panel) or cDNA synthesized from RNA extracted from either mouse brain or 3T3-L1 adipocytes (right panel). Amplification products were analyzed by agarose gel electrophoresis and ethidium bromide staining. Lane M, molecular size standards. Data are representative of those from three experiments.

When a cell lysate prepared from mouse brain was subjected to immunoprecipitation with either alpha lambda 190, alpha zeta 170, or control serum and the immunoprecipitates were then subjected to immunoblot analysis with alpha zeta CT, proteins of ~80 kDa were detected in the immunoprecipitates prepared with alpha lambda 190 or alpha zeta 170 but not in those prepared with control serum, suggesting that brain expresses both PKClambda and PKCzeta (Fig. 2C). In contrast, when 3T3-L1 adipocyte lysates were subjected to the same analysis, an ~80-kDa protein was detected only in the immunoprecipitate prepared with alpha lambda 190 (Fig. 2C). When the same membrane was probed with a MAb generated in response to a GST fusion protein containing amino acids 397 to 558 of mouse PKClambda (alpha lambda CT), again an ~80-kDa protein was detected only in the immunoprecipitate prepared with alpha lambda 190 (data not shown). These results suggest that 3T3-L1 adipocytes express PKClambda protein but not PKCzeta protein.

We also examined the expression of PKClambda and PKCzeta at the mRNA level by RT-PCR. PCR performed with specific oligonucleotide primers based on the sequence of either mouse PKClambda or PKCzeta cDNA, and with as little as 0.6 pM PKClambda or PKCzeta cDNA subcloned into the SRD vector as a template, yielded amplification products of the expected size (~350 bp for PKClambda and ~570 bp for PKCzeta ) (Fig. 2D). When PCR was performed with the same primer pairs and cDNA that was synthesized from RNA extracted from mouse brain, PCR products of the expected size were obtained with each set of primers. However, with cDNA that was synthesized from RNA extracted from 3T3-L1 adipocytes as the template, a PCR product of the expected size was obtained with the primers corresponding to PKClambda but not with those corresponding to PKCzeta . Thus, consistent with the results of protein analysis, 3T3-L1 adipocytes contain PKClambda mRNA but not PKCzeta mRNA.

Activation of PKClambda by insulin in a PI 3-kinase-dependent manner. 3T3-L1 adipocytes were incubated for various times in the absence or presence of 100 nM insulin, lysed, and subjected to immunoprecipitation with control serum or polyclonal antibodies to PKClambda generated against a peptide corresponding to amino acids 197 to 213 of mouse PKClambda (alpha lambda 197). These antibodies were previously shown not to cross-react with PKCzeta (1). Kinase activity in the immunoprecipitates was then assayed with MBP as a substrate. The kinase activity precipitated by alpha lambda 197 was markedly greater than that precipitated by control serum (Fig. 3B). Activation of PKClambda was evident within 3 min of exposure of cells to insulin; the activity was maximal (about three times that of the basal value) at 5 min and remained increased at 10 min (Fig. 3A). Prior treatment of the cells with 100 nM wortmannin or infection of the cells with AxCADelta p85, an adenovirus vector that encodes a dominant negative mutant of PI 3-kinase (41), prevented insulin-induced activation of PKClambda (Fig. 3B).


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FIG. 3.   Stimulation of PKClambda activity by insulin in 3T3-L1 and CHO cells. (A) Time course of insulin stimulation of PKClambda activity in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. 3T3-L1 cells cultured in 6-cm-diameter plates were incubated in the presence of 100 nM insulin for the indicated times, after which the cells were lysed and subjected to immunoprecipitation with polyclonal antibodies to PKClambda (alpha lambda 197). The resulting immunoprecipitates were then assayed for kinase activity with MBP as a substrate. Data are expressed relative to the activity at zero time. (B) Effects of inhibitors of PI 3-kinase on insulin stimulation of PKClambda activity in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. 3T3-L1 cells were incubated in the absence or presence of 100 nM wortmannin for 20 min or were infected at the indicated MOI (PFU per cell) with an adenovirus vector encoding Delta p85 (AxCADelta p85), and they were then incubated in the absence or presence of 100 nM insulin for 5 min. Cells were then lysed and subjected to immunoprecipitation (IP) with either alpha lambda 197 or normal rabbit serum (NRS). Immunoprecipitates were assayed for PKClambda activity as described for panel A. Data are expressed relative to the activity of control alpha lambda 197 precipitates. (C) Insulin stimulation of PKClambda activity in transiently transfected CHO-IR cells. CHO-IR cells were transiently transfected with constructs encoding T7-tagged wild-type PKClambda or lambda KD. After 48 h, the cells were deprived of serum, incubated in the absence or presence of 100 nM insulin for 3 min, and then lysed. The lysates were subjected to immunoprecipitation with antibodies to T7, and the immunoprecipitates were subjected either to immunoblot analysis with antibodies to T7 (upper panel) or to the PKClambda kinase assay (lower two panels). (D) Effect of Delta p85 on insulin-stimulated PKClambda activity in CHO-IR/PKClambda cells. CHO-IR/PKClambda cells were infected with AxCADelta p85 at the indicated MOI (PFU per cell). Cells were then incubated in the absence or presence of 100 nM insulin for 3 min, after which cell lysates were subjected to immunoprecipitation with antibodies to the T7 epitope and PKClambda activity was assayed in the resulting precipitates. Data are expressed relative to the activity of precipitates from uninfected cells not exposed to insulin. Quantitative data in panels A, B, and D are means ± standard errors from three experiments, and those in panel C are means from two experiments.

To confirm that insulin activates PKClambda , we transiently transfected CHO-IR cells with constructs encoding T7 epitope-tagged wild-type PKClambda or a mutant PKClambda in which Lys273 in the kinase domain was replaced by glutamate (lambda KD). The transfected cells were incubated in the absence or presence of insulin, lysed, and subjected to immunoprecipitation with antibodies to T7. Although the amounts of T7-tagged PKClambda and lambda KD in the immunoprecipitates were similar, the precipitates prepared from the cells expressing PKClambda showed higher kinase activity, and this activity was increased about 1.8-fold in response to insulin (Fig. 3C). These observations suggest that the kinase activity precipitated with antibodies to T7 was attributable to PKClambda and not to some other kinase associated with PKClambda .

To investigate further the effect of insulin on PKClambda activation, we established a CHO cell line that stably expresses both human insulin receptors and T7 epitope-tagged mouse PKClambda (CHO-IR/PKClambda cells). Exposure of CHO-IR/PKClambda cells to insulin for 3 min resulted in an ~2.5-fold increase in PKClambda activity measured in immunoprecipitates prepared with antibodies to the T7 epitope (Fig. 3D). This stimulation was inhibited by infection of cells with AxCADelta p85. These results suggested that PKClambda is activated by insulin in a PI 3-kinase-dependent manner.

Dominant negative effects of kinase-defective mutants of PKClambda on insulin-induced activation of PKClambda . To investigate the roles of PKClambda in cells by specifically inhibiting the activity of the endogenous enzyme, we have constructed adenovirus vectors that encode dominant negative mutants of PKClambda . Infection of cells with an adenovirus (AxCAlambda KD) encoding lambda KD revealed that the mutant enzyme was not activated either by insulin treatment in intact cells (Fig. 4A) or by addition of PS to the kinase assay mixture (Fig. 4B); PS stimulated the activity of the wild-type enzyme ~2.5-fold. Infection of CHO-IR/PKClambda cells with AxCAlambda KD resulted in inhibition of insulin-induced activation of PKClambda (measured in immunoprecipitates prepared with antibodies to the T7 epitope) in an MOI-dependent manner (Fig. 5A), without an effect on the amount of T7 epitope-tagged PKClambda in the cells (data not shown).


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FIG. 4.   Effects of insulin in vivo and PS in vitro on the kinase activities of various PKClambda mutants. (A) 3T3-L1 adipocytes cultured in six-well plates were infected (or not) with adenovirus vectors encoding lambda Delta PD (Delta PD), lambda KD (KD), or lambda Delta NKD (Delta NKD) at an MOI of 150, 30, or 50 PFU/cell, respectively. The cells were then incubated in the absence or presence of 100 nM insulin for 5 min, lysed, and subjected to immunoprecipitation with a MAb to PKClambda . The immunoprecipitates were assayed for PKClambda activity. (B) KB cells cultured in six-well plates were infected (or not) with adenovirus vectors encoding lambda WT (WT), lambda KD (KD), lambda Delta PD (Delta PD), or lambda Delta NKD (Delta NKD) at an MOI of 1, 3, 15, or 5 PFU/cell, respectively; these MOIs resulted in the expression of similar amounts of PKClambda proteins. The cells were lysed, the total lysates were subjected to immunoprecipitation with a MAb to PKClambda , and the immunoprecipitates were assayed for PKClambda activity in the absence or presence of PS (100 µg/ml). Data are means ± standard errors from three experiments.


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FIG. 5.   Effects of lambda KD and lambda Delta NKD on insulin-induced activation of PKClambda . (A and B) CHO-IR/PKClambda cells were infected with AxCAlambda KD (A) or AxCAlambda Delta NKD (B) at the indicated MOI (PFU per cell), incubated in the absence or presence of 100 nM insulin for 5 min, and lysed. The total lysates were subjected to immunoprecipitation with a MAb to the T7 epitope, and the immunoprecipitates were then assayed for PKClambda activity. (C) 3T3-L1 adipocytes were infected with AxCAlambda Delta NKD at the indicated MOI (PFU per cell), incubated in the absence or presence of 100 nM insulin for 5 min, and lysed. The total lysates were subjected to immunoblot analysis with a MAb to PKClambda (lower panel) or to immunoprecipitation with polyclonal antibodies to PKClambda (alpha lambda 197); the immunoprecipitates were then assayed for PKClambda activity (upper panel). Quantitative data are expressed as fold stimulation relative to uninfected cells not exposed to insulin and are means ± standard errors from three experiments.

Although these results indicated that lambda KD inhibits the activation of transfected PKClambda by insulin, we could not examine the effect of this mutant on endogenous PKClambda activity because the polyclonal antibodies to PKClambda (alpha lambda 197) also precipitate lambda KD. We therefore constructed an adenovirus vector (AxCAlambda Delta NKD) that encodes an NH2-terminally truncated version of lambda KD (lambda Delta NKD); because this mutant does not possess the region of PKClambda corresponding to the immunogen, it is not recognized by the polyclonal antibodies to PKClambda . lambda Delta NKD was not activated either by insulin in vivo or by PS in vitro (Fig. 4). Infection of CHO-IR/PKClambda cells with AxCAlambda Delta NKD resulted in an MOI-dependent inhibition of insulin-induced activation of T7 epitope-tagged PKClambda (Fig. 5B). The extent of the inhibition paralleled the extent of expression of the mutant protein, and the expression of the mutant protein did not affect the amount of T7 epitope-tagged PKClambda (data not shown).

We then investigated the effect of lambda Delta NKD on endogenous PKClambda activity in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Fully differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes were infected with AxCAlambda Delta NKD at various MOIs and incubated in the absence or presence of insulin, after which immunoprecipitates prepared with polyclonal antibodies to PKClambda were assayed for PKClambda activity. Insulin stimulation of endogenous PKClambda activity in 3T3-L1 adipocytes was inhibited by lambda Delta NKD in an MOI-dependent manner, being virtually abolished at an MOI of 100 PFU/cell (Fig. 5C); again, the extent of inhibition paralleled the extent of expression of the mutant protein, and the expression of the mutant protein did not affect the amount of endogenous PKClambda protein (Fig. 5C). Immunoblot analysis revealed that the amount of mutant PKClambda protein in the cells infected with AxCAlambda Delta NKD at an MOI of 100 PFU/cell was 5 to 10 times that of endogenous PKClambda protein. Insulin-induced stimulation of PI 3-kinase activity in 3T3-L1 cells, measured in immunoprecipitates prepared with antibodies to phosphotyrosine, was not inhibited by either lambda KD or lambda Delta NKD (data not shown). Thus, both of these PKClambda mutants exerted dominant negative effects on insulin-induced activation of PKClambda .

Inhibition of insulin-stimulated glucose uptake and GLUT4 translocation by dominant negative mutants of PKClambda . We next examined the effects of the dominant negative mutants of PKClambda on insulin-stimulated glucose uptake and translocation of GLUT4 in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Cells were infected with either AxCAlambda KD or AxCAlambda Delta NKD and then assayed for insulin-induced glucose uptake. Overexpression of either lambda KD or lambda Delta NKD resulted in a dose-dependent inhibition of insulin-stimulated glucose uptake (Fig. 6A and B). Basal glucose transport was not affected by infection of cells with the viruses encoding either of the dominant negative mutants of PKClambda (Fig. 6A and B). The amounts of GLUT4 protein, assessed by immunoblot analysis, in infected and noninfected cells were also similar (Fig. 7). Glucose uptake stimulated by either GH or hyperosmolarity (300 mM sorbitol) was not affected by AxCAlambda KD (Fig. 6C).


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FIG. 6.   Effects of lambda KD and lambda Delta NKD on glucose uptake in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. (A and B) 3T3-L1 adipocytes were infected with AxCAlambda KD (A) or AxCAlambda Delta NKD (B) at the indicated MOI (PFU per cell) and then incubated in the absence or presence of 100 nM insulin for 15 min. Cells were then assayed for glucose uptake. (C) 3T3-L1 adipocytes were infected (or not) with AxCAlambda KD at an MOI of 150 PFU/cell, incubated in the absence or presence of GH (0.5 µg/ml) for 10 min or 300 mM sorbitol for 60 min, and then assayed for glucose uptake. Data are means ± standard errors from three experiments.


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FIG. 7.   Effects of various PKClambda mutants on the amount of GLUT4 protein in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Cells were infected (or not) with AxCAlambda KD, AxCAlambda Delta PD, AxCAlambda Delta NKD, or AxCAlambda WT at an MOI of 150 PFU/cell, and total cell lysates were subjected to immunoprecipitation with a MAb to GLUT4. The immunoprecipitates were then subjected to immunoblot analysis with polyclonal antibodies to GLUT4.

To confirm that the observed inhibition of insulin-induced glucose uptake was due to inhibition of PKClambda activity, we attempted to reverse the effect of the lambda Delta NKD mutant by overexpressing the wild-type enzyme. 3T3-L1 adipocytes were infected first with AxCAlambda Delta NKD at an MOI of 100 PFU/cell, and, after 12 h, they were infected again with AxCAlambda WT, an adenovirus vector encoding wild-type PKClambda , at different MOIs (Fig. 8). The cells were then assayed for insulin-induced glucose uptake. Infection of the cells with AxCAlambda WT partially reversed the inhibition of glucose uptake by lambda Delta NKD in an MOI-dependent manner. The expression of lambda Delta NKD protein was not affected by the second infection of the cells with AxCAlambda WT (data not shown). These results suggested that the inhibition of insulin-induced glucose uptake by lambda Delta NKD is due to inhibition of PKClambda activity.


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FIG. 8.   Effect of overexpression of wild-type PKClambda on the inhibition of insulin-stimulated glucose uptake by lambda Delta NKD. 3T3-L1 adipocytes were infected (or not) with AxCAlambda Delta NKD at an MOI of 100 PFU/cell and, after 12 h, with AxCAlambda WT at the indicated MOI. After an additional 36 h, the cells were assayed for glucose uptake. Data are means ± standard errors from three experiments.

The effects of the dominant negative mutants of PKClambda on insulin-stimulated translocation of GLUT4 were examined by the plasma membrane lawn assay. Exposure of noninfected 3T3-L1 adipocytes to insulin resulted in a marked increase in the amount of GLUT4 immunoreactivity in the plasma membrane, an effect that was substantially inhibited in cells infected with AxCAlambda KD (Fig. 9). An essentially identical inhibitory effect on insulin-induced translocation of GLUT4 was observed in cells infected with AxCAlambda Delta NKD (data not shown). These results suggested that PKClambda activity is required for insulin-induced glucose uptake and translocation of GLUT4.


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FIG. 9.   Effects of PKClambda mutants on translocation of GLUT4 to the plasma membrane of 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Uninfected cells (A and B) or cells that were infected with AxCAlambda KD (C) or AxCAlambda Delta PD (D through F) at an MOI of 150 PFU/cell were incubated in the absence (A through E) or presence (F) of 100 nM wortmannin for 20 min and then in the absence (A, D, and F) or presence (B, C, and E) of 100 nM insulin for 5 min. Plasma membrane fragments were then prepared for immunofluorescence microscopy with antibodies to GLUT4 and tetramethyl rhodamine isothiocyanate-labeled secondary antibodies. Data are representative of those from at least three independent experiments.

Enhancement of glucose transport and GLUT4 translocation by a constitutively active mutant of PKClambda . To investigate whether activation of PKClambda is capable of stimulating glucose uptake in 3T3-L1 adipocytes, we prepared an adenovirus vector that encodes a constitutively active mutant of PKClambda . Because the activity of PKC enzymes is negatively regulated by the pseudosubstrate domain, we constructed a mutant PKClambda that lacks this domain (lambda Delta PD). As expected, the kinase activity of lambda Delta PD was markedly greater than that of the wild-type enzyme, and this activity was little affected by insulin treatment in vivo or PS in vitro (Fig. 4). Infection of 3T3-L1 adipocytes with a virus (AxCAlambda Delta PD) that encodes this mutant resulted in stimulation of glucose uptake in an MOI-dependent manner (Fig. 10). The extent of the stimulation paralleled the extent of expression of the mutant protein (data not shown). At an MOI of 150 PFU/cell, the extent of the stimulatory effect was similar to that achieved by 100 nM insulin (Fig. 10). lambda Delta PDKD, a mutant PKClambda that lacks both kinase activity and the pseudosubstrate domain, did not stimulate glucose uptake (data not shown), suggesting that the activation of sugar transport by lambda Delta PD was due to its kinase activity and not to nonspecific effects of viral infection. Furthermore, the amounts of GLUT4 (Fig. 7) and of insulin-stimulated PI 3-kinase activity precipitated with antibodies to phosphotyrosine (data not shown) were not increased by expression of lambda Delta PD. Insulin did not increase glucose uptake further in cells that had been infected with AxCAlambda Delta PD at an MOI of 150 PFU/cell, and treatment of such cells with wortmannin had little effect on glucose uptake (Fig. 10). Moreover, GLUT4 translocation, as assessed by the plasma membrane lawn assay, was stimulated by lambda Delta PD, and this stimulation was not affected by insulin or wortmannin (Fig. 9).


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FIG. 10.   Effect of lambda Delta PD on glucose uptake in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Cells were infected with AxCAlambda Delta PD at the indicated MOI (PFU per cell) and incubated in the absence or presence of 100 nM wortmannin for 20 min and then with or without 100 nM insulin for 10 min. Glucose uptake was then assayed. Data are means ± standard errors from three experiments.

Localization of PKClambda and Akt to different signaling pathways. Finally, we examined whether PKClambda and Akt, both of which are downstream effectors of PI 3-kinase, act in the same or different signaling pathways. Insulin induced a fivefold increase in Akt activity in 3T3-L1 adipocytes (Fig. 11A). Infection of cells with AxCAlambda KD did not affect insulin-induced activation of Akt, even at an MOI of 150 PFU/cell, a dose sufficient to inhibit insulin-induced glucose uptake by ~50% (Fig. 6A). Infection with AxCAlambda Delta PD did not result in the activation of Akt, even at an MOI of 150 PFU/cell (Fig. 11B), a virus dose sufficient to activate glucose uptake to an extent similar to that achieved by insulin (Fig. 10). Essentially similar results were obtained with CHO cells (data not shown). These observations indicate that Akt does not function downstream of PKClambda .


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FIG. 11.   Localization of PKClambda and Akt to different signaling pathways. (A and B) Effects of lambda KD (A) and lambda Delta PD (B) on Akt activity in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Cells were infected with AxCAlambda KD (A) or AxCAlambda Delta PD (B) at the indicated MOI (PFU per cell) and then incubated in the absence or presence of 100 nM insulin for 10 min. Cell lysates were subjected to immunoprecipitation with antibodies to Akt, and the resulting precipitates were assayed for Akt kinase activity. (C and D) Effects of a dominant negative mutant of Akt on insulin-induced activation of Akt (C) and PKClambda (D) in CHO-Akt cells. Cells were infected at the indicated MOI (PFU per cell) with an adenovirus vector (AxCAAkt-AA) encoding Akt-AA, incubated in the absence or presence of 100 nM insulin for 10 min, and lysed. Lysates were subjected to immunoprecipitation with antibodies to either the FLAG epitope (C) or PKClambda (D), and the resulting immunoprecipitates were assayed for Akt or PKClambda activity, respectively. (E and F) Effects of Akt-AA on insulin-induced activation of Akt2 (E) and PKClambda (F) in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Cells were infected with AxCAAkt-AA at the indicated MOI (PFU/cell), incubated in the absence or presence of 100 nM insulin for 3 min, and lysed. Lysates were subjected to immunoprecipitation with antibodies to Akt2 (E) or to PKClambda (F), and the precipitates were assayed for Akt and PKClambda activity, respectively. Data are means ± standard errors from three experiments.

We next investigated whether Akt contributes to the activation of PKClambda with the use of a dominant negative mutant of Akt. We have recently shown that a mutant Akt (Akt-AA) in which the phosphorylation sites (Thr308 and Ser473) targeted by growth factors are replaced by alanine acts in a dominant negative manner (26). Infection of CHO cells stably expressing FLAG epitope-tagged rat Akt1 (CHO-Akt cells) with an adenovirus encoding Akt-AA (AxCAAkt-AA) resulted in inhibition of insulin-stimulated Akt activity in an MOI-dependent manner; at an MOI of 20 PFU/cell, ~70% inhibition was achieved (Fig. 11C). Insulin treatment of CHO-Akt cells increased twofold the kinase activity measured in immunoprecipitates prepared with antibodies to PKClambda , and this stimulatory action of insulin on PKClambda activity was not affected by expression of Akt-AA (Fig. 11D).

We also tested the effect of Akt-AA on insulin stimulation of PKClambda activity in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. We have previously shown that infection of these cells with AxCAAkt-AA at an MOI of 200 PFU/cell inhibited insulin-induced activation of endogenous Akt by ~90% (26). Because the antibodies to Akt used in our previous study recognize Akt1, Akt2, and Akt3 (26), it was suggested that Akt-AA inhibits all three known isoforms of Akt. Because Akt2 is a major isoform of Akt in 3T3-L1 adipocytes (11), we directly tested the effect of Akt-AA on insulin-stimulated Akt2 activity in 3T3-L1 adipocytes with the use of antibodies to Akt2. These antibodies did not recognize Akt-AA (data not shown), which is derived from rat Akt1. Insulin induced an approximately fivefold increase in kinase activity present in immunoprecipitates prepared with the antibodies to Akt2 (Fig. 11E). The amount of kinase activity in immunoprecipitates prepared with antibodies to Akt3 was not substantially greater than that present in precipitates prepared with control antibodies (data not shown). Infection of 3T3-L1 cells with AxCAAkt-AA at an MOI of 200 PFU/cell inhibited insulin stimulation of Akt2 activity by ~80% (Fig. 11E). However, AxCAAkt-AA had no effect on insulin-stimulated PKClambda activity (Fig. 11F), suggesting that Akt does not contribute to PKClambda activation by insulin.

The inhibitory effect of lambda Delta NKD on insulin-stimulated glucose uptake was partial (~50 to 60%) (Fig. 6B), whereas this mutant almost completely abolished the insulin-induced increase in PKClambda activity (Fig. 5C). These results may suggest the existence of a redundant pathway that mediates insulin stimulation of glucose uptake. To examine whether Akt is responsible for such a redundant pathway, we finally examined the effect of coexpression of lambda KD and Akt-AA on insulin-induced glucose uptake in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. The inhibitory effect of lambda KD on insulin stimulation of glucose uptake in cells infected with AxCAAkt-AA at an MOI of 200 PFU/cell was similar to that apparent in cells not infected with AxCAAkt-AA (Fig. 12).


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FIG. 12.   Combined effects of Akt-AA and lambda KD on insulin-induced glucose uptake. 3T3-L1 adipocytes were infected with AxCAlambda KD at the indicated MOI, and after 8 h, they were infected (or not) with AxCAAkt-AA at an MOI of 200 PFU/cell. After 40 h, the cells were assayed for insulin-induced glucose uptake. Data are expressed as a percentage of maximal insulin-induced glucose uptake and are means ± standard errors from three experiments.

    DISCUSSION
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Abstract
Introduction
Materials & Methods
Results
Discussion
References

Evidence suggests that stimulation of glucose transport by insulin is mediated mainly by a pathway triggered by PI 3-kinase (12, 20, 21, 39, 41). Because both Akt and atypical PKC isozymes act downstream of PI 3-kinase, it has been of interest to determine whether insulin-stimulated glucose uptake is mediated through one of these protein kinases or through an as-yet-unknown effector of the lipid kinase. To address this question, we have now investigated the role of an atypical PKC isoform, PKClambda , in intact cells by specifically inhibiting the activity of the endogenous enzyme. Overexpression of kinase-deficient mutants of atypical PKC has been shown to inhibit various biological actions, including activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase, DNA synthesis, nuclear factor-kappa B-dependent trans activation, and v-ras-induced transformation (7-9, 15), although it is not clear whether such mutants inhibit the activity of the endogenous enzymes.

We have now shown that expression of kinase-defective mutants of PKClambda (lambda KD and lambda Delta NKD) inhibited insulin-induced activation of both transfected and endogenous PKClambda . Because the insulin-induced increase in PI 3-kinase activity, measured in immunoprecipitates prepared with antibodies to phosphotyrosine, was not affected by either of these mutant proteins, it appears that they do not inhibit the insulin receptor kinase or subsequent phosphorylation of IRS1; rather, they prevent specific signaling downstream of PI 3-kinase. Normal activation of Akt by insulin in cells expressing lambda KD also supports this conclusion. These observations thus demonstrated that lambda KD and lambda Delta NKD act in a dominant negative manner.

Overexpression of either lambda KD or lambda Delta NKD inhibited insulin stimulation of glucose uptake and GLUT4 translocation in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Basal glucose transport in cells expressing these mutants was similar to that in uninfected cells. Furthermore, glucose uptake induced by either GH or hyperosmolarity attributable to sorbitol, both of which promote glucose transport through a PI 3-kinase-independent mechanism (41), was not affected by lambda KD, suggesting that lambda KD inhibited insulin-induced glucose uptake not by an effect on a component of the transport machinery but by blocking specific signals mediated through PKClambda . Indeed, the amount of GLUT4 protein in cells infected with AxCAlambda KD or AxCAlambda Delta NKD was unchanged.

To investigate further the role of PKClambda in glucose uptake and translocation of GLUT4, we examined the effects of a constitutively active mutant of PKClambda . The kinase activity of