Inhibition of Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase Activity by Adenovirus-mediated Gene Transfer and Its Effect on Insulin Action

Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI 3-K) is implicated in cellular events including glucose transport, glycogen synthesis, and protein synthesis. It is activated in insulin-stimulated cells by binding of the Src homology 2 (SH2) domains in its 85-kDa regulatory subunit to insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1), and, others. We have previously shown that IRS-1-associated PI 3-kinase activity is not essential for insulin-stimulated glucose transport in 3T3-L1 adipocytes, and that alternate pathways exist in these cells. We now show that adenovirus-mediated overexpression of the p85N-SH2 domain in these cells behaves in a dominant-negative manner, interfering with complex formation between endogenous PI 3-K and its SH2 binding targets. This not only inhibited insulin-stimulated IRS-1-associated PI 3-kinase activity, but also completely blocked anti-phosphotyrosine-associated PI 3-kinase activity, which would include the non-IRS-1-associated activity. This resulted in inhibition of insulin-stimulated glucose transport, glycogen synthase activity and DNA synthesis. Further, Ser/Thr phosphorylation of downstream molecules Akt and p70 S6 kinase was inhibited. However, co-expression of a membrane-targeted p110 C AAX with the p85N-SH2 protein rescued glucose transport, supporting our argument that the p85N-SH2 protein specifically blocks insulin-mediated PI 3-kinase activity, and, that the signaling pathways downstream of PI 3-kinase are intact. Unexpectedly, GTP-bound Ras was elevated in the basal state. Since p85 is known to interact with GTPase-activating protein in 3T3-L1 adipocytes, the overexpressed p85N-SH2 peptide could titrate out cellular GTPase-activating protein by direct association, such that it is unavailable to hydrolyze GTP-bound Ras. However, insulin-induced mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphorylation was inhibited. Thus, PI 3-kinase may be required for this action at a step independent of and downstream of Ras. We conclude that, in 3T3-L1 adipocytes, non-IRS-1-associated PI 3-kinase activity is crucial for insulin’s metabolic signaling, and that overexpressed p85N-SH2 protein inhibits a variety of insulin’s ultimate biological effects.