Rapid action of insulin and cyclic AMP in the regulation of functional messenger RNA coding for glucokinase in rat liver.

The mRNA activity coding for rat liver glucokinase was measured in vivo under different hormonal and nutritional conditions. Starvation resulted in minimal levels of glucokinase mRNA activity. Glucose refeeding caused a 4-fold induction of glucokinase mRNA within 48 h, which followed similar alterations in enzyme activity. Minimal values for glucokinase mRNA were also measured in diabetic animals fed glucose and were significantly elevated by insulin injection within 1.5 h. Administration of dibutyryl cyclic AMP to glucose-fed rats caused a rapid loss of the specific mRNA. The half-life of glucokinase mRNA, determined after the administration of cordycepin to glucose-fed animals, was approximately 40 min. This half-life was unaffected by the administration of dibutyryl cyclic AMP. Glucokinase mRNA was reduced 60% in glucose-fed adrenalectomized or thyroidectomized rats. The activity of the glucokinase mRNA agreed well with the measured rates of enzyme synthesis. These data indicate that insulin regulates hepatic glucokinase synthesis in vivo by increasing glucokinase mRNA; its effect is reduced by the absence of glucocorticoids or thyroid hormones and is rapidly antagonized by cyclic AMP.