Insulin promotes shedding of syndecan ectodomains from 3T3-L1 adipocytes: A proposed mechanism for stabilization of extracellular lipoprotein lipase

The potential function of syndecans in triglyceride metabolism are explored and it is found that syndecan-1 and syndecan-4 are expressed by adipocytes in adipose tissue and by 3T3-L1 adipocytes and are shed as soluble ectodomains in the extracellular space by insulin-stimulated 3T3-L1 adipocytes. The studies have shown that syndecan extodomains, shed by adipocytes in response to insulin, are physiological extracellular chaperons for lipoprotein lipase as it translocates from its site of synthesis to its site of action.