IGF-1 mediated phosphorylation of specific IRS-1 serines in Ames dwarf fibroblasts is associated with longevity

Insulin/IGF-1 signaling involves phosphorylation/dephosphorylation of serine/threonine or tyrosine residues of the insulin receptor substrate (IRS) proteins and is associated with hormonal control of longevity determination of certain long-lived mice. The stimulation of serine phosphorylations by IGF-1 suggests there is insulin/IGF-1 crosstalk that involves the phosphorylation of the same serine residues. By this mechanism, insulin and IGF-1 mediated phosphorylation of specific IRS-1 serines could play a role in longevity determination. We used fibroblasts from WT and Ames dwarf mice to examine whether: (a) IGF-1 stimulates phosphorylation of IRS-1 serines targeted by insulin; (b) the levels of serine phosphorylation differ in WT vs. Ames fibroblasts; and (c) aging affects the levels of these serine phosphorylations which are altered in the Ames dwarf mutant. We have shown that IRS-1 is a substrate for IGF-1 induced phosphorylation of Ser(307), Ser(612), Ser(636/639), and Ser(1101); that the levels of phosphorylation of these serines are significantly lower in Ames vs. WT cells; that IGF-1 mediated phosphorylation of these serines increases with age in WT cells. We propose that insulin/IGF-1 cross talk and level of phosphorylation of specific IRS-1 serines may promote the Ames dwarf longevity phenotype.