Role of the TSC1-TSC2 Complex in the Integration of Insulin and Glucose Signaling Involved in Pancreatic β-Cell Proliferation

Abstract

Tuberous sclerosis complex proteins 1-2 (TSC1-TSC2) complex integrates both nutrient and hormonal signaling and is a critical negative regulator of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) complex 1. The use of different β-cell lines expressing or not the insulin receptor (IR+/+ and IR−/−) or with a reconstituted expression of IR isoform A or B (Rec A and Rec B) revealed that both phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt/TSC/mTOR complex 1 and MAPK kinase/ERK pathways mediate insulin signaling in IR+/+-, IRA-, or IRB-expressing cells. However, glucose signaling was mediated by MAPK kinase/ERK and AMP-activated protein kinase pathways as assessed in IR−/− cells. The effect of insulin on Akt phosphorylation was completely inhibited by the use of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase inhibitor wortmannin in IR+/+ and Rec B cells, a partial inhibitory effect being observed in Rec A cell line. The knockdown of TSC2 expression up-regulated the downstream basal phosphorylation of 70-kDa ribosomal protein S6 kinase (p70S6K) and mTOR. More importantly, upregulation of p70S6K signaling impaired insulin-stimulated phosphorylation of Akt Ser473 and p70S6K in IR+/+ and Rec B but not in Rec A cell lines. In fact, insulin receptor substrate-1 Ser307 phosphorylation signal in Rec B was stronger than in Rec A cell line during insulin action. Rec A cells induced a higher proliferation rate compared with Rec B or IR+/+ during serum stimulation. Thus, we propose that the regulation of TSC2 phosphorylation by insulin or glucose independently integrates β-cell proliferation signaling, the relative expression of IRA or IRB isoforms in pancreatic β cells playing a major role.