Objective Increased deposition of the extracellular matrix (ECM) in adipose tissue (AT) during obesity contributes to insulin resistance. The integrin receptors transmit changes in the extracellular environment causing corresponding intracellular adaptations. Integrin-linked kinase (ILK), an adaptor protein, is a central hub for intracellular signaling of integrins. This study determined the role of ILK in adipose function and insulin resistance. Methods The pathogenic role of ILK in obesity and insulin resistance was studied in human adipose tissue and adipocyte-specific ILK-deficient mice (ILK lox/lox AdCre ). ILK lox/lox AdCre mice together with wild-type littermates (ILK lox/lox ) were fed a chow diet or 60% high-fat (HF) diet for 16 weeks. In vivo insulin sensitivity was determined by hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamps. Results AT ILK expression was increased by HF diet feeding in mice and increased in visceral fat of morbidly obese humans. The HF-fed ILK lox/lox AdCre mice displayed reduced fat mass and improved glucose tolerance relative to the HF-fed ILK lox/lox mice. During a hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp, the HF-fed ILK lox/lox AdCre mice exhibited partially improved insulin resistance in AT. Lipolysis was suppressed to a greater extent by insulin and glucose uptake in brown AT (BAT) increased. Increased inhibition of lipolysis may have been attributed to increased vascularization in white AT, while increased glucose uptake in BAT was associated with increased Akt phosphorylation and P38/JNK dephosphorylation. Notably, AT insulin sensitivity in lean mice was not affected by ILK deletion. Moreover, reduced fat mass in the HF-fed ILK lox/lox AdCre mice may have been attributed to decreased free fatty acid uptake into adipocytes via the downregulation of CD36 gene expression. Consistent with the results in the mice, knockdown and knockout of ILK in 3T3-L1 cells decreased lipid accumulation and CD36 gene expression during adipogenesis. Conclusions These data show that adipocyte ILK is important for regulating HF diet-mediated insulin resistance in AT in a manner consistent with AT function.

Aberrant extracellular matrix (ECM) remodelling in muscle, liver and adipose tissue is a key characteristic of obesity and insulin resistance. Despite its emerging importance, the effective ECM targets remain largely undefined due to limitations of current approaches. Here, we developed a novel ECM-specific mass spectrometry-based proteomics technique to characterise the global view of the ECM changes in the skeletal muscle and liver of mice after high fat (HF) diet feeding. We identified distinct signatures of HF-induced protein changes between skeletal muscle and liver where the ECM remodelling was more prominent in the muscle than liver. In particular, most muscle collagen isoforms were increased by HF diet feeding whereas the liver collagens were differentially but moderately affected highlighting a different role of the ECM remodelling in different tissues of obesity. Moreover, we identified a novel association between collagen 24α1 and insulin resistance in the skeletal muscle. Using quantitative gene expression analysis, we extended this association to the white adipose tissue. Importantly, collagen 24α1 mRNA was increased in the visceral adipose tissue, but not the subcutaneous adipose tissue of obese diabetic subjects compared to lean controls, implying a potential pathogenic role of collagen 24α1 in obesity and type 2 diabetes.