title: Studies of the regulated assembly of SNARE complexes in adipocytes.
abstract: Insulin plays a fundamental role in whole-body glucose homeostasis. Central to this is the hormone's ability to rapidly stimulate the rate of glucose transport into adipocytes and muscle cells [1]. Upon binding its receptor, insulin stimulates an intracellular signalling cascade that culminates in redistribution of glucose transporter proteins, specifically the GLUT4 isoform, from intracellular stores to the plasma membrane, a process termed 'translocation' [1,2]. This is an example of regulated membrane trafficking [3], a process that also underpins other aspects of physiology in a number of specialized cell types, for example neurotransmission in brain/neurons and release of hormone-containing vesicles from specialized secretory cells such as those found in pancreatic islets. These processes invoke a number of intriguing biological questions as follows. How is the machinery involved in these membrane trafficking events mobilized in response to a stimulus? How do the signalling pathways that detect the external stimulus interface with the trafficking machinery? Recent studies of insulin-stimulated GLUT4 translocation offer insight into such questions. In the present paper, we have reviewed these studies and draw parallels with other regulated trafficking systems.
authors.affiliation: *Henry Wellcome Laboratory of Cell Biology, Institute for Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, Davidson Building, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, U.K.
authors.forename: Dimitrios
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kioumourtzoglou
authors.affiliation: *Henry Wellcome Laboratory of Cell Biology, Institute for Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, Davidson Building, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, U.K.
authors.forename: Jessica B A
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Sadler
authors.affiliation: †Department of Biology, University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5DD, U.K.
authors.forename: Hannah L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Black
authors.affiliation: *Henry Wellcome Laboratory of Cell Biology, Institute for Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, Davidson Building, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, U.K.
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Berends
authors.affiliation: *Henry Wellcome Laboratory of Cell Biology, Institute for Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, Davidson Building, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, U.K.
authors.forename: Cassie
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wellburn
authors.affiliation: †Department of Biology, University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5DD, U.K.
authors.forename: Nia J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Bryant
authors.affiliation: *Henry Wellcome Laboratory of Cell Biology, Institute for Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, Davidson Building, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, U.K.
authors.forename: Gwyn W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Gould
mesh_terms: D052438:Adipocytes, White / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism*; D051275:Glucose Transporter Type 4 / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000378:metabolism*; D051938:Munc18 Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D054730:Protein Interaction Domains and Motifs; D055503:Protein Multimerization; D021381:Protein Transport; D050765:Qa-SNARE Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D050766:Qb-SNARE Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D050767:Qc-SNARE Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D011972:Receptor, Insulin / Q000819:agonists* / Q000378:metabolism; D050600:SNARE Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction; D050988:Vesicle-Associated Membrane Protein 2 / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D051275:Glucose Transporter Type 4; D007328:Insulin; D051938:Munc18 Proteins; D050765:Qa-SNARE Proteins; D050766:Qb-SNARE Proteins; D050767:Qc-SNARE Proteins; C100493:SNAP23 protein, human; D050600:SNARE Proteins; C495693:Slc2a4 protein, mouse; C494807:VAMP2 protein, human; D050988:Vesicle-Associated Membrane Protein 2; C587292:syntaxin 4, human; D011972:Receptor, Insulin