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Updated: Aug 6, 2026

Glucose Uptake Measurement and Response to Insulin Stimulation in In Vitro Cultured Human Primary Myotubes
Published on: June 25, 2017
How many signals impinge on GLUT4 activation by insulin?
Aibin He1, Xiaojun Liu, Lizhong Liu
1National Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100005, China.
Abstract:
GLUT4 is the main glucose transporter activated by insulin in skeletal muscle cells and adipocytes. GLUT4 storage vesicles (GSVs) traffic in endocytic and exocytic compartments. In the basal state, GLUT4 compartments are preferentially sequestered in perinuclear deposits wherein stimuli including insulin and non-insulin factors can increase GLUT4 vesicle formation, its exocytosis, and fusion to plasma membrane. In addition to well-established effectors of insulin signaling pathway, such as PKCzeta and Akt, the cytoskeletal network is implicated in GLUT4 translocation. This review will discuss the mechanisms and activation of GLUT4 trafficking and incorporating to PM from three aspects: known molecules of the insulin signaling pathway; Rho and Rab family proteins and cytoskeletal molecules.
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