Related Experiment Video

Updated: Sep 16, 2025

A Flexible Low Cost Hydroponic System for Assessing Plant Responses to Small Molecules in Sterile Conditions
11:27

A Flexible Low Cost Hydroponic System for Assessing Plant Responses to Small Molecules in Sterile Conditions

Published on: August 25, 2018

10.8K

Research progress on the regulation of plant growth and development by TOR kinase

Jiahui Xu1, Ying Zhang2, Jiahong Qi1

  • 1Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Hebei Research Center of the Basic Discipline of Cell Biology, Hebei Collaboration Innovation Center for Cell Signaling and Environmental Adaptation, Hebei Key Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology, College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang 050024, China.

Plant Science : an International Journal of Experimental Plant Biology
|July 6, 2025
PubMed

Insights

Plant target of rapamycin (TOR) kinase regulates growth, development, and stress adaptation by sensing nutrients and hormones. Recent research highlights its role in improving crop efficiency and stress resistance, offering insights for human disease treatment.

Area of Science:

  • Plant Biology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Target of rapamycin (TOR) is a conserved eukaryotic protein kinase crucial for nutrient sensing and cellular processes.
  • TOR kinase regulates vital functions including protein translation, gene transcription, metabolism, and autophagy in yeast and animals.
  • TOR is a validated therapeutic target for diseases like cancer in humans.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To systematically summarize recent advancements in plant TOR kinase signaling over the past five years.
  • To elucidate the functions of plant TOR kinase in growth, development, nutrient signaling, and stress adaptation.
  • To discuss potential applications of plant TOR kinase research in crop improvement and human disease treatment.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of recent research findings on plant TOR kinase.
  • Systematic summarization of signaling pathways and regulatory mechanisms.
  • Analysis of TOR kinase's role in plant development and stress response.

Main Results:

  • Plant TOR kinase senses nutritional and hormonal signals, regulating diverse developmental stages from embryogenesis to senescence.
  • TOR kinase is integral to plant adaptation to both abiotic and biotic stresses.
  • Research on plant TOR kinase has seen exponential growth in the last five years.

Conclusions:

  • Understanding plant TOR kinase signaling is vital for enhancing plant nutrient efficiency and stress tolerance.
  • Plant TOR research provides a theoretical basis for targeting TOR in human disease treatment.
  • Future applications of TOR kinase signaling in crop improvement and stress resistance are promising.
Keywords:
GlucoseNutrient efficiencyRoot developmentStress resistanceTOR

More Related Videos

Imaging Spatial Reorganization of a MAPK Signaling Pathway Using the Tobacco Transient Expression System08:54

Imaging Spatial Reorganization of a MAPK Signaling Pathway Using the Tobacco Transient Expression System

Published on: March 20, 2016

9.9K
A Strategy to Validate the Role of Callose-mediated Plasmodesmal Gating in the Tropic Response12:18

A Strategy to Validate the Role of Callose-mediated Plasmodesmal Gating in the Tropic Response

Published on: April 17, 2016

10.4K

Related Concept Videos

mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression03:03

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...
3.9K
PI3K/mTOR/AKT Signaling Pathway01:22

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...
4.0K
Cell Signaling in Plants01:25

Cell Signaling in Plants

Plant cells communicate to coordinate their cycle of growth, flowering and fruiting, and activities in roots, shoots, and leaves in response to the changing environmental conditions. Plant signaling is distinct from animal signaling. Plants primarily utilize enzyme-linked receptors, whereas the largest class of cell-surface receptors in animals are G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs). Unlike animals, receptor tyrosine kinases are rare in plants. Instead, plants have a diverse class of...
5.8K
Gene Regulation During Sporulation01:17

Gene Regulation During Sporulation

Sporulation is a complex developmental process that allows certain Gram-positive bacteria, such as Bacillus subtilis and Clostridium species, to survive extreme environmental conditions. This process is tightly regulated by a series of signaling cascades and transcriptional controls, ensuring the formation of a highly resistant endospore.Sporulation is triggered by unfavorable conditions, such as nutrient depletion, and is governed by a phosphorelay system. One of the sensor kinases, such as...
85
Interactions Between Signaling Pathways01:19

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...
6.5K
Primary and Secondary Growth in Roots and Shoots03:02

Primary and Secondary Growth in Roots and Shoots

Vascular plants, which account for over 90% of the Earth’s vegetation, all undergo primary growth—which lengthens roots and shoots. Many land plants, notably woody plants, also undergo secondary growth—which thickens roots and shoots.
58.1K