Rabs 8A and 14 are targets of the insulin-regulated Rab-GAP AS160 regulating GLUT4 traffic in muscle cells.

Insulin causes translocation of glucose transporter GLUT4 to the membrane of muscle and fat cells, a process requiring Akt activation. The Rab GTPase-activating protein (Rab-GAP) AS160 is inhibited upon phosphorylation by insulin-activated Akt, thereby allowing GLUT4 translocation. Although several Rab proteins are detected on GLUT4 vesicles, the target Rabs of AS160 involved in the GLUT4 translocation have not been identified. We test whether Rabs 8A, 10, and 14 (in vitro targets of AS160) rescue the inhibition of GLUT4 translocation caused by 'constitutively active' 4P-AS160 in L6 muscle cells. Coexpression of GFP-tagged Rabs 8A or Rab14 with 4P-AS160 prevented the inhibition of GLUT4 translocation imposed by 4P-AS160. GFP-tagged, constitutively active Rab8A also elicited this rescue. In contrast, neither wild-type nor constitutively active GFP-tagged Rab10 restored GLUT4 translocation. These results suggest that Rab8A and possibly Rab14 may be targets of AS160 leading to GLUT4 translocation in L6 muscle cells.