Insulin-stimulated glucose uptake partly relies on p21-activated kinase (PAK)-2, but not PAK1, in mouse skeletal muscle

Objective: Skeletal muscle glucose uptake is essential for maintaining whole-body glucose homeostasis and accounts for the majority of glucose disposal in response to insulin. The group I p21-activated kinase (PAK) isoforms PAK1 and PAK2 are activated in response to insulin in skeletal muscle. Interestingly, PAK1/2 signalling is impaired in insulin-resistant mouse and human skeletal muscle and PAK1 has been suggested to be required for insulin-stimulated GLUT4 translocation. However, the relative contribution of PAK1 and PAK2 to insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in mature skeletal muscle is unresolved. The aim of the present investigation was to determine the requirement for PAK1 and PAK2 in whole-body glucose homeostasis and insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in skeletal muscle. Methods: Glucose uptake was measured in isolated skeletal muscle incubated with a pharmacological inhibitor (IPA-3) of group I PAKs and in muscle from whole-body PAK1 knockout (KO), muscle-specific PAK2 (m)KO and double whole-body PAK1 and muscle-specific PAK2 knockout mice. Results: The whole-body respiratory exchange ratio was largely unaffected by lack of PAK1 and/or PAK2. Whole-body glucose tolerance was mildly impaired in PAK2 mKO, but not PAK1 KO mice. IPA-3 partially reduced (-20%) insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in mouse soleus muscle. In contrast to a previous study of GLUT4 translocation in PAK1 KO mice, PAK1 KO muscles displayed normal insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in vivo and in isolated muscle. On the contrary, glucose uptake was slightly reduced in response to insulin in glycolytic extensor digitorum longus muscle lacking PAK2, alone (-18%) or in combination with PAK1 KO (-12%). Conclusions: Insulin-stimulated glucose uptake partly relies on PAK2, but not PAK1, in mouse skeletal muscle. Thus, the present study challenges that group I PAKs, and especially PAK1, are major regulators of whole-body glucose homeostasis and insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in skeletal muscle.