The role of phosphoinositide 3-kinase C2α in insulin signaling

The members of the class II phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) family can be activated by several stimuli, indicating that these enzymes can regulate many intracellular processes. Nevertheless, to date, there has been no definitive identification of their in vivo product, their mechanism(s) of activation, or their precise intracellular roles. By metabolic labeling, we here identify phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate as the sole in vivo product of the insulin-dependent activation of PI3K-C2 alpha, confirming the emerging role of such a phosphoinositide in signaling. We demonstrate that activation of PI3K-C2 alpha involves its recruitment to the plasma membrane and that activation is mediated by the GTPase TC10. This is the first report showing a membrane targeting-mediated mechanism of activation for PI3K-C2 alpha and that a small GTP-binding protein can activate a class II PI3K isoform. We also demonstrate that PI3K-C2 alpha contributes to maximal insulin-induced translocation of the glucose transporter GLUT4 to the plasma membrane and subsequent glucose uptake, definitely assessing the role of this enzyme in insulin signaling.