MondoA-Mlx transcriptional activity is limited by mTOR-MondoA interaction

Mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) integrates multiple signals, including nutrient status, growth factor availability, and stress, to regulate cellular and organismal growth. How mTOR regulates transcriptional programs in response to these diverse stimuli is poorly understood. MondoA and its obligate transcription partner Mlx are basic helix-loop-helix leucine zipper (bHLHZip) transcription factors that sense and execute a glucose-responsive transcriptional program. MondoA-Mlx complexes activate expression of thioredoxin-interacting protein (TXNIP), which is a potent inhibitor of cellular glucose uptake and aerobic glycolysis. Both mTOR and MondoA are central regulators of glucose metabolism, yet whether they interact physically or functionally is unknown. We show that inhibition of mTOR induces MondoA-dependent expression of TXNIP, coinciding with reduced glucose uptake. Mechanistically, mTOR binds to MondoA in the cytoplasm and prevents MondoA-Mlx complex formation, restricting MondoA's nuclear entry and reducing TXNIP expression. Further, we show that mTOR inhibitors and reactive oxygen species (ROS) regulate interaction between MondoA and mTOR in an opposing manner. Like mTOR's suppression of the MondoA-TXNIP axis, MondoA can also suppress mTOR complex 1 (mTORC1) activity via its direct transcriptional regulation of TXNIP. Collectively, these studies reveal a regulatory relationship between mTOR and the MondoA-TXNIP axis that we propose contributes to glucose homeostasis.