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TOR, a central controller of cell growth

T Schmelzle1, M N Hall

  • 1Department of Biochemistry, Biozentrum, University of Basel, Switzerland.

Cell
|November 1, 2000
PubMed

Insights

Target of rapamycin (TOR) is a central regulator of cell growth, controlling diverse cellular processes. This kinase is essential for increasing cell mass, distinct from cell proliferation regulators.

Area of Science:

  • Cellular biology
  • Molecular biology
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Cell growth (increase in cell mass) and cell proliferation (increase in cell number) are fundamental yet distinct processes in multicellular organisms.
  • Cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) are established as the primary regulators of the cell cycle and proliferation.
  • The precise central regulator for cell growth, analogous to CDKs for proliferation, has remained elusive.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify the central regulator governing cell growth.
  • To investigate the role of the target of rapamycin (TOR) pathway in controlling cell mass.
  • To determine if TOR functions as an equivalent regulator to CDKs for cell growth.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of TOR signaling pathway components.
  • Examination of TOR's downstream targets and their role in cellular metabolism.
  • Comparative analysis of TOR's regulatory scope versus CDK's scope in cell division.

Main Results:

  • The target of rapamycin (TOR) kinase regulates a broad and abundant set of cellular readouts.
  • These TOR-controlled readouts are critical for various aspects of cell growth, including protein synthesis and metabolic processes.
  • TOR's extensive regulatory network suggests a central role in coordinating cell mass increase.

Conclusions:

  • The target of rapamycin (TOR) kinase is identified as a central regulator of cell growth.
  • TOR acts as a key coordinator of cellular processes essential for increasing cell mass.
  • This finding establishes TOR as a crucial counterpart to cyclin-dependent kinases in regulating fundamental cell behaviors.

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