Improvement of insulin signaling in myoblast cells by an addition of SKIP-binding peptide within Pak1 kinase domain

Abnormalities in insulin-induced glucose incorporation in skeletal muscle were observed in Type 2 diabetes. Our previous studies revealed that the binding between skeletal muscle and kidney-enriched inositol polyphosphate phosphatase (SKIP) and p21-activated protein kinase (Pak1) at the plasma membrane is induced insulin-dependently and that this binding mediated a rapid and efficient termination of insulin signaling and a subsequent glucose uptake into skeletal muscle cells. Here, we identified 11-amino-acids peptide within kinase domain of Pak1, necessary and sufficient for SKIP binding. Expression of this region in C2C12 cells resulted in an increase in insulin signaling. Supplementation of a synthetic peptide of this sequence increased insulin signaling and insulin-induced glucose uptake into skeletal muscle cell lines. These findings suggest the physiological role of Pak1-SKIP binding in the regulation of insulin signaling in skeletal muscle.