Insulin generates an enzyme modulator from hepatic plasma membranes: regulation of adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate phosphodiesterase, pyruvate dehydrogenase, and adenylate cyclase.

Some of the acute actions of insulin may be mediated by the intracellular generation of a chemical substance that modulates certain enzymes. Such a substance has been identified which is released from liver plasma membranes after exposure to insulin. This substance was purified on sequential ion exchange, reverse phase, and gel permeations columns. The purified substance modulated the activities of cAMP phosphodiesterase, adenylate cyclase, and pyruvate dehydrogenase. The activities that modulated each of these enzymes exhibited singular chromatographic behavior and sensitivity to a variety of chemical reagents. Each activity was also produced by treatment of membranes with a phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C. These results suggested that each of the enzyme-modulating activities was due to a single complex carbohydrate substance which contained inositol, phosphate, glucosamine, and other monosaccharides. The actions of this substance on these three enzymes mimicked those of insulin, suggesting that the release of this enzyme modulator might play a role in mediating some of the actions of the hormone.