Retinol-binding protein-4 attenuates insulin-induced phosphorylation of IRS1 and ERK1/2 in primary human adipocytes

Reduced sensitivity to insulin in adipose, muscle, and liver tissues is a hallmark of type 2 diabetes. Animal models and patients with type 2 diabetes exhibit elevated levels of circulating retinol-binding protein (RBP4), and RBP4 can induce insulin resistance in mice. However, little is known about how RBP4 affects insulin signaling. We examined the mechanisms of action of RBP4 in primary human adipocytes. RBP4-treated adipocytes exhibited the same molecular defects in insulin signaling, via IRS1 to MAP kinase, as in adipocytes from patients with type 2 diabetes. Without affecting autophosphorylation of the insulin receptor, RBP4 blocked the insulin-stimulated phosphorylation of IRS1 at serine (307) [corresponding to serine (302) in the murine sequence] and concomitantly increased the EC50 (from 0.5 to 2 nM) for insulin stimulation of IRS1 phosphorylation at tyrosine. The phosphorylation of IRS1 at serine (312) [corresponding to serine (307) in the murine sequence] was not affected in cells from diabetic patients and was also not affected by RBP4. The EC50 for insulin stimulation of downstream phosphorylation of MAP kinase ERK1/2 was increased (from 0.2 to 0.8 nM) by RBP4. We show that ERK1/2 phosphorylation is similarly impaired in adipocytes from patients with type 2 diabetes. However, the sensitivity to insulin for downstream signaling to control of protein kinase B and glucose uptake was not affected by RBP4. When insulin-resistant adipocytes from patients with type 2 diabetes were incubated with antibodies against RBP4, insulin-induced phosphorylation of IRS1 at serine (307) was normalized and the EC50 for insulin stimulation of ERK1/2 phosphorylation was reduced. Endogenous levels of RBP4 were markedly reduced in adipocytes from obese or type 2 diabetic subjects, whereas expression levels of RBP4 mRNA were unaffected. These findings indicate that RBP4 may be released from diabetic adipocytes and act locally to inhibit phosphorylation of IRS1 at serine (307), a phosphorylation site that may integrate nutrient sensing with insulin signaling.