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New Insights into the Regulation of mTOR Signaling via Ca2+-Binding Proteins

Yuna Amemiya1, Masatoshi Maki1, Hideki Shibata1

  • 1Department of Applied Biosciences, Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan.

International Journal of Molecular Sciences
|February 25, 2023
PubMed

Insights

Calcium ions (Ca2+) regulate cell growth by influencing the mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway. This review explores how Ca2+-binding proteins, like calmodulin, modulate mTOR signaling, impacting cellular homeostasis and disease.

Area of Science:

  • Cellular Biology
  • Biochemistry
  • Physiology

Background:

  • Environmental factors regulate cell growth and proliferation.
  • Mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling is crucial for cellular homeostasis and implicated in diseases like cancer and diabetes.
  • Calcium ions (Ca2+) act as vital second messengers, with their intracellular concentration tightly controlled.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To elucidate the molecular mechanisms by which Ca2+ regulates mTOR signaling.
  • To highlight the role of Ca2+ homeostasis in mTOR activation, particularly in pathological hypertrophy.
  • To review recent findings on Ca2+-binding proteins, specifically calmodulin (CaM), in mTOR regulation.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of recent findings on Ca2+-regulated mTOR signaling.
  • Focus on molecular mechanisms involving Ca2+-binding proteins, especially calmodulin.
  • Analysis of the link between Ca2+ homeostasis and mTOR activation in disease contexts.

Main Results:

  • Ca2+ acts as a key regulator of mTOR signaling pathways.
  • Ca2+-binding proteins, particularly CaM, play a significant role in mediating Ca2+ effects on mTOR.
  • Dysregulation of Ca2+-mTOR interplay is linked to pathological conditions such as hypertrophy.

Conclusions:

  • Ca2+-regulated mTOR signaling is a critical mechanism for maintaining cellular homeostasis.
  • Understanding the molecular interplay between Ca2+ and mTOR is essential for developing therapeutic strategies for diseases associated with mTOR dysregulation.
  • Calmodulin is a key mediator in the Ca2+-dependent regulation of mTOR signaling.
Keywords:
Ca2+ mobilizationTSC2calmodulinmTOR

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