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TOR signalling and control of cell growth in yeast and mammals
Author(s) -
Hall Michael N
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.22.1_supplement.263.2
Subject(s) - mtorc1 , ribosome biogenesis , tor signaling , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , mechanistic target of rapamycin , nutrient sensing , pi3k/akt/mtor pathway , cell growth , biogenesis , mtorc2 , translation (biology) , autophagy , signal transduction , ribosome , genetics , gene , rna , apoptosis , messenger rna
TOR (target of rapamycin) is a highly conserved serine/threonine kinase that controls cell growth and aging. The discovery of TOR led to a fundamental change in how one thinks of cell growth. It is not a spontaneous process that simply happens when building blocks (nutrients) are available, but rather is a highly regulated, plastic process that is controlled by TOR‐dependent signalling pathways. TOR is found in two functionally distinct multiprotein complexes, TORC1 and TORC2. The two TOR complexes, like TOR itself, are highly conserved. TORC1 in yeast and mammals mediates temporal control of cell growth by regulating several cellular processes including translation, transcription, ribosome biogenesis, nutrient transport and autophagy – all processes implicated also in aging, suggesting that TORC1 may control aging as an extension of its control of cell growth. TORC2 in yeast and mammals mediates spatial control of cell growth by regulating the actin cytoskeleton. Thus, the two TOR complexes constitute an ancestral signalling network conserved throughout eukaryotic evolution to control the fundamental process of cell growth. The physiological consequences of mTORC1 dysregulation suggest that inhibitors of mTOR may be useful in the treatment of age‐related diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, and metabolic disorders. Data on the role of mTORC1 and mTORC2 in specific tissues will be presented.