title: The amino terminus of GLUT4 functions as an internalization motif but not an intracellular retention signal when substituted for the transferrin receptor cytoplasmic domain.
abstract: Previous studies have demonstrated that the amino-terminal cytoplasmic domain of GLUT4 contains a phenylalanine-based targeting motif that determines its steady state distribution between the surface and the interior of cells (Piper, R. C., C. Tai, P. Kuleza, S. Pang, D. Warnock, J. Baenziger, J. W. Slot, H. J. Geuze, C. Puri, and D. E. James. 1993. J. Cell Biol. 121:1221). To directly measure the effect that the GLUT4 amino terminus has on internalization and subsequent recycling back to the cell surface, we constructed chimeras in which this sequence was substituted for the amino-terminal cytoplasmic domain of the human transferrin receptor. The chimeras were stably transfected into Chinese hamster ovary cells and their endocytic behavior characterized. The GLUT4-transferrin receptor chimera was recycled back to the cell surface with a rate similar to the transferrin receptor, indicating that the GLUT4 sequence was not promoting intracellular retention of the chimera. The GLUT4-transferrin receptor chimera was internalized at half the rate of the transferrin receptor. Substitution of an alanine for phenylalanine at position 5 slowed internalization of the chimera by twofold, to a level characteristic of bulk membrane internalization. However, substitution of a tyrosine increased the rate of internalization to the level of the transferrin receptor. Neither of these substitutions significantly altered the rate at which the chimeras were recycled back to the cell surface. These results demonstrate that the major function of the GLUT4 amino-terminal domain is to promote the effective internalization of the protein from the cell surface, via a functional phenylalanine-based internalization motif, rather than retention of the transporter within intracellular structures.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York 10032.
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Garippa
authors.forename: T W
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Judge
authors.forename: D E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: James
authors.forename: T E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: McGraw
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D016466:CHO Cells; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D006224:Cricetinae; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000378:metabolism; D017931:DNA Primers; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000378:metabolism; D004705:Endocytosis; D005089:Exocytosis; D051275:Glucose Transporter Type 4; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000494:pharmacology; D007501:Iron / Q000378:metabolism; D007700:Kinetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009004:Monosaccharide Transport Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism*; D009124:Muscle Proteins; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011990:Receptors, Transferrin / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism*; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014162:Transfection; D014168:Transferrin / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D051275:Glucose Transporter Type 4; D007328:Insulin; D009004:Monosaccharide Transport Proteins; D009124:Muscle Proteins; D011990:Receptors, Transferrin; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; C495692:SLC2A4 protein, human; D014168:Transferrin; D007501:Iron