Kinesin light chain 1 stabilizes insulin receptor substrate 1 to regulate the IGF‐1‐AKT signaling pathway during myoblast differentiation

Abstract The IGF signaling pathway plays critical role in regulating skeletal myogenesis. We have demonstrated that KIF5B, the heavy chain of kinesin‐1 motor, promotes myoblast differentiation through regulating IGF‐p38MAPK activation. However, the roles of the kinesin light chain (Klc) in IGF pathway and myoblast differentiation remain elusive. In this study, we found that Klc1 was upregulated during muscle regeneration and downregulated in senescence mouse muscles and dystrophic muscles from mdx (X‐linked muscular dystrophic) mice. Gain‐ and loss‐of‐function experiments further displayed that Klc1 promotes AKT–mTOR activity and positively regulates myogenic differentiation. We further identified that the expression levels of IRS1, the critical node of IGF‐1 signaling, are downregulated in Klc1‐depleted myoblasts. Coimmunoprecipitation study revealed that IRS1 interacted with the 88‐154 amino acid sequence of Klc1 via its PTB domain. Notably, the reduced Klc1 levels were found in senescence and osteoporosis skeletal muscle samples from both mice and human. Taken together, our findings suggested a crucial role of Klc1 in the regulation of IGF‐AKT pathway during myogenesis through stabilizing IRS1, which might ultimately influence the development of muscle‐related disorders.