Insulin-mediated cell proliferation and survival involve inhibition of c-Jun N-terminal kinases through a phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase- and mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphatase-1-dependent pathway.

We previously reported that long term treatment with insulin led to sustained inhibition of c-Jun N-terminal kinases (JNKs) in CHO cells overexpressing insulin receptors. Here we investigated the signaling molecules involved in insulin inhibition of JNKs, focusing on phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI 3-K) and mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphatase-1 (MKP-1). In addition, we examined the relevance of JNK inhibition for insulin-mediated proliferation and survival. Insulin inhibition of JNKs was mediated by PI 3-K, as it was blocked by wortmannin and LY294002 and required the de novo synthesis of a phosphatase(s), as it was abolished by orthovanadate and actinomycin D. MKP-1 was a good candidate because 1) insulin stimulation of MKP-1 expression correlated with insulin inhibition of JNKs; 2) insulin stimulation of MKP-1 expression, like insulin inhibition of JNKs, was mediated by PI 3-K; and 3) the transient expression of an antisense MKP-1 RNA reduced the insulin inhibitory effect on JNKs. The overexpression of a dominant negative JNK1 mutant increased insulin stimulation of DNA synthesis and mimicked the protective effect of insulin against serum withdrawal-induced apoptosis. The overexpression of wild-type JNK1 or antisense MKP-1 RNA reduced the proliferative and/or antiapoptotic responses to insulin. Altogether, these results demonstrate that insulin inhibits JNKs through a PI 3-K- and MKP-1-dependent pathway and provide evidence for a key role for JNK inhibition in insulin regulation of proliferation and survival.