Impact Factor ISSN: 1449-2288
Int J Biol Sci 2010; 6(7):716-718. doi:10.7150/ijbs.6.716 This issue Cite
Commentary
Role of clusters in insulin-regulated GLUT4 trafficking in adipose cells: A new paradigm?
1. EDMNS, Diabetes Branch, NIDDK, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
2. Department of Physiology, University of South Alabama College of Medicine, Mobile, AL, USA.
Abstract
Insulin stimulates glucose transport in muscle and adipose cells by stimulating translocation of glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) to the plasma membrane. In a recent Cell Metabolism paper, Stenkula et al. found that insulin controls the spatial distribution of GLUT4 on the surface of isolated adipose cells through regulation of their post-fusion dispersal. The presence of GLUT4 in plasma membrane-associated clusters is suggestive of a new paradigm in membrane protein recycling.
Keywords: Adipocyte, GLUT4, exocytosis, endocytosis, insulin resistance