Microtubules in insulin action: what's on the tube?

Microtubules (MT) have a role in the intracellular response to insulin stimulation and subsequent glucose transport by glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4), which resides in specialized storage vesicles that travel through the cell. Before GLUT4 is inserted into the plasma membrane for glucose transport, it undergoes complex trafficking through the cell via the integration of cytoskeletal networks. In this review, we highlight the importance of MT elements in insulin action in adipocytes through a summary of MT depolymerization studies, MT-based GLUT4 movement, molecular motor proteins involved in GLUT4 trafficking, as well as MT-related phenomena in response to insulin and links between insulin action and MT-associated proteins.

Automated summary

Microtubules play a crucial role in insulin-stimulated glucose transport in adipocytes by facilitating the trafficking of GLUT4 vesicles through the cell. The integration of cytoskeletal networks and involvement of molecular motor proteins are essential for the complex movement of GLUT4 before its insertion into the plasma membrane for glucose transport. Insulin response and the regulation of MT-associated proteins are important factors in understanding the mechanisms of insulin action in adipocytes.