Insulin receptor signal transduction serine kinases

It has been known for a long time that a number of enzymes are regulated by insulin through phosphorylation and dephosphorylation at serine residues (Kahn, 1985). Therefore, a signal transduction from the tyrosine-specific insulin receptor kinase to a serine-specific kinase must occur. The serine kinase that might fulfil both functions in the insulin signal-transduction chain has not yet been identified however, there are several possible candidates for these so called switch kinases (Fig. 10). 

Autophosphorylation of the insulin receptor leads to phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate (IRS). IRS comes in four different forms (IRS-1, IRS-2, IRS-3 and IRS-4). In muscle tissue, IRS-1 is the most important form for mediating insulin-signal transduction and lRS-1 impairment has been observed in muscle tissue of humans with DM-2 (Glund and Zierath, 2005). lRS-1 has many tyrosine phosphorylation sites. When these sites are phosphorylated by the insulin receptor, multiple insulin signals are enabled (Sun et al., 1993). IRS-1 also has several serine phosphorylation sites phosphorylation of serine residue 1101 results in inhibition of insulin signalling and provides a possible mechanism for IR (Li et al., 2004). After IRS is phosphorylated, it recruits and activates phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3-kinase). PI3-kinase phosphorylates phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) to... 

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