Protein-tyrosine-phosphatase SHPTP2 is a required positive effector for insulin downstream signaling

SHPTP2 is a ubiquitously expressed tyrosine-specific protein phosphatase that contains two amino-terminal Src homology 2 (SH2) domains responsible for its association with tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins. In this study, expression of dominant interfering mutants of SHPTP2 was found to inhibit insulin stimulation of c-fos reporter gene expression and activation of the 42-kDa (Erk2) and 44-kDa (Erk1) mitogen-activated protein kinases. Cotransfection of dominant interfering SHPTP2 mutants with v-Ras or Grb2 indicated that SHPTP2 regulated insulin signaling either upstream of or in parallel to Ras function. Furthermore, phosphotyrosine blotting and immunoprecipitation identified the 125-kDa focal adhesion kinase (pp125FAK) as a substrate for insulin-dependent tyrosine dephosphorylation. These data demonstrate that SHPTP2 functions as a positive regulator of insulin action and that insulin signaling results in the dephosphorylation of tyrosine-phosphorylated pp125FAK.