Intracellular compartmentalization of skeletal muscle glycogen metabolism and insulin signalling

Exp Physiol. 2011 Apr;96(4):385-90. doi: 10.1113/expphysiol.2010.052860. Epub 2011 Jan 14.

Abstract

The interest in skeletal muscle metabolism and insulin signalling has increased exponentially in recent years as a consequence of their role in the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Despite this, the exact mechanisms involved in the regulation of skeletal muscle glycogen metabolism and insulin signalling transduction remain elusive. We believe that one of the reasons is that the role of intracellular compartmentalization as a regulator of metabolic pathways and signalling transduction has been rather ignored. This paper briefly reviews the literature to discuss the role of intracellular compartmentalization in the regulation of skeletal muscle glycogen metabolism and insulin signalling. As a result, a hypothetical regulatory mechanism is proposed by which cells could direct glycogen resynthesis towards different pools of glycogen particles depending on the metabolic needs. Furthermore, we discuss the role of skeletal muscle transverse tubules as potential modulators of tissue insulin responsiveness.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Cell Compartmentation / physiology
  • Glycogen / metabolism*
  • Humans
  • Insulin / metabolism*
  • Muscle, Skeletal / metabolism*
  • Signal Transduction

Substances

  • Insulin
  • Glycogen