title: Epidermal growth factor induces glucose storage in transgenic 3T3-L1 adipocytes overexpressing epidermal growth factor receptors.
abstract: 3T3-L1 adipocytes represent an established physiological model for studying glucose uptake and storage. Overexpression of epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptors in these cells (200,000-250,000 receptors per cell) confers EGF-inducible GLUT4-mediated glucose uptake (17). We now report that EGF receptor (EGFR)-mediated signals can induce incorporation of glucose into glycogen and lipids in these cells. Incorporation into lipids was stimulated to similar levels by insulin or EGF in adipocytes expressing full-length (wild type) EGFR (2.05 +/- 0.26-fold for insulin vs. 2.28 +/- 0.15-fold for EGF). EGF induced incorporation into glycogen at roughly 60% of the level of insulin (4.53 +/- 0.57-fold for insulin vs. 2.76 +/- 0.25-fold for EGF); this corresponded with similarly lower levels of glycogen synthase activation by EGF relative to insulin stimulation. EGFR kinase activity was required for induced storage because a kinase-inactive (M721) EGFR failed to stimulate glucose incorporation into glycogen or lipids. EGFRs that lack all or part of the unique EGFR COOH-terminal tail induced glucose incorporation at levels similar to that stimulated by full-length (wild type) EGFR. Thus, domains in the COOH-terminal tail of the EGFR, which are necessary for stimulating glucose transport, are not required for signaling EGF-induced glucose storage. EGF-induced glucose storage did not require de novo protein synthesis, suggesting that EGFR signaling uses existing pathways in the adipocytes. These data demonstrate that signaling pathways for EGFR-mediated glucose storage and GLUT4-mediated glucose transport diverge at the receptor level. Thus, EGF-induced glucose storage can be achieved in the absence of induced GLUT4-mediated glucose transport.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Alabama at Birmingham 35294, USA.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Van Epps-Fung
authors.forename: R W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Hardy
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Williford
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wells
mesh_terms: D016475:3T3 Cells; D017667:Adipocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor / Q000494:pharmacology*; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D051275:Glucose Transporter Type 4; D006003:Glycogen / Q000096:biosynthesis; D006006:Glycogen Synthase / Q000378:metabolism; D007328:Insulin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051379:Mice; D009004:Monosaccharide Transport Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D009124:Muscle Proteins; D016296:Mutagenesis; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism; D017384:Sequence Deletion; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014162:Transfection
chemical_list: D051275:Glucose Transporter Type 4; D007328:Insulin; D009004:Monosaccharide Transport Proteins; D009124:Muscle Proteins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; C495693:Slc2a4 protein, mouse; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor; D006003:Glycogen; D006006:Glycogen Synthase; D066246:ErbB Receptors; D005947:Glucose