Impaired suppression of gluconeogenesis induced by overexpression of a noninsulin-responsive phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase gene

Abstract

Despite detailed knowledge of the regulation of individual steps in the gluconeogenic pathway, the relative importance of each step to the overall control of gluconeogenesis by insulin is not known. The aim of this study was to determine the role of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) in the regulation of gluconeogenesis by insulin. Clones of the rat hepatoma cell line H4IIE-C3 were produced, overexpressing a PEPCK gene, driven by a promoter not responsive to insulin. In these cells basal gluconeogenesis from 2-[14C]pyruvate was increased 2.1-fold compared to controls (4.63 ± 0.49 nmol/105 cells vs. 2.21 ± 0.24 nmol/105 cells after 3 h, P < 0.05, n = 5). Increased gluconeogenesis was associated with an increase in basal PEPCK mRNA levels (1.9-fold) and enzyme activity (2.8-fold). Insulin (10-7 M) suppressed basal gluconeogenesis, PEPCK mRNA levels, and enzyme activity in control cells, but no detectable decrease was observed in PEPCK-transfected cells. These experiments provide direct evidence in intact cells that PEPCK is the rate-limiting enzyme in gluconeogenesis from pyruvate and show that insulin's action to inhibit gluconeogenesis is predominantly on the inhibition of PEPCK transcription. Copyright © 1993 by The Endocrine Society.