Fluidity of insulin action

Unlike the intensive research in pursuit of understanding the molecular mechanisms of insulin signaling and resistance to its biological action associated most significantly with obesity and type 2 diabetes, the influence of the plasma membrane on insulin sensitivity has been intermittently studied over the years-mainly because it was thought that mediators of insulin action, such as the insulin receptor and the insulin-responsive glucose transporter GLUT4, localize more or less uniformly in the lipids that form cell membranes. Recent insights into membrane physiology suggest that the plasma membrane impacts the function of membrane proteins mediating insulin action. Furthermore, membrane disturbances may be the basis of insulin resistance. Relevant insulin signal transduction data in terms of plasma membrane and insulin resistance are the focus of this review. The discussion visits the cell membrane hypothesis of insulin resistance that suggests insulin action could be related to changes in cell membrane properties.