Guanosine 5-O-(3-thiotriphosphate) (GTP␥S) induces the translocation of glucose transporter type 4 (GLUT4) from an intracellular pool to the cell surface and increases glucose uptake in adipocytes. The GTP-binding protein(s) responsible for the translocation has remained to be identified. Using a sensitive and quantitative method to assess the translocation of c-MYC epitope-tagged GLUT4, we obtained evidence that the activation of receptor-coupled G q (neither G i nor G s ) triggered GLUT4 translocation in cells, independently of insulin signaling pathway(s). Platelet-activating factor (PAF) induced GLUT4 translocation in the cells expressing the G i -and G q -coupled PAF receptor, but the translocation was induced even after pretreatment with wortmannin, an islet-activating protein and phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate. Norepinephrine triggered GLUT4 translocation in cells expressing the G q -coupled ␣ 1 -adrenergic receptor, but prostaglandin E 2 did not cause GLUT4 translocation in cells expressing the G s -coupled EP4 receptor or the G i -coupled EP3␣ receptor. The norepinephrine-stimulated GLUT4 translocation and glucose uptake via G q may possibly contribute to the fuel supply required for thermogenesis in brown adipocytes and for the enhanced contractility in cardiomyocytes, both of which have an abundant endogenous GLUT4.
Glucose transporter type 4 (GLUT4)1 is expressed exclusively in adipocytes and myocytes (1, 2). Translocation of GLUT4 from an intracellular pool to the plasma membrane is thought to be a major mechanism of glucose uptake in response to insulin in these tissues (1-4). 3T3-L1 adipocytes have been recognized as an ideal model to investigate the mechanism of GLUT4 translocation and glucose uptake, because these cells have a large amount of endogenous GLUT4 and insulin receptors (5).To examine molecular mechanisms of GLUT4 translocation in 3T3-L1 adipocytes and Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells, we developed a highly sensitive and quantitative method to measure directly c-MYC epitope-tagged GLUT4 (GLUT4myc) on the cell surface (6). Using this system, we have found that phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI 3-kinase, p85/p110 heterodimer type) is involved in signal transductions of GLUT4 translocation not only by insulin but also by platelet-derived growth factor and epidermal growth factor (7-9). Other investigators reported that PI 3-kinase plays a pivotal role in the insulin-stimulated GLUT1 and GLUT4 translocations in CHO cells and adipocytes, respectively (10 -12). Therefore, the CHO cell system as well as 3T3-L1 adipocytes are useful for studying molecular mechanisms of GLUT4 translocation (see "Discussion").On the other hand, GLUT4 translocation is also induced in permeabilized adipocytes by treatment with guanosine 5Ј-O-(3-thiotriphosphate) (GTP␥S) of nonhydrolyzable GTP analogs, as well as by insulin (13,14). The GTP␥S-induced GLUT4 translocation was also observed in 3T3-L1 adipocytes and CHO cells stably expressing the GLUT4myc, using this method of detection (6). However, the GTP-binding prote...