Heterologous expression of rab4 reduces glucose transport and GLUT4 abundance at the cell surface in oocytes.

To evaluate the role of the small rab GTP-binding proteins in glucose transporter trafficking, we have heterologously co-expressed rab4 or rab5 and GLUT4 or GLUT1 glucose transporters in Xenopus oocytes. Co-injection of rab4 and GLUT4 cRNAs resulted in a dose-dependent decrease in glucose transport; this effect was specific for rab4, since co-injection of an inactive rab4 mutant or rab5 cRNA did not have any effect on glucose transport. The effect of rab4 was selective for GLUT4, since no effect was detected in GLUT1-expressing oocytes. The inhibitory effect of rab4 on GLUT4-induced glucose transport was not the result of a change in overall cellular levels of GLUT4 glucose transporters. However, rab4 expression caused a marked decrease in the abundance of GLUT4 transporters present at the cell surface. Finally, rab4 and inhibitors of PtdIns 3-kinase showed additive effects in decreasing glucose transport in GLUT4-expressing oocytes. We conclude that rab4 plays an important role in the regulation of the intracellular GLUT4 trafficking pathway, by contributing to the intracellular retention of GLUT4 through a PtdIns 3-kinase-independent mechanism.