Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAP kinase), MAP kinase kinase and c-Mos stimulate glucose transport in Xenopus oocytes.

Mitogens and growth factors acutely stimulate glucose transport in all cells to supply energy for their growth and division, but little is known about the signalling mechanism by which these agonists promote sugar uptake. Here we show that the transport of deoxyglucose and 3-O-methylglucose into Xenopus laevis oocytes is stimulated about 2.5-fold when mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAP kinase) is microinjected into these oocytes. We also demonstrate that microinjection of the proto-oncogene product c-Mos (an activator of MAP kinase kinase, which activates MAP kinase in Xenopus oocytes), and purified MAP kinase kinase produce similar increases in deoxyglucose transport. Since the activation of MAP kinase is a general response to almost all mitogens and growth factors, we propose that one of its downstream effects is the stimulation of glucose-transport activity.