The Akt switch model: Is location sufficient?

•Akt/PKB is a biochemical regulator of several signalling pathways in the mammalian cell. The activation dynamics of this important cross-talk node is explored.•Two processes are operating at timescales several orders apart to control Akt phosphorylation.•A simple, linear, four-compartment ordinary differential equation (ODE) model of Akt activation that tracks both the biochemical state and the physical location of Akt is formulated.•All the main features of Akt activation are embodied and the model is consistent with the experimental data.•The possible control of downstream signalling with different temporal profiles emerges from the localisation in the model structure.

Akt/PKB is a biochemical regulator that functions as an important cross-talk node between several signalling pathways in the mammalian cell. In particular, Akt is a key mediator of glucose transport in response to insulin. The phosphorylation (activation) of only a small percentage of the Akt pool of insulin-sensitive cells results in maximal translocation of glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) to the plasma membrane (PM). This enables the diffusion of glucose into the cell. The dysregulation of Akt signalling is associated with the development of diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular disease.Akt is synthesised in the cytoplasm in the inactive state. Under the influence of insulin, it moves to the PM, where it is phosphorylated to form pAkt. Although phosphorylation occurs only at the PM, pAkt is found in many cellular locations, including the PM, the cytoplasm, and the nucleus. Indeed, the spatial distribution of pAkt within the cell appears to be an important determinant of downstream regulation.Here we present a simple, linear, four-compartment ordinary differential equation (ODE) model of Akt activation that tracks both the biochemical state and the physical location of Akt. This model embodies the main features of the activation of this important cross-talk node and is consistent with the experimental data. In particular, it allows different downstream signalling motifs without invoking separate feedback pathways. Moreover, the model is computationally tractable, readily analysed, and elucidates some of the apparent anomalies in insulin signalling via Akt.