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Upstream and downstream of mTOR

Nissim Hay1, Nahum Sonenberg

  • 1Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Illinois at Chicago, 60607, USA. nhay@uic.edu

Genes & Development
|August 18, 2004
PubMed

Insights

The target of rapamycin (TOR) pathway regulates cell growth and protein synthesis through numerous downstream targets. This review details mTOR signaling, its role in cell proliferation, cancer, and synaptic plasticity.

Area of Science:

  • Cellular Biology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • The target of rapamycin (TOR) is a conserved protein kinase crucial for cell growth and proliferation.
  • TOR regulates protein synthesis via a wide array of downstream targets, some directly phosphorylated and others indirectly.
  • Understanding TOR signaling is key to comprehending fundamental cellular processes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review recent advancements in the field of TOR signaling.
  • To elucidate the upstream activators and downstream targets of mammalian TOR (mTOR).
  • To summarize the role of mTOR in cell growth, proliferation, cancer, and synaptic plasticity.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of recent developments in TOR signaling research.
  • Analysis of upstream signaling pathways activating mTOR.
  • Identification and categorization of mTOR's downstream targets involved in protein synthesis.

Main Results:

  • TOR controls protein synthesis through a complex network of direct and indirect downstream targets.
  • mTOR signaling is implicated in the regulation of cell growth and proliferation.
  • Dysregulation of mTOR is relevant to cancer development and synaptic plasticity.

Conclusions:

  • mTOR is a central regulator of protein synthesis, cell growth, and proliferation.
  • Further research into mTOR pathways can reveal new therapeutic strategies for cancer and neurological disorders.
  • The review highlights the dynamic and multifaceted nature of mTOR signaling.

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