Munc18c Regulates Insulin-stimulated GLUT4 Translocation to the Transverse Tubules in Skeletal Muscle

• Published in: The Journal of biological chemistry Vol. 276; no. 6; pp. 4063 - 4069
• Main Authors: Khan, Ahmir H., Thurmond, Debbie C., Yang, Chunmei, Ceresa, Brian P., Sigmund, Curt D., Pessin, Jeffrey E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 09.02.2001; American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
• Subjects: Animals; Glucose Transporter Type 4; Green Fluorescent Proteins; Insulin - pharmacology; Luminescent Proteins - genetics; Mice; Mice, Transgenic; Monosaccharide Transport Proteins - genetics; Monosaccharide Transport Proteins - metabolism; Munc18 Proteins; Muscle Proteins; Muscle, Skeletal - drug effects; Muscle, Skeletal - metabolism; Nerve Tissue Proteins; Protein Transport; Proteins - physiology; Vesicular Transport Proteins
• ISSN: 0021-9258; 1083-351X
• DOI: 10.1074/jbc.M007419200

To examine the intracellular trafficking and translocation of GLUT4 in skeletal muscle, we have generated transgenic mouse lines that specifically express a GLUT4-EGFP (enhanced green fluorescent protein) fusion protein under the control of the human skeletal muscle actin promoter. These transgenic mice displayed EGFP fluorescence restricted to skeletal muscle and increased glucose tolerance characteristic of enhanced insulin sensitivity. The GLUT4-EGFP protein localized to the same intracellular compartment as the endogenous GLUT4 protein and underwent insulin- and exercise-stimulated translocation to both the sarcolemma and transverse-tubule membranes. Consistent with previous studies in adipocytes, overexpression of the syntaxin 4-binding Munc18c isoform, but not the related Munc18b isoform, in vivo specifically inhibited insulin-stimulated GLUT4-EGFP translocation. Surprisingly, however, Munc18c inhibited GLUT4 translocation to the transverse-tubule membrane without affecting translocation to the sarcolemma membrane. The ability of Munc18c to block GLUT4-EGFP translocation to the transverse-tubule membrane but not the sarcolemma membrane was consistent with substantially reduced levels of syntaxin 4 in the transverse-tubule membrane. Together, these data demonstrate that Munc18c specifically functions in the compartmentalized translocation of GLUT4 to the transverse-tubules in skeletal muscle. In addition, these results underscore the utility of this transgenic model to directly visualize GLUT4 translocation in skeletal muscle.