Expression of a functional human insulin receptor from a cloned cDNA in Chinese hamster ovary cells.

Abstract
We have placed human insulin receptor cDNA into a vector under the control of the simian virus 40 (SV40) early promoter and tested its function by transient expression in microinjected Xenopus oocytes and by expression in stably transformed CHO cells. The precursor and the .alpha. and .beta. subunits of the receptor were detected by immunoprecipitation in CHO cells specifically binds 125I-labeled insulin but not insulin-like growth factor I, displays insulin-stimulated autophosphorylation of the .beta. subunit, and mediates insulin-stimulated 2-deoxyglucose uptake. We conclude that the human insulin receptor is synthesized, processed normally, and functional in this heterologous cell system.