The APS adapter protein couples the insulin receptor to the phosphorylation of c-Cbl and facilitates ligand-stimulated ubiquitination of the insulin receptor.

The APS adapter protein is rapidly tyrosine-phosphorylated following insulin stimulation. In insulin-stimulated 3T3-L1 adipocytes, APS co-precipitated with phosphorylated c-Cbl. In CHO.T-APS cells overexpressing the insulin receptor and APS, APS co-precipitated with c-Cbl but not in CHO.T cells which do not express APS. APS-mediated recruitment of c-Cbl to the insulin receptor led to rapid ubiquitination of the insulin receptor beta-subunit in CHO. T-APS but not in parental CHO.T cells. These results suggest that the function of APS is to facilitate coupling of the insulin receptor to c-Cbl in order to catalyse the ubiquitination of the receptor and initiation of internalisation or degradation.