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The molecular mechanism by which insulin stimulates glycogen synthesis in mammalian skeletal muscle

Nature volume 348, pages 302–308 (1990)Cite this article

Abstract

The ability of insulin to promote the phosphoryl-ation of some proteins and the dephosphorylation of others is paradoxical. An insulin-stimulated protein kinase is shown to activate the type-1 protein phosphatase that controls glycogen metabolism, by phosphorylating its regulatory subunit at a specific serine. Furthermore, the phosphorylation of this residue is stimulated by insulin in vivo. Increased and decreased phosphorylation of proteins by insulin can therefore be explained through the same basic underlying mechanism.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biochemistry, University of Dundee, Scotland, UK

    Paul Dent, Alain Lavoinne, Sara Nakielny, F. Barry Caudwell & Philip Cohen

  2. Department of Anatomy and Physiology, University of Dundee, Scotland, UK

    Peter Watt

Authors
  1. Paul Dent
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  2. Alain Lavoinne
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  3. Sara Nakielny
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  4. F. Barry Caudwell
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  5. Peter Watt
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  6. Philip Cohen
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Dent, P., Lavoinne, A., Nakielny, S. et al. The molecular mechanism by which insulin stimulates glycogen synthesis in mammalian skeletal muscle. Nature 348, 302–308 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1038/348302a0

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