Insulin Signaling: Inositol Phosphates Get into the Akt

An acute but transient response to insulin is essential for glucose homeostasis in mammals. Chakraborty et al. (2010) uncover a new feedback mechanism regulating insulin signaling. They show that the inositol pyrophosphate IP7, which is produced in response to insulin, inhibits the Akt kinase, a primary effector of insulin signaling.