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Query: UNIPROT:P42345 (
mTOR
)
26,049
document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)
Deregulation of the
phosphoinositide 3-kinase
-Akt pathway is a major contributor to oncogenesis and resistance to cancer therapy. Recent work has shown
mammalian target of rapamycin
(
mTOR
) to be a major target downstream of Akt that contributes to both transformation and therapeutic resistance. Although inhibitors of Akt are not yet clinically available, rapamycin, a
mTOR
-specific inhibitor, has long been used as an immunosuppressant, and several rapamycin analogues are now in clinical trials in oncology. Recent data indicate that a
mTOR
complex phosphorylates Akt, and this complex is insensitive to rapamycin. We show that dominant-negative
mTOR
diminishes phosphorylation of endogenous Akt and exogenous myristoylated Akt (mAkt), that prolonged exposure to rapamycin also inhibits Akt activation, and that this inhibition is dependent on new protein synthesis. These data suggest that
mTOR
facilitates Akt activation through mechanisms other than direct phosphorylation. A constitutively active
mTOR
mutant that fails to enhance Akt phosphorylation nevertheless promotes resistance to multiple antimicrotubule agents, indicating that
mTOR
also mediates survival independent of Akt. Although Akt- and
mTOR
-mediated survival has been linked to regulation of cellular metabolism, we also show that survival and metabolic control are separable. The hexokinase inhibitor 5-thioglucose markedly inhibits glycolytic rate but does not diminish vincristine resistance mediated by mAkt or
mTOR
, and it has only a minor effect on
mTOR
- or mAkt-mediated resistance to growth factor withdrawal, suggesting that Akt-
mTOR
-mediated resistance is largely independent of maintenance of glycolytic rate. We conclude that
mTOR
activity can promote resistance through multiple mechanisms independent of maintained glycolytic rate.
...
PMID:Mammalian target of rapamycin promotes vincristine resistance through multiple mechanisms independent of maintained glycolytic rate. 1631 89
Bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) is an evolutionary conserved protein that is essential for embryonic development. BMP-2 is highly expressed in approximately 98% of human lung carcinomas with little expression in normal lung tissues. BMP-2 has been shown to enhance mobility, invasiveness, and metastasis of cancer cell lines. During development, BMP-2 induces the proto-oncogene
phosphoinositide 3-kinase
(
PI3K
)/
mammalian target of rapamycin
(
mTOR
) signaling pathway to regulate stem cell differentiation. We show that BMP-2 induces the phosphorylation of
mTOR
in A549 and H1299 lung cancer cell lines, which is attenuated by the
PI3K
antagonists LY-294002 and wortmannin. p70S6 kinase, which is a direct downstream target of
mTOR
, is also regulated by BMP-2 in lung cancer cell lines. We find that BMP-2 induces cyclin E in A549 and H1299 cells, which is mediated by the
PI3K
/
mTOR
signaling pathway. The regulation of cyclin E by BMP-2 occurs through a Smad 1/5-independent mechanism. Forced expression of BMP-2 in A549 cells (A549/BMP-2) induces transformation as shown by an increase in foci formation. The
mTOR
antagonist, rapamycin, prevented foci formation of the A549/BMP-2 cells. This study provides evidence that BMP-2-mediated transformation of lung cancer cells involves the activation of the
PI3K
/
mTOR
signaling pathway.
...
PMID:Bone morphogenetic protein-2-induced transformation involves the activation of mammalian target of rapamycin. 1638 May 5
The
phosphoinositide 3-kinase
(
PI3K
)/Akt/
mammalian target of rapamycin
(
mTOR
) pathway controls many cellular processes that are important for the formation and progression of cancer, including apoptosis, transcription, translation, metabolism, angiogenesis, and cell cycle progression. Genetic alterations and biochemical activation of the pathway are frequent events in preneoplastic lesions and advanced cancers and often portend a poor prognosis. Thus, inhibition of the
PI3K
/Akt/
mTOR
pathway is an attractive concept for cancer prevention and/or therapy. Inhibitors of individual components, such as
PI3K
, PDK-1, Akt, and
mTOR
, are being developed at a rapid pace and have promise for improving the care of cancer patients. Here, we review the published data on inhibitors of the pathway and discuss relevant issues, such as the complex regulation of the pathway, the design of clinical trials, and the likelihood of finding a therapeutic index when targeting such a critical signaling pathway.
...
PMID:Handicapping the race to develop inhibitors of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase/Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin pathway. 1646 77
Long-term depression (LTD) is an activity-dependent decrease in synaptic efficacy that can be induced in hippocampal area CA1 by pharmacological application of the selective group I metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR) agonist 3,5-diyhroxyphenylglycine (DHPG). Recent work has demonstrated that DHPG-induced LTD recruits at least two signal transduction pathways known to couple to translation, the mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MEK)-extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling pathway and the
phosphoinositide 3-kinase
(
PI3K
)-Akt-
mammalian target of rapamycin
(
mTOR
) signaling pathway. However, it remains unclear which translation factors are engaged by these two signaling pathways during mGluR-LTD. In this study, we investigated whether the group I mGluRs couple to the cap-dependent translation proteins: Mnk1, eIF4E, and 4E-BP. We found that both the MEK-ERK and
PI3K
-
mTOR
signaling pathways are critical for the DHPG-induced regulation of these translation factors. Furthermore, we demonstrate that increasing eIF4F complex availability via the genetic elimination of 4E-BP2 can enhance the degree of LTD achieved by DHPG application in an ERK-dependent manner. Our results provide direct evidence that cap-dependent translation is engaged during mGluR-LTD and demonstrate that the MEK-ERK and
PI3K
-
mTOR
signaling pathways converge to regulate eIF4E activity after induction of DHPG-LTD.
...
PMID:Regulation of eukaryotic initiation factor 4E by converging signaling pathways during metabotropic glutamate receptor-dependent long-term depression. 1649 43
Insulin rapidly activates protein synthesis by activating components of the translational machinery including eIFs (eukaryotic initiation factors) and eEFs (eukaryotic elongation factors). In the long term, insulin also increases the cellular content of ribosomes to augment the capacity for protein synthesis. The rapid activation of protein synthesis by insulin is mediated primarily through
phosphoinositide 3-kinase
. This involves the activation of PKB (protein kinase B). In one case, PKB acts to phosphorylate and inactivate glycogen synthase kinase 3, which in turn phosphorylates and inhibits eIF2B. Insulin elicits the dephosphorylation and activation of eIF2B. Since eIF2B is required for recycling of eIF2, a factor required for all cytoplasmic translation initiation events, this will contribute to overall activation of protein synthesis. PKB also phosphorylates the TSC1 (tuberous sclerosis complex 1)-TSC2 complex to relieve its inhibitory action on the
mTOR
(
mammalian target of rapamycin
). Inhibition of
mTOR
by rapamycin markedly impairs insulin-activated protein synthesis.
mTOR
controls translation initiation and elongation. The cap-binding factor eIF4E can be sequestered in inactive complexes by 4E-BP1 (eIF4E-binding protein 1). Insulin elicits phosphorylation of 4E-BP1 and its release from eIF4E, allowing eIF4E to form initiation factor complexes. Insulin induces dephosphorylation and activation of eEF2 to accelerate elongation. Both effects are blocked by rapamycin. Insulin inactivates eEF2 kinase by increasing its phosphorylation at several
mTOR
-regulated sites. Insulin also stimulates synthesis of ribosomal proteins by promoting recruitment of their mRNAs into polyribosomes. This is inhibited by rapamycin. Several key questions remain about, for example, the mechanisms by which
mTOR
controls 4E-BP1 and eEF2 kinase and the control of ribosomal protein translation.
...
PMID:Regulation of protein synthesis by insulin. 1654 79
Protein expression in the heart is altered following periods of myocardial ischemia. The changes in protein expression are associated with increased cell size that can be maladaptive. There is little information regarding the regulation of protein expression through the process of mRNA translation during ischemia and reperfusion in the heart. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to identify changes in signaling pathways and downstream regulatory mechanisms of mRNA translation in an in vivo model of myocardial ischemia and reperfusion. Hearts were collected from rats whose left main coronary arteries had either been occluded for 25 min or reversibly occluded for 25 min and subsequently reperfused for 15 min. Following reperfusion, both the
phosphoinositide 3-kinase
and mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways were activated, as evidenced by increased phosphorylation of Akt (PKB), extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2, and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase. Activation of Akt stimulated signaling through the protein kinase
mammalian target of rapamycin
, as evidenced by increased phosphorylation of two of its effectors, the ribosomal protein S6 kinase and the eukaryotic initiation factor eIF4E binding protein 1. Ischemia and reperfusion also resulted in increased phosphorylation of eIF2 and eIF2B. These changes in protein phosphorylation suggest that control of mRNA translation following ischemia and reperfusion is modulated through a number of signaling pathways and regulatory mechanisms.
...
PMID:Activation of signaling pathways and regulatory mechanisms of mRNA translation following myocardial ischemia-reperfusion. 1669 Jul 84
Metastatic renal cell carcinoma is resistant to current therapies. The
phosphoinositide 3-kinase
(
PI3K
)/Akt signaling cascade induces cell growth, cell transformation, and neovascularization. We evaluated whether targeting this pathway could be of therapeutic value against human renal cell carcinoma. The activation of the
PI3K
/Akt pathway and its role in renal cell carcinoma progression was evaluated in vitro in seven human cell lines by Western blot, cell counting, 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide, terminal deoxyribonucleotide transferase-mediated nick-end labeling assays, and fluorescence-activated cell sorting analysis, using two
PI3K
inhibitors, LY294002 and wortmannin, as well as by transfection with various Akt constructs and through Akt knockdown by small interfering RNA (siRNA). In vivo nude mice bearing human renal cell carcinoma tumor xenografts were treated with LY294002 (75 mg/kg/wk, 4 weeks, i.p.). Tumor growth was measured and tumors were subjected to Western blot and immunohistochemical analysis. Akt was constitutively activated in all cell lines. Constitutive phosphorylation of glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK-3) was observed in all cell lines, whereas forkhead transcription factor and
mammalian target of rapamycin
, although expressed, were not constitutively phosphorylated. Exposure to LY294002 or wortmannin decreased Akt activation and GSK-3 phosphorylation and reduced cell growth by up to 70% through induction of cell apoptosis. These effects were confirmed by transfection experiments with Akt constructs or Akt siRNA. Importantly, LY294002 induced up to 50% tumor regression in mice through tumor cell apoptosis. Tumor neovascularization was significantly increased by LY294002 treatment. Blood chemistries showed no adverse effects of the treatment. Our results suggest an important role of
PI3K
/Akt inhibitors as a potentially useful treatment for patients with renal cell carcinoma.
...
PMID:The phosphoinositide 3-kinase/Akt pathway: a new target in human renal cell carcinoma therapy. 1670 36
The
phosphoinositide 3-kinase
(
PI3K
)/Akt signalling cascade has classically been implicated in promoting cell survival but more recently has been shown to regulate a number of other cellular functions. In particular, studies have suggested that
PI3K
contributes to mechanisms associated with synaptic plasticity and memory processes but the function of this cascade in forms of synaptic plasticity, such as long-term potentiation, remains controversial and the
PI3K
substrates which mediate these effects are poorly understood. Here we report that the
PI3K
inhibitor LY294002 infused i.c.v. in vivo blocked maintenance of long-term potentiation induced in the dentate gyrus with a single tetanus to the perforant path but not with repeated tetani. This pattern of stimulation led to rapid and transient phosphorylation of the
PI3K
substrate Akt at Ser473 but not at Thr308. Functional readout of partial activation of Akt was demonstrated by an increase in phosphorylation of two downstream substrates, Forkhead (FKHR) and
mammalian target of rapamycin
(
mTOR
), in a delayed and prolonged manner at Akt-specific phosphorylation sites. LY294002 blocked phosphorylation of Akt and the prolonged phosphorylation of FKHR and
mTOR
but did not impair long-term potentiation-induced phosphorylation of extracellular receptor kinase. In addition, the same i.c.v. concentration of LY294002 impaired long-term consolidation of recognition memory but not short-term recognition memory or spatial learning and repeated training in the recognition memory task overcame the deficit in consolidation. These results suggest that activation of the
PI3K
/Akt pathway may contribute to the mechanisms of synaptic plasticity and memory consolidation by promoting cell survival via FKHR and protein synthesis via
mTOR
. Importantly, only partial activation of Akt at its Ser473 residue was necessary to mediate these effects.
...
PMID:Signalling mechanisms mediated by the phosphoinositide 3-kinase/Akt cascade in synaptic plasticity and memory in the rat. 1682 27
Erythropoietin (Epo) is used commonly to treat cancer and/or therapy-related anemia. Until recently, Epo was considered to be a specific stimulator of erythropoiesis, acting via its receptor, EpoR. It becomes clear, however, that EpoR is expressed in a variety of cell types other than hematopoietic cells, and that Epo is a potent cytoprotective cytokine increasing cell survival under hypoxic conditions. Epo and EpoR are also expressed in various malignant tumors, and EpoR expression shows association with tumor invasion and progression. Recently, a functional Epo autocrine signaling mechanism was also detected in human melanoma cells. In this study, we examined the hypothesis that Epo activates the Akt signaling pathway in human melanoma cells and thus promotes the survival of tumor cells. The Akt signaling pathway in response to Epo was examined in melanoma. Similar to Epo, the expression of EpoR was up-regulated in response to hypoxia and Epo stimulation in melanoma cells. Melanoma cells constitutively expressed Akt with variable expression of
mammalian target of rapamycin
, and Epo dose-dependently induced their activity. Epo increased Akt kinase activity, which was abrogated by co-treatment with LY294002, a specific blocker of
phosphoinositide 3-kinase
. LY294002 also inhibited the cytoprotective effects of Epo in melanoma cells under both normoxic and hypoxic conditions. Our results suggest that Epo promotes melanoma cell survival by activating an Akt-dependent signaling pathway.
...
PMID:Erythropoietin activates the phosphoinositide 3-kinase/Akt pathway in human melanoma cells. 1684 23
The
phosphoinositide 3-kinase
(
PI3K
)/Akt pathway is commonly activated in cancer; therefore, we investigated its role in hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha (HIF-1alpha) regulation. Inhibition of
PI3K
in U87MG glioblastoma cells, which have activated
PI3K
/Akt activity secondary to phosphatase and tensin homologue deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN) mutation, with LY294002 blunted the induction of HIF-1alpha protein and its targets vascular endothelial growth factor and glut1 mRNA in response to hypoxia. Introduction of wild-type PTEN into these cells also blunted HIF-1alpha induction in response to hypoxia and decreased HIF-1alpha accumulation in the presence of the proteasomal inhibitor MG132. Akt small interfering RNA (siRNA) also decreased HIF-1alpha induction under hypoxia and its accumulation in normoxia in the presence of dimethyloxallyl glycine, a prolyl hydroxylase inhibitor that prevents HIF-1alpha degradation. Metabolic labeling studies showed that Akt siRNA decreased HIF-1alpha translation in normoxia in the presence of dimethyloxallyl glycine and in hypoxia. Inhibition of
mammalian target of rapamycin
(
mTOR
) with rapamycin (10-100 nmol/L) had no significant effect on HIF-1alpha induction in a variety of cell lines, a finding that was confirmed using
mTOR
siRNA. Furthermore, neither
mTOR
siRNA nor rapamycin decreased HIF-1alpha translation as determined by metabolic labeling studies. Therefore, our results indicate that Akt can augment HIF-1alpha expression by increasing its translation under both normoxic and hypoxic conditions; however, the pathway we are investigating seems to be rapamycin insensitive and
mTOR
independent. These observations, which were made on cells grown in standard tissue culture medium (10% serum), were confirmed in PC3 prostate carcinoma cells. We did find that rapamycin could decrease HIF-1alpha expression when cells were cultured in low serum, but this seems to represent a different pathway.
...
PMID:Akt1 activation can augment hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha expression by increasing protein translation through a mammalian target of rapamycin-independent pathway. 1684 22
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