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Query: UNIPROT:P42345 (mTOR)
 26,049 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1) is a transcriptional activator composed of HIF-1alpha and HIF-1beta subunits. Several dozen HIF-1 targets are known, including the gene encoding vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Under hypoxic conditions, HIF-1alpha expression increases as a result of decreased ubiquitination and degradation. The tumor suppressors VHL (von Hippel-Lindau protein) and p53 target HIF-1alpha for ubiquitination such that their inactivation in tumor cells increases the half-life of HIF-1alpha. Increased phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) and AKT or decreased PTEN activity in prostate cancer cells also increases HIF-1alpha expression by an undefined mechanism. In breast cancer, increased activity of the HER2 (also known as neu) receptor tyrosine kinase is associated with increased tumor grade, chemotherapy resistance, and decreased patient survival. HER2 has also been implicated as an inducer of VEGF expression. Here we demonstrate that HER2 signaling induced by overexpression in mouse 3T3 cells or heregulin stimulation of human MCF-7 breast cancer cells results in increased HIF-1alpha protein and VEGF mRNA expression that is dependent upon activity of PI3K, AKT (also known as protein kinase B), and the downstream kinase FRAP (FKBP-rapamycin-associated protein). In contrast to other inducers of HIF-1 expression, heregulin stimulation does not affect the half-life of HIF-1alpha but instead stimulates HIF-1alpha synthesis in a rapamycin-dependent manner. The 5'-untranslated region of HIF-1alpha mRNA directs heregulin-inducible expression of a heterologous protein. These data provide a molecular basis for VEGF induction and tumor angiogenesis by heregulin-HER2 signaling and establish a novel mechanism for the regulation of HIF-1alpha expression.
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PMID:HER2 (neu) signaling increases the rate of hypoxia-inducible factor 1alpha (HIF-1alpha) synthesis: novel mechanism for HIF-1-mediated vascular endothelial growth factor expression. 1135 7

The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) is a central regulator of G1 cell cycle protein synthesis that precedes commitment to normal cellular replication. We have studied the effect of cell cycle inhibitor-779 (CCI-779), a rapamycin ester that inhibits mTOR function, on the proliferation of a panel of breast cancer cell lines. Six of eight lines studied were sensitive (IC(50)< or = 50 nM) and two lines were resistant (IC(50)>1.0 microM) to CCI-779. Sensitive lines were estrogen dependent (MCF-7, BT-474, T-47D), or lacked expression of the tumor suppressor PTEN (MDA-MB-468, BT-549), and/or overexpressed the Her-2/neu oncogene (SKBR-3, BT-474). Resistant lines (MDA-MB-435, MDA-MB-231) shared none of these properties. CCI-779 (50 nM) inhibited mTOR function in both a sensitive and a resistant line. In nu/nu mouse xenografts, CCI-779 inhibited growth of MDA-MB-468 (sensitive) but not MDA-MB-435 resistant tumors. Treatment of sensitive lines with CCI-779 resulted in a decrease in D-type cyclin and c-myc levels and an increase in p27(kip-1) levels. There was good correlation between activation of the Akt pathway and sensitivity to CCI-779. Amplification of mTOR-regulated p70S6 kinase, which is downstream of Akt, may also have conferred CCI-779 sensitivity to MCF-7 cells. Taken together, the data suggest that mTOR may be a good target for breast cancer therapy, especially in tumors with Akt activation resulting from either growth factor dependency or loss of PTEN function.
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PMID:mTOR, a novel target in breast cancer: the effect of CCI-779, an mTOR inhibitor, in preclinical models of breast cancer. 1156 16

mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin) is a protein kinase that regulates cell cycle progression and cell growth. Rapamycin is a highly specific inhibitor of mTOR in clinical trials for the treatment of breast and other cancers. mTOR signaling was reported to require phosphatidic acid (PA), the metabolic product of phospholipase D (PLD). PLD, like mTOR, has been implicated in survival signaling and the regulation of cell cycle progression. PLD activity is frequently elevated in breast cancer. We have investigated the effect of rapamycin on breast cancer cell lines with different levels of PLD activity. MCF-7 cells, with relatively low levels of PLD activity, were highly sensitive to the growth-arresting effects of rapamycin, whereas MDA-MB-231 cells, with a 10-fold higher PLD activity than MCF-7 cells, were highly resistant to rapamycin. Elevating PLD activity in MCF-7 cells led to rapamycin resistance; and inhibition of PLD activity in MDA-MB-231 cells increased rapamycin sensitivity. Elevated PLD activity in MCF-7 cells also caused rapamycin resistance for S6 kinase phosphorylation and serum-induced Myc expression. These data implicate mTOR as a critical target for survival signals generated by PLD and suggest that PLD levels in breast cancer could be a valuable indicator of the likely efficacy of rapamycin treatment.
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PMID:Phospholipase D confers rapamycin resistance in human breast cancer cells. 1281 67

Expression of constitutively active Akt3 was found to increase the size of MCF-7 cells approximately twofold both in vitro and in vivo. A regulatable version of Akt1 (MER-Akt) was also found capable of inducing a twofold increase in the size of H4IIE rat hepatoma cells. Rapamycin, a specific inhibitor of mTOR function, was found to inhibit the Akt-induced increase in cell size by 70%, presumably via inhibition of the Akt-induced increase in protein synthesis. To determine whether Akt could be inhibiting protein degradation, thereby contributing to its ability to induce an increase in cell size, we conducted protein degradation experiments in the H4IIE cell line. Activation of MER-Akt was found to inhibit protein degradation to a degree comparable to insulin treatment. The effects of these two agents on protein degradation were not additive, thereby suggesting that they were acting on a similar pathway. An inhibitor of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase pathway, LY-294002, blocked both insulin- and Akt-induced inhibition of protein degradation, again consistent with the hypothesis that both agents were acting on the same pathway. In contrast, rapamycin did not block the ability of either agent to inhibit protein degradation. These results indicate that Akt increases cell size through both mTOR-dependent and -independent pathways and that the latter involves inhibition of protein degradation. These studies are also consistent with the hypothesis that insulin's ability to regulate protein degradation is to a large extent mediated via Akt.
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PMID:Akt promotes increased mammalian cell size by stimulating protein synthesis and inhibiting protein degradation. 1287 75

Inorganic polyphosphate (poly P), chains of hundreds of phosphate residues linked by "high-energy" bonds as in ATP, has been conserved from prebiotic times in all cells. Poly P is essential for a wide variety of functions in bacteria, including virulence in pathogens. In this study, we observe the unique and many-fold stimulation by poly P in vitro of the protein kinase mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin). To explore the role of poly P in mammalian cells, a yeast polyphosphatase, PPX1, was inserted into the chromosomes of MCF-7 mammary cancer cells. The transfected cells are markedly deficient in their response to mitogens, such as insulin and amino acids, as seen in their failure to activate mTOR to phosphorylate one of its substrates, PHAS-I (the initiation factor 4E-binding protein). In addition, the transfected cells are severely reduced in their growth in a serum-free medium. On the basis of these findings, we suggest that poly P (and/or PPX1) serves as a regulatory factor in the activation of mTOR in the proliferative signaling pathways of animal cells.
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PMID:Inorganic polyphosphate stimulates mammalian TOR, a kinase involved in the proliferation of mammary cancer cells. 1297 Apr 65

Activation of the serine/threonine kinase Akt/PKB positively impacts on three cellular processes relevant to tumor progression: proliferation, survival, and cell size/growth. Using a three-dimensional culture model of MCF-10A mammary cells, we have examined how Akt influences the morphogenesis of polarized epithelial structures. Activation of a conditionally active variant of Akt elicits large, misshapen structures, which primarily arise from the combined effects of Akt on proliferation and cell size. Importantly, Akt activation amplifies proliferation during the early stages of morphogenesis, but cannot overcome signals suppressing proliferation in late-stage cultures. Akt also cooperates with oncoproteins such as cyclin D1 or HPV E7 to promote proliferation and morphogenesis in the absence of growth factors. Pharmacological inhibition of the Akt effector, mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), with rapamycin prevents the morphological disruption elicited by Akt activation, including its effect on cell size and number, and the cooperative effect of Akt on oncogene-driven proliferation, indicating that mTOR function is required for the multiple biological effects of Akt activation during morphogenesis.
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PMID:Akt activation disrupts mammary acinar architecture and enhances proliferation in an mTOR-dependent manner. 1456 91

Cell cycle aberrations occurring at the G(1)/S checkpoint often lead to uncontrolled cell proliferation and tumor growth. We recently demonstrated that IL-1beta inhibits insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I-induced cell proliferation by preventing cells from entering the S phase of the cell cycle, leading to G(0)/G(1) arrest. Notably, IL-1beta suppresses the ability of the IGF-I receptor tyrosine kinase to phosphorylate its major docking protein, insulin receptor substrate-1, in MCF-7 breast carcinoma cells. In this study, we extend this juxtamembrane cross-talk between cytokine and growth factor receptors to downstream cell cycle machinery. IL-1beta reduces the ability of IGF-I to activate Cdk2 and to induce E2F-1, cyclin A, and cyclin A-dependent phosphorylation of a retinoblastoma tumor suppressor substrate. Long-term activation of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt signaling pathway, but not the mammalian target of rapamycin or mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways, is required for IGF-I to hyperphosphorylate retinoblastoma and to cause accumulation of E2F-1 and cyclin A. In the absence of IGF-I to induce Akt activation and cell cycle progression, IL-1beta has no effect. IL-1beta induces p21(Cip1/Waf1), which may contribute to its inhibition of IGF-I-activated Cdk2. Collectively, these data establish a novel mechanism by which prolonged Akt phosphorylation serves as a convergent target for both IGF-I and IL-1beta; stimulation by growth factors such as IGF-I promotes G(1)-S phase progression, whereas IL-1beta antagonizes IGF-I-induced Akt phosphorylation to induce cytostasis. In this manner, Akt serves as a critical bridge that links proximal receptor signaling events to more distal cell cycle machinery.
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PMID:IL-1beta suppresses prolonged Akt activation and expression of E2F-1 and cyclin A in breast cancer cells. 1518 2

The Akt kinase is a serine/threonine protein kinase that has been implicated in mediating a variety of biological responses. Studies show that high Akt activity in breast carcinoma is associated with a poor pathophenotype, as well as hormone and chemotherapy resistance. Additionally, high Akt activity is associated with other features of poor prognosis. Thus, a chemotherapeutic agent directed specifically toward tumors with high Akt activity could prove extremely potent in treating those breast tumors with the most aggressive phenotypes. Several studies have demonstrated that rapamycin, which inhibits mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), a downstream target of Akt, sensitizes certain resistant cancer cells to chemotherapeutic agents. This study evaluated the efficacy of mTOR inhibition in the treatment of tamoxifen-resistant breast carcinoma characterized by high Akt activity. We found that MCF-7 breast cancer cell lines expressing a constitutively active Akt are able to proliferate under reduced estrogen conditions and are resistant to the growth inhibitory effects of tamoxifen, both in vitro as well as in vivo in xenograft models. Cotreatment with the mTOR inhibitor rapamycin in vitro, or the ester of rapamycin, CCI-779 (Wyeth) in vivo, inhibited mTOR activity and restored sensitivity to tamoxifen, suggesting that Akt-induced tamoxifen resistance is mediated in part by signaling through the mTOR pathway. Although the mechanism underlying the synergism remains to be understood, the results were associated with rapamycin's ability to block transcriptional activity mediated by estrogen receptor alpha, as assessed by reporter gene assays with estrogen-responsive element luciferase. These data corroborate prior findings indicating that Akt activation induces resistance to tamoxifen in breast cancer cells. Importantly, these data indicate a novel mechanism for tamoxifen resistance and suggest that blockage of the phosphatidylinositol 3'-kinase/Akt signaling pathway by mTOR inhibition effectively restores the susceptibility of these cells to tamoxifen. These data may have implication for future clinical studies of mTOR inhibition in breast carcinoma.
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PMID:Inhibition of mTOR activity restores tamoxifen response in breast cancer cells with aberrant Akt Activity. 1558 41

IRS-1 (Insulin Receptor Substrate-1) is an adaptor protein important for insulin and IGF-I receptor (Insulin-like Growth Factor-IR) transduction to downstream targets. One mechanism recently identified to downregulate IGF-I or insulin receptor signaling in diabetic models is IRS-1 Ser(312) phosphorylation. To date, the importance of this residue in cancer is unknown. This paper identifies mechanisms leading to Ser(312) regulation in MCF-7 breast cancer cells. Whereas IGF-I phosphorylation of IRS(312) is PI (phosphatidylinositol) 3-kinase dependent, anisomycin stress treatment requires JNK activation to induce phosphorylation of IRS(312). We show that both IGF-I and anisomycin stress treatment converge downstream onto mTOR (Mammalian Target of Rapamycin) and PKCdelta (Protein Kinase C-delta) to induce IRS-1 Ser(312) phosphorylation. mTOR associates with IRS-1 and is primarily required for Ser(312) phosphorylation in response to stress or IGF-I treatment. PKCdelta binds to mTOR and its activity is also important for stress or IGF-I mediated Ser(312) phosphorylation. Thus, mTOR and PKCdelta convey diverse signals to regulate IRS-1 function.
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PMID:PKCdelta and mTOR interact to regulate stress and IGF-I induced IRS-1 Ser312 phosphorylation in breast cancer cells. 1595 59

Estradiol (E2) stimulates proliferation of hormone-dependent breast cancer and exerts downstream effects on growth factors and their receptors. Key among the pathways' mediating growth factor action is the MAP kinase signaling cascade and the PI-3 kinase pathway with its downstream effector mTOR. We postulated that farnesylthiosalicylic acid (FTS), a novel anti-Ras drug, could effectively inhibit hormone-dependent breast cancer because Ras activates both the MAP kinase and the PI3 kinase pathways. Wild-type MCF-7 cells and a long-term estrogen-deprived subline (LTED) were used to examine the effect of FTS on cell growth and on several biochemical parameters. FTS inhibited growth of both cell lines by reducing proliferation and inducing apoptosis. These effects correlated best with blockade of phosphorylation of PHAS-I and p70 S6 kinase, 2 downstream effectors of mTOR. We observed only minimal inhibition of Akt, an effector upstream of mTOR. Taken together, these findings demonstrate a novel effect of FTS to inhibit mTOR signaling and also suggest that mTOR has a key role in breast cancer cell proliferation. Unexpectedly, only minimal inhibition of MAP kinase occurred in response to FTS at concentrations that markedly reduced cell growth. These later data provide support for the concept that FTS exerts its effects predominantly by blocking mTOR and to a lesser effect by inhibition of MAP kinase in breast cancer cells.
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PMID:Farnesylthiosalicylic acid blocks mammalian target of rapamycin signaling in breast cancer cells. 1595 61


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