Insulin regulation of fat cell ribosomes, protein synthesis, and lipoprotein lipase

Ribosomes of high purity were isolated from fat cells by discontinuous sucrose gradient centrifugation. Approximately 23% of the ribosomes were membrane bound. A reproducible fraction of ribosomes was recovered as polysomes capable of incorporating [3H]leucine into peptides in a cell-free system. Insulin (0.1-1.0 mU/ml) produced an increase in polysomal activity. Linear sucrose gradient profiles also revealed an increase in the ratio of polysomes to total ribosomes. Coincident with this effect, insulin increased the lipoprotein lipase activity fraction inhibitable by cycloheximide (0.01 mg/ml), and the immunotitratable enzyme activity. Insulin also enhanced the incorporation of labeled amino acids into adipose tissue immunoprecipitable lipoprotein lipase and total fat cell proteins. Cordycepin (0.1 mg/ml) or alpha-amanitin (10 micrograms/ml) partially inhibited insulin effects on ribosomes and protein synthesis but not on lipoprotein lipase. EGTA (1mM) prevented all of the insulin effects, whereas the calcium ionophore A-23187 (2 microM) augmented the hormone actions. The ionophore alone partially mimicked the insulin effects. In adipocytes, insulin increased the size of the protein-synthesizing polysomal pool by a mechanism which, in part, requires nuclear mRNA processing. Insulin, however, increased lipoprotein lipase synthesis independent of nuclear events. Calcium ions may be important for the expression of these insulin effects.