Cited by 475Sphingolipid Metabolism and SignalingMetabolism, Diabetes, and CancerPI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling in cancer

Regulation of Insulin-Stimulated Glucose Transporter GLUT4 Translocation and Akt Kinase Activity by Ceramide

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Summers, Scott A., Garza, Luis A., Zhou, Honglin, Birnbaum, Morris J.·1998·Molecular and Cellular Biology

Abstract

The sphingomyelin derivative ceramide is a signaling molecule implicated in numerous physiological events. Recently published reports indicate that ceramide levels are elevated in insulin-responsive tissues of diabetic animals and that agents which trigger ceramide production inhibit insulin signaling. In the present series of studies, the short-chain ceramide analog C2-ceramide inhibited insulin-stimulated glucose transport by approximately 50% in 3T3-L1 adipocytes, with similar reductions in hormone-stimulated translocation of the insulin-responsive glucose transporter (GLUT4) and insulin-responsive aminopeptidase. C2-ceramide also inhibited phosphorylation and activation of Akt, a molecule proposed to mediate multiple insulin-stimulated metabolic events. C2-ceramide, at concentrations which antagonized activation of both glucose uptake and Akt, had no effect on the tyrosine phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS-1) or the amounts of p85 protein and phosphatidylinositol kinase activity that immunoprecipitated with anti-IRS-1 or antiphosphotyrosine antibodies. Moreover, C2-ceramide also inhibited stimulation of Akt by platelet-derived growth factor, an event that is IRS-1 independent. C2-ceramide did not inhibit insulin-stimulated phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinase or pp70 S6-kinase, and it actually stimulated phosphorylation of the latter in the absence of insulin. Various pharmacological agents, including the immunosuppressant rapamycin, the protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide, and several protein kinase C inhibitors, were without effect on ceramide's inhibition of Akt. These studies demonstrate ceramide's capacity to inhibit activation of Akt and imply that this is a mechanism of antagonism of insulin-dependent physiological events, such as the peripheral activation of glucose transport and the suppression of apoptosis.

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  • Ceramides can directly induce cellular IR by blocking the downstream effects of insulin signalling, such as glucose transporter-4 (GLUT4) translocation.

    “Ceramides can directly induce cellular IR by blocking the downstream effects of insulin signalling, such as glucose transporter‐4 (GLUT4) translocation.[ 52 ]”
  • Ceramide levels were found to be higher in obese and insulin-resistant individuals compared to insulin-sensitive muscle.

    “Ceramide levels were found to be higher in obese and insulin‐resistant individuals compared to insulin‐sensitive muscle.”

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Authors
Summers, S. A., Garza, L. A., Zhou, H., & Birnbaum, M. J.
Affiliations
  • Howard Hughes Medical Institute (US)
  • University of Pennsylvania (US)
Venue
Molecular and Cellular Biology
Published
1998-09
Volume
18
Issue
9
Pages
5457-5464
ISSN
  • 0270-7306 (ISSN-L)
  • 1098-5549
OpenAlex
W2167497319
Cited by
475
References
48
Citations by year
2026: 9 · 2025: 14 · 2024: 15 · 2023: 18 · 2022: 25 · 2021: 15 · 2020: 22 · 2019: 16 · 2018: 15 · 2017: 17 · 2016: 14 · 2015: 18 · 2014: 14 · 2013: 27 · 2012: 16
FWCI
5.68
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Molecular and Cellular Biology (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • University of Pennsylvania
  • National Institutes of Health (5r01dk039615-03)
  • National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (DK09375, DK 39615, F32DK009375)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Sphingolipid Metabolism and Signaling
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Metabolism, Diabetes, and Cancer
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling in cancer
Keywords
ceramide, C2-ceramide, insulin signaling, GLUT4 translocation, glucose transport, Akt kinase, insulin resistance, adipocytes, IRS-1, platelet-derived growth factor, apoptosis, sphingolipids
MeSH terms
Animals, Biological Transport, Cell Differentiation, Ceramides, Enzyme Inhibitors, Glucose, Insulin, Monosaccharide Transport Proteins, Muscle Proteins, Protein-Tyrosine Kinases, Proto-Oncogene Proteins, Recombinant Proteins, Sphingosine, Transfection, 3T3 Cells, Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases, Adipocytes, Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases, Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt, Glucose Transporter Type 4, Mice

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