Meta-Biol

• Pathways

mTORC1 integrates four major signals – growth factors, energy status, oxygen and amino acids – to regulate many processes that are involved in the promotion of cell growth. Growth factors stimulate mTORC1 through the activation of the canonical insulin and Ras signaling pathways. The energy status of the cell is signaled to mTORC1 through AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), a key sensor of intracellular energy status (Hardie 2007). Energy depletion (low ATP:ADP ratio) activates AMPK which phosphorylates TSC2, increasing its GAP activity towards Rheb which reduces mTORC1 activation (Inoki et al. 2003). AMPK can reduce mTORC1 activity by directly phosphorylating Raptor (Gwinn et al. 2008). Amino acids positively regulate mTORC1 (reviewed by Guertin & Sabatini 2007). In the presence of amino acids, Rag proteins bind Raptor to promote the relocalization of mTORC1 from the cytoplasm to lysosomal membranes (Puertollano 2014) where it is activated by Rheb (Saucedo et al. 2003, Stocker et al. 2003). Translocation of mTOR to the lysosome requires active Rag GTPases and a complex known as Ragulator, a pentameric protein complex that anchors the Rag GTPases to lysosomes (Sancak et al. 2008, 2010, Bar-Peled et al. 2012). Rag proteins function as heterodimers, consisting of GTP-bound RagA or RagB complexed with GDP-bound RagC or RagD. Amino acids may trigger the GTP loading of RagA/B, thereby promoting binding to raptor and assembly of an activated mTORC1 complex, though a recent study suggested that the activation of mTORC1 is not dependent on Rag GTP charging (Oshiro et al. 2014). The activity of Rheb is regulated by a complex consisting of tuberous sclerosis complex 1 (TSC1), TSC2, and TBC1 domain family member 7 (TBC1D7) (Huang et al. 2008, Dibble et al. 2012). This complex localizes to lysosomes and functions as a GTPase-activating protein (GAP) that inhibits the activity of Rheb (Menon et al. 2014, Demetriades et al. 2014). In the presence of growth factors or insulin, TSC releases its inhibitory activity on Rheb, thus allowing the activation of mTORC1.

Target of rapamycin (mTOR) is a highly-conserved serine/threonine kinase that regulates cell growth and division in response to energy levels, growth signals, and nutrients (Zoncu et al. 2011). Control of mTOR activity is critical for the cell since its dysregulation leads to cancer, metabolic disease, and diabetes (Laplante & Sabatini 2012). In cells, mTOR exists as two structurally distinct complexes termed mTOR complex 1 (mTORC1) and mTOR complex 2 (mTORC2), each one with specificity for different sets of effectors. mTORC1 couples energy and nutrient abundance to cell growth and proliferation by balancing anabolic (protein synthesis and nutrient storage) and catabolic (autophagy and utilization of energy stores) processes.

Signal transduction is a process in which extracellular signals elicit changes in cell state and activity. Transmembrane receptors sense changes in the cellular environment by binding ligands, such as hormones and growth factors, or reacting to other types of stimuli, such as light. Stimulation of transmembrane receptors leads to their conformational change which propagates the signal to the intracellular environment by activating downstream signaling cascades. Depending on the cellular context, this may impact cellular proliferation, differentiation, and survival. On the organism level, signal transduction regulates overall growth and behavior.
Receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) transmit extracellular signals by phosphorylating their protein partners on conserved tyrosine residues. Some of the best studied RTKs are EGFR (reviewed in Avraham and Yarden, 2011), FGFR (reviewed in Eswarakumar et al, 2005), insulin receptor (reviewed in Saltiel and Kahn, 2001), NGF (reviewed in Reichardt, 2006), PDGF (reviewed in Andrae et al, 2008) and VEGF (reviewed in Xie et al, 2004). RTKs frequently activate downstream signaling through RAF/MAP kinases (reviewed in McKay and Morrison, 2007 and Wellbrock et al 2004), AKT (reviewed in Manning and Cantley, 2007) and PLC- gamma (reviewed in Patterson et al, 2005), which ultimately results in changes in gene expression and cellular metabolism.
Receptor serine/threonine kinases of the TGF-beta family, such as TGF-beta receptors (reviewed in Kang et al. 2009) and BMP receptors (reviewed in Miyazono et al. 2009), transmit extracellular signals by phosphorylating regulatory SMAD proteins on conserved serine and threonine residues. This leads to formation of complexes of regulatory SMADs and SMAD4, which translocate to the nucleus where they act as transcription factors.
WNT receptors transmit their signal through beta-catenin. In the absence of ligand, beta-catenin is constitutively degraded in a ubiquitin-dependent manner. WNT receptor stimulation releases beta-catenin from the destruction complex, allowing it to translocate to the nucleus where it acts as a transcriptional regulator (reviewed in MacDonald et al, 2009 and Angers and Moon, 2009). WNT receptors were originally classified as G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs). Although they are structurally related, GPCRs primarily transmit their signals through G-proteins, which are trimers of alpha, beta and gamma subunits. When a GPCR is activated, it acts as a guanine nucleotide exchange factor, catalyzing GDP to GTP exchange on the G-alpha subunit of the G protein and its dissociation from the gamma-beta heterodimer. The G-alpha subunit regulates the activity of adenylate cyclase, while the gamma-beta heterodimer can activate AKT and PLC signaling (reviewed in Rosenbaum et al. 2009, Oldham and Hamm 2008, Ritter and Hall 2009).
NOTCH receptors are activated by transmembrane ligands expressed on neighboring cells, which results in cleavage of NOTCH receptor and release of its intracellular domain. NOTCH intracellular domain translocates to the nucleus where it acts as a transcription factor (reviewed in Kopan and Ilagan, 2009).
Integrins are activated by extracellular matrix components, such as fibronectin and collagen, leading to conformational change and clustering of integrins on the cell surface. This results in activation of integrin-linked kinase and other cytosolic kinases and, in co-operation with RTK signaling, regulates survival, proliferation and cell shape and adhesion (reviewed in Hehlgans et al, 2007) .
Besides inducing changes in gene expression and cellular metabolism, extracellular signals that trigger the activation of Rho GTP-ases can trigger changes in the organization of cytoskeleton, thereby regulating cell polarity and cell-cell junctions (reviewed in Citi et al, 2011).