The SCF-Fbxo40 complex induces IRS1 ubiquitination in skeletal muscle, limiting IGF1 signaling.

Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) induces skeletal muscle hypertrophy by activating the IGF1R/IRS1/PI3K/Akt pathway. However the effect of IGF1 in differentiated muscle is limited by IRS1 ubiquitination and proteasome-mediated breakdown. In skeletal muscle, IGF1R activation sensitizes IRS1 to degradation, and a screen for the responsible E3 ligase identified Fbxo40 as mediating this rapid turnover of IRS1, since IRS1 loss can be rescued by knockdown of Fbxo40. In biochemical assays, an SCF E3 ligase complex containing Fbxo40 directly ubiquitinates IRS1, and this activity is enhanced by increased tyrosine phosphorylation of IRS1. Fbxo40 is muscle specific in expression and is upregulated during differentiation. Knockdown of Fbxo40 induces dramatic hypertrophy of myofibers. Mice null for Fbxo40 have increased levels of IRS1 and demonstrate enhanced body and muscle size during the growth phase associated with elevated IGF1 levels. These findings establish an important means of restraining IGF1's effects on skeletal muscle.