In 1996 the 75th anniversary of the discovery of insulin was celebrated at the University of Toronto, the scene of that discovery in 1921. This volume was stimulated by the scientific program which was staged at that time and brought together much of the world's best talent to discuss and analyze the most recent developments in our understanding of pancreatic function, insulin secretion, the interaction of insulin with its target tissues, the mechanism of insulin action at the cellular level, and the defects which underlie both Type I (insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, IDDM) and Type II (noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, NIDDM) forms of the disease. We have chosen to focus the present volume on work related to insulin action.

Inhalt
The IRS-signalling system: A network of docking proteins that mediate insulin action.- Role of binding proteins to IRS-1 in insulin signalling.- Insulin regulation of the Ras activation/inactivation cycle.- Insulin signal transduction through protein kinase cascades.- Protein Phosphatase-1 and insulin action.- Insulin receptor internalization and signalling.- Spatial determinants of specificity in insulin action.- Binding of SH2 containing proteins to the insulin receptor: A new way for modulating insulin signalling.- Insulin receptor-associated protein tyrosine phosphatase(s): Role in insulin action.- Regulation of the insulin signalling pathway by cellular protein-tyrosine phosphatases.- Protein-tyrosine Phosphatase-1B acts as a negative regulator of insulin signal transduction.- Multifunctional actions of vanadium compounds on insulin signaling pathways: Evidence for preferential enhancement of metabolic versus mitogenic effects.- Regulation of the Na+/K+-ATPase by insulin: Why and how?.- Potential mechanism(s) involved in the regulation of glycogen synthesis by insulin.- Metabolic and therapeutic lessons from genetic manipulation of GLUT4.- Insulin action in skeletal muscle from patients with NIDDM.- Genetic manipulation of insulin action and ?-cell function in mice.- TNF-? and insulin resistance: Summary and future prospects.- Membrane glycoprotein PC-1 and insulin resistance.- Insulin action on protein Phosphatase-1 activation is enhanced by the antidiabetic agent pioglitazone in cultured diabetic hepatocytes.- Index to Volume 182.