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mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression

mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression

The mammalian target of rapamycin or mTOR protein was discovered in 1994 due to its direct interaction with rapamycin. The protein gets its name from a yeast homolog called TOR. The mTOR protein complex in mammalian cells plays a major role in balancing anabolic processes such as the synthesis of proteins, lipids, and nucleotides and catabolic processes, such as autophagy in response to environmental cues, such as availability of nutrients and growth factors.
The mTOR pathway or the...

mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression

mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression

The mammalian target of rapamycin or mTOR protein was discovered in 1994 due to its direct interaction with rapamycin. The protein gets its name from a yeast homolog called TOR. The mTOR protein complex in mammalian cells plays a major role in balancing anabolic processes such as the synthesis of proteins, lipids, and nucleotides and catabolic processes, such as autophagy in response to environmental cues, such as availability of nutrients and growth factors.
The mTOR pathway or the...

PI3K/mTOR/AKT Signaling Pathway

PI3K/mTOR/AKT Signaling Pathway

The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) is a serine/threonine kinase that regulates growth, proliferation, and cell survival in response to hormones, growth factors, or nutrient availability. This kinase exists in two structurally and functionally distinct forms: mTOR complex 1 (mTORC1) and mTOR complex 2 (mTORC2). The first form (mTORC1) is composed of a rapamycin-sensitive Raptor and proline-rich Akt substrate, PRAS40. In contrast, mTORC2 consists of a rapamycin-insensitive companion...

Amino Acid Biosynthetic Pathways

Amino Acid Biosynthetic Pathways

Amino acid biosynthesis is essential for cell growth, protein synthesis, and metabolic regulation. Cells generate essential and non-essential amino acids from metabolic intermediates to sustain vital biological functions. These intermediates originate from key metabolic pathways: glycolysis, the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, and the pentose phosphate pathway. Important precursors include α-ketoglutarate, pyruvate, oxaloacetate, phosphoenolpyruvate, and erythrose-4-phosphate, which provide...

Interactions Between Signaling Pathways

Interactions Between Signaling Pathways

Signaling cascades usually lack linearity. Multiple pathways interact and regulate one another, allowing cells to integrate and respond to diverse environmental stimuli.
Convergence and divergence, and cross-talk between signaling pathways
Two distinct signaling pathways can converge on a single functional unit, which may either be a single protein or a complex of proteins. The response is either functionally distinct or synergistic between the two pathways but different from the response...

Regulation of Metabolism

Regulation of Metabolism

Cellular needs and conditions vary from cell to cell and change within individual cells over time. For example, the required enzymes and energetic demands of stomach cells are different from those of fat storage cells, skin cells, blood cells, and nerve cells. Furthermore, a digestive cell works much harder to process and break down nutrients during the time that closely follows a meal compared with many hours after a meal. As these cellular demands and conditions vary, so do the amounts and...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 10, 2026

Isolation of Primary Mouse Hepatocytes for Nascent Protein Synthesis Analysis by Non-radioactive L-azidohomoalanine Labeling Method

Isolation of Primary Mouse Hepatocytes for Nascent Protein Synthesis Analysis by Non-radioactive L-azidohomoalanine Labeling Method

Published on: October 23, 2018

Amino acids and mTOR signalling in anabolic function.

¹Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z3. cgpr@interchange.ubc.ca

Biochemical Society Transactions

|October 25, 2007

Summary

Amino acids, especially leucine, control protein synthesis and cell growth by regulating the mTORC1 pathway. Understanding how cells sense amino acids to activate mTORC1 is crucial for cell biology research.

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Area of Science:

Cell Biology
Molecular Biology
Biochemistry

Background:

Amino acids are critical nutrients that regulate cellular processes.
The mammalian target of rapamycin, complex 1 (mTORC1) pathway is a central regulator of cell growth, proliferation, and metabolism.
mTORC1 integrates signals from nutrients, growth factors, and energy status to control protein synthesis and ribosome biogenesis.

Purpose of the Study:

To review the mechanisms by which intracellular amino acids regulate mTORC1 signaling.
To highlight the role of specific amino acids, such as leucine, in mTORC1 activation.
To discuss the dissociation of amino acid-dependent mTORC1 regulation from the TSC1/2 complex pathway.

Main Methods:

Review of existing literature on amino acid sensing and mTORC1 signaling.
Analysis of studies investigating the molecular players involved in amino acid-mediated mTORC1 activation.
Comparison of amino acid-dependent mTORC1 regulation with growth factor-dependent pathways.

Main Results:

Amino acids, particularly leucine, potently activate mTORC1.
Amino acid-induced mTORC1 activation occurs independently of the tuberous sclerosis complex 1/2 (TSC1/2) complex.
Specific intracellular amino acid pools and sensing mechanisms are key to mTORC1 regulation.

Conclusions:

Intracellular amino acid availability is a critical signal for mTORC1 activation, controlling protein synthesis and ribosome biogenesis.
The mechanisms of amino acid sensing and subsequent mTORC1 regulation are distinct from those activated by growth factors like insulin.
Further research into these pathways will elucidate fundamental aspects of cellular anabolism and metabolic control.