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mTORC2 Caught in a SINful Akt

Pazit Polak1, Michael N Hall

  • 1Biozentrum, University of Basel, Klingelbergstrasse 70, CH-4056 Basel, Switzerland.

Developmental Cell
|October 3, 2006
PubMed

Insights

Target of rapamycin complex 2 (mTORC2) regulates cell growth by influencing protein substrate specificity, not just overall activity. This finding clarifies mTORC2

Area of Science:

  • Cellular Biology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • The target of rapamycin (TOR) pathway is a critical regulator of cell growth and metabolism.
  • TOR exists in two distinct multiprotein complexes: mTOR complex 1 (mTORC1) and mTOR complex 2 (mTORC2).
  • The precise in vivo functions and composition of mTORC2 have remained less understood compared to mTORC1.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To elucidate the composition and in vivo function of mTOR complex 2 (mTORC2).
  • To investigate the regulatory role of mTORC2 in cellular signaling pathways.
  • To clarify the mechanism by which mTORC2 controls cell growth.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of recent publications in leading scientific journals (Cell, Developmental Cell, Current Biology).
  • Integration of findings regarding mTORC2 composition and function.
  • Focus on in vivo studies investigating mTORC2's role in cellular processes.

Main Results:

  • Recent studies reveal key insights into the protein components of mTORC2.
  • mTORC2 plays a significant role in regulating cellular processes in vivo.
  • A crucial finding is that mTORC2 dictates the specificity of Akt/PKB substrates, rather than controlling their absolute activity levels.

Conclusions:

  • mTORC2's primary function involves modulating substrate specificity for key signaling proteins like Akt/PKB.
  • This specificity regulation is a key mechanism through which mTORC2 controls cell growth.
  • Further research into mTORC2 will enhance understanding of cell growth control and related diseases.

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