Jiann-Liang Lin

Increased Liver Glucose-Transporter Protein and mRNA in Streptozocin-Induced Diabetic Rats

The effect of insulin-deficient diabetic states on the rat liver glucose-transporter (L-transporter isoform) protein and mRNA levels were studied. Rats were injected with 65 mg/kg streptozocin to induce diabetes and were maintained for 10 days and then treated with or without insulin for the next 5 days. The L-transporter isoform with apparent Mr of 55,000 was observed to be increased approximately twofold in the membranes from liver homogenates of diabetic rats compared with control rats when assessed by Western blot analysis with an anti-peptide antibody directed against rat L-transporter isoform. Insulin treatment of diabetic rats decreased the amount of L-transporter isoform protein toward levels observed in nondiabetic rats. Northern blot analysis demonstrated similar alterations in the rat L-transporter isoform mRNA that paralleled the changes observed in the L-transporter isoform protein. The increased levels of the L-transporter isoform protein and mRNA in diabetic rats are in marked contrast to the effects of insulin deficiency in rat adipocytes, which specifically decrease the amount of the adipocyte glucose-transporter isoform protein and mRNA. These results suggest that glucose-transporter isoforms in rat liver and adipocytes are regulated by different mechanisms and that an increased synthesis of the L-transporter isoform may contribute to the increased glucose output that occurs from the liver during insulin deficiency.

Upregulation of GLUT2 mRNA by Glucose, Mannose, and Fructose in Isolated Rat Hepatocytes

Previously, demonstrated that GLUT2 mRNA and protein are increased in liver of streptozocin-induced diabetic rats. To examine the mechanisms whereby GLUT2 mRNA is regulated, we cultured isolated hepatocytes in the absence and presence of various concentrations of glucose. Culture of hepatocytes in high glucose concentration (27.8 mM) for 20 h induced a 3.2-fold increase in GLUT2 mRNA levels compared with hepatocytes cultured without D-glucose. Interestingly, D-mannose and D-fructose could substitute for D-glucose to elevate the GLUT2 mRNA level, whereas 3-O-methyl-D-glucose, 2-deoxy-D-glucose, and sucrose, which were not metabolized or taken up by the cells, were without effect. Insulin had no significant effect on GLUT2 mRNA levels in hepatocytes in the presence or absence of D-glucose. Therefore, the regulation of the GLUT2 gene by D-glucose in hepatocytes is contrary to that reported for GLUT1 and GLUT4 genes, which are downregulated by D-glucose. These results also suggest that the elevated GLUT2 mRNA level observed in diabetic rat liver is due to the high blood glucose concentration rather than to insulin deficiency.

Altered expression of glucose transporter isoforms with aging in rats — selective decrease in GluT4 in the fat tissue and skeletal muscle

SummaryTo elucidate the cellular mechanisms of glucose intolerance associated with aging, both the protein and mRNA levels of glucose transporter isoforms were studied in the various tissues of young (7-week-old) and aged (20-monthold) rats. GluT4 (adipose/muscle-type glucose transporter) protein, which is specifically expressed in insulin-responsive tissues, was selectively decreased per milligramme of cellular membrane protein in both the epididymal fat tissues and the gastrocnemius muscle of the aged rats compared with the young rats. When the changes in total cellular membranes per gramme of tissue are taken into account, a further decrease in GluT4 protein per gramme of tissue was observed in the tissues of the aged rats compared with the young rats. The decreased amount of GluT4 protein in the fat tissues of the aged rats is probably due to the decreased protein synthesis rather than the stability, since GluT4 mRNA/μg of cellular total RNA was also decreased. In contrast, GluT4 mRNA in the gastrocnemius muscle was rather increased and a ratio of GluT4 protein/GluT4 mRNA was decreased by 70% in the aged rats, suggesting that the translational efficiency and/or stability of GluT4 protein is decreased in the skeletal muscle of the aged rats compared with the young rats. GluT2 (livertype glucose transporter) protein and mRNA in the liver were also decreased in the aged rats, while no apparent decrease in GluT1 (HepG2/brain-type glucose transporter) protein/mg of cellular membrane protein was observed in the skeletal muscle and fat tissues of the aged rats compared with the young rats. Thus, the tissue and isoform-specific alterations of glucose transporter expression are associated with aging and may contribute to glucose intolerance observed with aging.

The glucose transport activity of GLUT1 is markedly decreased by substitution of a single amino acid with a different charge at residue 415

GLUT1 glucose transporter cDNA was modified to introduce a single amino acid substitution of aspartic acid for asparagine 415, which is conserved among all facilitative glucose transporter isoforms. Although a significant amount of the mutated transporter was expressed into plasma membranes of Chinese hamster ovary cells by transfection with expression vector, almost no increase in glucose transport activity was observed. Analysis of glucose uptake with Lineweaver-Burk plot depicts that the mutation induced a marked decrease (more than 5-fold) in turnover number and a slight increase (1.5-fold) in Km compared with the wild-type GLUT1. Results obtained with cytochalasin B and ethylidene glucose suggested that the inner but not outer glucose binding site was modulated. These results suggest that asparagine 415 is located close to the inner glucose binding site and the putative inner gate of GLUT1 glucose transporter and that an ionic charge in this domain might play an important role in the rate of conformational change between an inward-facing form and an outward-facing form of glucose transporter.

Expression of Glucose Transporter Isoforms with Aging

To elucidate the cellular mechanisms for impairment of glucose metabolism associated with aging, the facilitative glucose transporter protein and mRNA were studied in various tissues of young (7-week-old) and aged (20-month-old) rats. GLUT4 glucose transporter protein, a major glucose transporter isoform in the insulin-responsive tissues, was selectively decreased in the epididymal fat tissues of the aged rats compared with the young rats. This decrease is likely to be due to a decrease in protein synthesis rather than in protein stability, since GLUT4 mRNA per unit cellular total RNA was also decreased. GLUT4 mRNA in the skeletal muscle was rather increased in spite of the decreased level of GLUT4 protein in the aged rats, suggesting that the translational efficiency and/or stability of GLUT4 protein is decreased in the skeletal muscle of the aged rats compared with the young rats. In contrast to these alterations in GLUT4 expression, no apparent decrease in the GLUT1 protein amount was observed in the fat tissues, skeletal muscle and brain of the aged rats compared with the young rats. Thus, the tissue and isoform-specific alterations in glucose transporter expression are associated with aging and may contribute to impairment of glucose metabolism observed with aging.

Deletion of C-terminal 12 amino acids of GLUT1 protein does not abolish the transport activity.

We engineered the GLUT1 cDNA to delete C-terminal 12 amino acids of encoded GLUT1 protein. This mutated GLUT1 protein expressed in CHO cells by transfection of its cDNA was demonstrated to reside on the plasma membrane by cell surface labeling technique, and retain the transport activity, similar to that of the wild-type GLUT1. In addition, metabolic labeling of the intact cells with 35S indicated that the half-life of the mutated GLUT1 was not significantly different from that of the wild-type GLUT1. These results suggest that C-terminal 12 amino acids of GLUT1 are not important for the transport activity and the stability of the protein. Taken together with our previous results on the mutant without C-terminal 37 amino acids, the amino acids between the 37th and the 13th from the C-terminus appear to be essential for the transport activity.

Glucose binding enhances the papain susceptibility of the intracellular loop of the GLUT1 glucose transporter

Digestion of human GLUT1 protein in erythrocytes with 5 μg/ml papain for 5 min yielded several fragments. By using several site‐specific antibodies, two of these fragments containing the intracellular loop domain between M6 and M7 were demonstrated to be further digested by a prolonged incubation with papain. The addition of 0.2 M d‐glucose enhanced this digestion between M6 and M7 by approximately 3.5‐fold, while the addition of 0.2 M d‐sorbitol exhibited no effects. These results strongly suggest that d‐glucose binding induces the conformational change of the intracellular loop domain between M6 and M7 of GLUT1 protein. Since the homology of the amino acid sequence was low in this intracellular domain among the five facilitative glucose transporter isoforms, this intracellular loop might contribute to the difference in their K m and V max values for glucose uptake.

Peptide-Based Radioimmunoassay Specific for GLUT1 Glucose Transporter

A radioimmunoassay for the GLUT1 glucose transporter was developed with a synthesized peptide based on the sequence of the cDNA for GLUT1. A peptide corresponding to the COOH-terminal domain of the GLUT1 glucose transporter (Thr-Pro-Glu-Glu-Leu-Phe-His-Pro-Leu-Gly-Ala-Asp-Ser-Gln-Val) was synthesized and conjugated to keyhole limpet hemocyanin through the NH2-terminal of the peptide. An antibody was raised against this complex and affinity purified with the immobilized peptide. A second peptide, with tyrosine residue added to the NH2-terminal of the above peptide, was synthesized and used as a standard and iodinated for preparation of the radioactive ligand. The assay is highly reproducible, sensitive, and specific for the COOH-terminal domain of the GLUT1 glucose transporter. It has no cross-reactivity with the other glucose-transporter isoforms GLUT2 and GLUT4. Furthermore, the results obtained with this radioimmunoassay on the number of glucose transporters in human erythrocytes were in good agreement with previous studies based on cytochalasin B binding, suggesting that this radioimmunoassay is able to quantify the number of glucose transporters. The assay is completed within 4 h and can be used for simultaneous measurement of GLUT1 in many samples. In addition, it can be applied to the measurement of GLUT1 in several types of tissue.