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Updated: May 13, 2026

Isolation of Primary Mouse Hepatocytes for Nascent Protein Synthesis Analysis by Non-radioactive L-azidohomoalanine Labeling Method
Published on: October 23, 2018
Mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1)-mediated phosphorylation stabilizes ISCU protein: implications for
Ping La1, Guang Yang, Phyllis A Dennery
1Division of Neonatology, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA. lap@email.chop.edu
Abstract:
The scaffold protein ISCU facilitates the assembly of iron-sulfur clusters (ISCs), which are essential cofactors for many vital metabolic processes. The mTOR pathways are central to nutrient and energy-sensing networks. Here, we demonstrate that mTORC1 associates with ISCU and phosphorylates ISCU at serine 14. This phosphorylation stabilized ISCU protein. Insufficiency of ISCU triggered by mTORC1 inhibition prevented ISC assembly. Sustained ISCU protein levels enhanced by mTORC1 sensitized TSC2-null cells to iron deprivation due to constitutive ISC biogenesis-triggered iron demand, which outstrips supply. We conclude that the mTORC1 pathway serves to modulate iron metabolism and homeostasis, and we speculate that iron deprivation may be an adjunct in the treatment of cancers characterized by constitutive mTORC1 activation.
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