Regulation of Dishevelled and β-catenin in rat skeletal muscle: An alternative exercise-induced GSK-3β signaling pathway

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articleResearchpeer-review

  • William G. Aschenbach
  • Richard C. Ho
  • Sakamoto, Kei
  • Nobuharu Fujii
  • Yangfeng Li
  • Young Bum Kim
  • Michael F. Hirshman
  • Laurie J. Goodyear

β-catenin is a multifunctional protein involved in cell-cell adhesion and the Wnt signaling pathway. β-Catenin is activated upon its dephosphorylation, an event triggered by Dishevelled (Dvl)-mediated phosphorylation and deactivation of glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β). In skeletal muscle, both insulin and exercise decrease GSK-3β activity, and we tested the hypothesis that these two stimuli regulate β-catenin. Immunoblotting demonstrated that Dvl, Axin, GSK-3β, and β-catenin proteins are expressed in rat red and white gastrocnemius muscles. Treadmill running exercise in vivo significantly decreased β-catenin phosphorylation in both muscle types, with complete dephosphorylation being elicited by maximal exercise. β-Catenin dephosphorylation was intensity dependent, as dephosphorylation was highly correlated with muscle glycogen depletion during exercise (r2 = 0.84, P < 0.001). β-Catenin dephosphorylation was accompanied by increases in GSK-3β Ser9 phosphorylation and Dvl-GSK-3β association. In contrast to exercise, maximal insulin treatment (1 U/kg body wt) had no effect on skeletal muscle β-catenin phosphorylation or Dvl-GSK-3β interaction. In conclusion, exercise in vivo, but not insulin, increases the association between Dvl and GSK-3β in skeletal muscle, an event paralleled by β-catenin dephosphorylation.

Original languageEnglish
JournalAmerican Journal of Physiology - Endocrinology and Metabolism
Volume291
Issue number1
Pages (from-to)E152-E158
ISSN0193-1849
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 17 Jul 2006
Externally publishedYes

    Research areas

  • Akt, Glycogen-synthase kinase-3β, Insulin, Protein kinase C, Wnt

ID: 239585079