Diabetes, Vol 41, Issue 1 6-11, Copyright © 1992 by American Diabetes Association
Evidence that two naturally occurring human insulin receptor alpha-subunit variants are immunologically distinct
G Sesti, MA Marini, A Montemurro, L Condorelli, P Borboni, HU Haring, A Ullrich, ID Goldfine, R De Pirro and R Lauro
Department of Internal Medicine, II University of Rome, Italy.
The IgG from a patient (Italy 2 [I2]) with hypoglycemia, due to
autoantibodies to the insulin receptor, was purified on protein A Sepharose
into two fractions that were tested in various human tissues and cells. The
IgG fraction that bound protein A (absorbed IgG [IgGa]) nearly completely
inhibited the binding of 125I-labeled insulin to various cells or tissues
(placenta, IM-9, adipocytes, HEp-2-larynx cells, Epstein-Barr virus
lymphocytes) but not greater than 50% of 125I-labeled insulin binding to
human liver membranes. Conversely, both the IgG fraction from this patient,
which did not bind protein A (flow-through IgG [IgGb]), and the IgGa
fraction from a second similar patient (Italy 1 [I-1]) almost completely
inhibited the binding of 125I-labeled insulin to liver membranes. The IgGa
fraction from patient I-2 did not change receptor affinity because 50%
inhibition of 125I-labeled insulin binding was not affected by either the
presence or absence of these IgG fractions. Furthermore, liver binding data
were not due to cross-reaction of 125I-labeled insulin to the insulinlike
growth factor I receptor, and treatment of liver membranes with
neuraminidase did not alter the inhibitory effect of the IgGa fraction from
patient I-2 on 125I-labeled insulin binding to liver. Binding inhibition
experiments performed with cells transfected with and overexpressing the
-12 (human insulin receptor [HIR]-A) or the +12 (HIR-B) variant of HIR
revealed that the IgGa fraction from patient I-2 inhibited 125I-labeled
insulin binding to the HIR-A receptor but not to the HIR-B
receptor.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)