The insulin receptor and its signal transduction network is a key metabolism regulatory pathway. Insulin is an anabolic peptide hormone secreted by pancreatic beta cells and regulates the metabolism of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins by promoting the absorption of glucose from the blood into liver, fat, and skeletal muscle cells. The absorbed glucose is then converted into glycogen of fats. These metabolic events are tightly modulated by a signaling cascade of phosphorylation and dephosphorylation events, second-messenger generation, and protein-protein interactions following insulin binding to the insulin receptor.

Our infographic provides an overview over key intracellular pathways involved in insulin-mediated signaling, and their impact on cellular metabolism functions.