Exploring the whereabouts of GLUT4 in skeletal muscle (review)

The glucose transporter GLUT4 is expressed in muscle, fat cells, brain and kidney. In contrast to other glucose transporters, GLUT4 in unstimulated cells is mostly intracellular. Stimuli such as insulin and muscle contractions then cause the translocation of GLUT4 to the cell surface. Questions related to GLUT4 storage compartments, trafficking to the surface membrane, and nature of the intracellular pools, have kept many groups busy for the past 20 years. Yet, one of the main questions in the field remains the universality of GLUT4 features. Can one extrapolate work done on fat cells to muscle or brain? Or vice-versa? Can one use cultures to predict GLUT4 behaviour in fully differentiated tissues? This review summarizes the authors' knowledge of GLUT4 biology in skeletal muscle, which is the predominant tissue for glucose homeostasis. The results are compared to those obtained with the fat cell system, and an attempt is made to assess the universality principle.