The AKTion in non-canonical insulin signaling

Abstract

The kinase AKT has been regarded as an obligate intermediate in the insulin signaling pathway that suppresses glucose production by inhibiting the transcription factor forkhead box O1 (FoxO1) after meals. A new study shows that, without AKT-FoxO1 signaling, insulin still contributes to postprandial responses, revealing an AKT-independent pathway for insulin action that might be exploited to treat metabolic disease (pages 388–395).