Interaction of insulin with the rat diaphragm. Subcellular distribution of insulin and its receptor

In studying the uptake and processing of A-14[125I]monoiodoinsulin by isolated rat hemidiaphragms it was found that major amounts of the hormone are associated with the debris fraction. A method was developed for separating debris components by discontinuous sucrose density gradient centrifugation. Major amounts of radioactivity were associated with its myofibril component with much lower amounts in its sarcolemmal elements. Using a modified method of Marshall, et. al. insulin receptor was measurable in these fractions with greatest amounts in myofibril and microsomal fractions. Receptor was also detectable in the latter after gel electrophoresis and immunoblotting with receptor antiserum. Sarcolemmal marker enzyme (K+-stimulated, ouabain-suppressible p-nitrophenylphosphate phosphatase) activity was insignificant in sarcolemmal and myofibril fractions, but was significant in the microsomal fraction. Sarcolemmal activity becomes significant after hemidiaphragm incubation with 1 μM insulin for 90 sec. but does not change in the microsomal fraction. It is concluded that 1) a component bound to the myofibrils in muscle is important in insulin processing, and 2) the largest part of sarcolemmal insulin receptors are incorporated in the microsomal fraction of homogenized tissue