Institute of Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism-Eddy Karnieli

 
 
 
Eddy Karnieli, M.D. 
Associate Professor  
Director 

M.D., 1975, Technion Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa  

E-mail: eddy@rambam.health.gov.il       E-mail:eddy@tx.technion.ac.il 

Tel:972-4-854-2706/2580 
Fax: 972-4-8542746 
 

 
Postdoctoral fellowship - 1979, NIDDK, NIH, Bethesda, MD
.
Visiting Scolar - 1987, Division of Endocrinology & Metabolism,
UCSD, La Jolla, CA.

Visiting Scolar - 1995, Diabetes Branch, NIDDK, NIH, Bethesda,
MD. 
 

 Regulation of Glucose Transport in Diabetes:  
Molecular and Clinical Aspects 

Our group investigates the molecular mechanism of insulin action and regulation of glucose transporters (GLUT), IGF-I receptor, and oncogenes in human and animal models of diabetes, obesity, and cancer. Our goal is to elucidate the genetic basis and the molecular defects leading to impaired insulin action on glucose uptake and to prevent them using novel gene therapy modalities.
 
Sequence of events involved in insulin stimulation of glucose transport in muscle and adipose cells:
(1) In the absence of insulin, the GLUT-4 glucose transporter resides within the cell.
Other proteins associated with GLUT-4 vesicles include synaptobrevin (VAMP),
GP160/Vp165, PI4-kinase, rab4, and SCAMP.
(2) When insulin binds to its receptor in the plasma membrane, it initiates a cascade of events
affecting transcription, translocation, and possiblly activation of the glucose transporter.
(3) Rab4 dissociates from the vesicle, and the vesicle translocates to the plasma membrane,
where it docks and fuses, and glucose transport is activated.
(4) GLUT-4 vesicles are endocytosed and recycle through endosomes.