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Insulin and IGF-1 receptors regulate FoxO-mediated signaling in muscle proteostasis
Brian T. O’Neill, Kevin Y. Lee, Katherine Klaus, Samir Softic, Megan T. Krumpoch, Joachim Fentz, Kristin I. Stanford, Matthew M. Robinson, Weikang Cai, Andre Kleinridders, Renata O. Pereira, Michael F. Hirshman, E. Dale Abel, Domenico Accili, Laurie J. Goodyear, K. Sreekumaran Nair, C. Ronald Kahn
Brian T. O’Neill, Kevin Y. Lee, Katherine Klaus, Samir Softic, Megan T. Krumpoch, Joachim Fentz, Kristin I. Stanford, Matthew M. Robinson, Weikang Cai, Andre Kleinridders, Renata O. Pereira, Michael F. Hirshman, E. Dale Abel, Domenico Accili, Laurie J. Goodyear, K. Sreekumaran Nair, C. Ronald Kahn
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Research Article Endocrinology

Insulin and IGF-1 receptors regulate FoxO-mediated signaling in muscle proteostasis

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Abstract

Diabetes strongly impacts protein metabolism, particularly in skeletal muscle. Insulin and IGF-1 enhance muscle protein synthesis through their receptors, but the relative roles of each in muscle proteostasis have not been fully elucidated. Using mice with muscle-specific deletion of the insulin receptor (M-IR–/– mice), the IGF-1 receptor (M-IGF1R–/– mice), or both (MIGIRKO mice), we assessed the relative contributions of IR and IGF1R signaling to muscle proteostasis. In differentiated muscle, IR expression predominated over IGF1R expression, and correspondingly, M-IR–/– mice displayed a moderate reduction in muscle mass whereas M-IGF1R–/– mice did not. However, these receptors serve complementary roles, such that double-knockout MIGIRKO mice displayed a marked reduction in muscle mass that was linked to increases in proteasomal and autophagy-lysosomal degradation, accompanied by a high-protein-turnover state. Combined muscle-specific deletion of FoxO1, FoxO3, and FoxO4 in MIGIRKO mice reversed increased autophagy and completely rescued muscle mass without changing proteasomal activity. These data indicate that signaling via IR is more important than IGF1R in controlling proteostasis in differentiated muscle. Nonetheless, the overlap of IR and IGF1R signaling is critical to the regulation of muscle protein turnover, and this regulation depends on suppression of FoxO-regulated, autophagy-mediated protein degradation.

Authors

Brian T. O’Neill, Kevin Y. Lee, Katherine Klaus, Samir Softic, Megan T. Krumpoch, Joachim Fentz, Kristin I. Stanford, Matthew M. Robinson, Weikang Cai, Andre Kleinridders, Renata O. Pereira, Michael F. Hirshman, E. Dale Abel, Domenico Accili, Laurie J. Goodyear, K. Sreekumaran Nair, C. Ronald Kahn

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Figure 6

Deletion of FoxO1/3/4 in MIGIRKO mice reverses autophagy and transcription of FoxO target and autophagy genes.

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Deletion of FoxO1/3/4 in MIGIRKO mice reverses autophagy and transcripti...
(A) Western blot of IR, IGF1R, and FoxO isoforms in TA muscle from control, MIGIRKO, muscle FoxO1/3/4 triple-knockout (M-FoxO TKO), and muscle quintuple-knockout (M-QKO) mice fasted for 3 hours. (B) Western blot of mTOR, S6, and Akt signaling in quadriceps (n = 5–6; for quantification see Supplemental Figure 5C). (C) LC3A (green) and myosin IIa (red) immunostaining of deep portion of TA muscle from control and knockout mice (scale bar: 100 μm). (D) Western blot and densitometric analysis of autophagy intermediates in control, MIGIRKO, M-FoxO TKO, and M-QKO mice (n = 3). (E) Proteasome activity in muscle lysates from control, MIGIRKO, M-FoxO TKO, and M-QKO mice (n = 6). (F) qPCR for mRNA of FoxO target genes, autophagy genes, proteasome subunit genes, and ubiquitin ligase genes in TA muscle from control, MIGIRKO, M-FoxO TKO, and M-QKO mice fasted for 3 hours (n = 6). (*P < 0.05, **P < 0.01 vs. control; †P < 0.05, ††P < 0.01 vs. MIGIRKO, ANOVA.) Blots are from parallel samples run on separate gels.

Copyright © 2026 American Society for Clinical Investigation
ISSN: 0021-9738 (print), 1558-8238 (online)

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