title: Molecular mechanisms for the regulation of insulin-stimulated glucose uptake by small guanosine triphosphatases in skeletal muscle and adipocytes.
abstract: Insulin is a hormone that regulates the blood glucose level by stimulating various physiological responses in its target tissues. In skeletal muscle and adipose tissue, insulin promotes membrane trafficking of the glucose transporter GLUT4 from GLUT4 storage vesicles to the plasma membrane, thereby facilitating the uptake of glucose from the circulation. Detailed mechanisms underlying insulin-dependent intracellular signal transduction for glucose uptake remain largely unknown. In this article, I give an overview on the recently identified signaling network involving Rab, Ras, and Rho family small guanosine triphosphatases (GTPases) that regulates glucose uptake in insulin-responsive tissues. In particular, the regulatory mechanisms for these small GTPases and the cross-talk between protein kinase and small GTPase cascades are highlighted.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Cell Biology, Department of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science, Osaka Prefecture University, 1-1 Gakuen-cho, Naka-ku, Sakai, Osaka 599-8531, Japan. tkysato@b.s.osakafu-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Takaya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Satoh
mesh_terms: D017667:Adipocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D001692:Biological Transport; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000378:metabolism*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction; D020691:rab GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D018631:ras Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D020741:rho GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D007328:Insulin; D020691:rab GTP-Binding Proteins; D018631:ras Proteins; D020741:rho GTP-Binding Proteins; D005947:Glucose