Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UNIPROT:P42345 (mTOR)
 26,049 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Amino acids have been identified as important signaling molecules involved in pancreatic beta-cell proliferation, although the cellular mechanism responsible for this effect is not well defined. We previously reported that amino acids are required for glucose or exogenous insulin to stimulate phosphorylation of PHAS-I (phosphorylated heat- and acid-stable protein regulated by insulin), a recently discovered regulator of translation initiation during cell mitogenesis. Here we demonstrate that essential amino acids, in particular branched-chain amino acids (leucine, valine, and isoleucine), are largely responsible for mediating this effect. The transamination product of leucine, alpha-ketoisocaproic acid, also stimulates PHAS-I phosphorylation although the transamination products of isoleucine and valine are ineffective. Since amino acids are secretagogues for insulin secretion by beta-cells, we investigated whether endogenous insulin secreted by beta-cells is involved. Interestingly, branched-chain amino acids stimulate phosphorylation of PHAS-I independent of endogenous insulin secretion since genistein (10 microM) and herbimycin A (1 microM), two tyrosine kinase inhibitors in the insulin signaling pathway, exert no effect on amino acid-induced phosphorylation of PHAS-I. Furthermore, branched-chain amino acids retain their ability to induce phosphorylation of PHAS-I under conditions that block insulin secretion from beta-cells. In exploring the signaling pathway responsible for these effects, we find that rapamycin (25 nM) inhibits the ability of branched-chain amino acids to stimulate the phosphorylation of PHAS-I and p70(s6) kinase, suggesting that the mammalian target of rapamycin signaling pathway is involved. The branched-chain amino acid, leucine, also exerts similar effects on PHAS-I phosphorylation in isolated pancreatic islets. In addition, we find that amino acids are necessary for insulin-like growth factor (IGF-I) to stimulate the phosphorylation of PHAS-I indicating that a requirement for amino acids may be essential for other beta-cell growth factors in addition to insulin and IGF-I to activate this signaling pathway. We propose that amino acids, in particular branched-chain amino acids, may promote beta-cell proliferation either by stimulating phosphorylation of PHAS-I and p70(s6k) via the mammalian target of rapamycin pathway and/or by facilitating the proliferative effect mediated by growth factors such as insulin and IGF-I.
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PMID:Branched-chain amino acids are essential in the regulation of PHAS-I and p70 S6 kinase by pancreatic beta-cells. A possible role in protein translation and mitogenic signaling. 977 38

The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) has been shown to link growth factor signaling and posttranscriptional control of translation of proteins that are frequently involved in cell cycle progression. However, the role of this pathway in cell survival has not been demonstrated. Here, we report that rapamycin, a specific inhibitor of mTOR kinase, induces G1 cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in two rhabdomyosarcoma cell lines (Rh1 and Rh30) under conditions of autocrine cell growth. To examine the kinetics of rapamycin action, we next determined the rapamycin sensitivity of rhabdomyosarcoma cells exposed briefly (1 h) or continuously (6 days). Results demonstrate that Rh1 and Rh30 cells were equally sensitive to rapamycin-induced growth arrest and apoptosis under either condition. Apoptosis was detected between 24 and 144 h of exposure to rapamycin. Both cell lines have mutant p53; hence, rapamycin-induced apoptosis appears to be a p53-independent process. To determine whether induction of apoptosis by rapamycin was specifically due to inhibition of mTOR signaling, we engineered Rh1 and Rh30 clones to stably express a mutant form of mTOR that was resistant to rapamycin (Ser2035-->Ile; designated mTOR-rr). Rh1 and Rh30 mTOR-rr clones were highly resistant (>3000-fold) to both growth inhibition and apoptosis induced by rapamycin. These results are the first to indicate that rapamycin-induced apoptosis is mediated by inhibition of mTOR. Exogenous insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I protected both Rh1 and Rh30 from apoptosis, without reactivating ribosomal p70 S6 kinase (p70S6K) downstream of mTOR. However, in rapamycin-treated cultures, the response to IGF-I differed between the cell lines: Rh1 cells proliferated normally, whereas Rh30 cells remained arrested in G1 phase but viable. Rapamycin is known to inhibit synthesis of specific proteins but did not inhibit synthesis or alter the levels of mTOR. To examine the rate at which the mTOR pathway recovered, the ability of IGF-I to stimulate p70S6K activity was followed in cells treated for 1 h with rapamycin and then allowed to recover in medium containing > or =100-fold excess of FK506 (to prevent rapamycin from rebinding to its cytosolic receptor FKBP-12). Our results indicate that, in Rh1 cells, rapamycin dissociates relatively slowly from FKBP-12, with a t1/2 of approximately 17.5 h. in the presence of FK506, whereas there was no recovery of p70S6K activity in the absence of this competitor. This was of interest because rapamycin was relatively unstable under conditions of cell culture having a biological t1/2 of approximately 9.9 h. These results help to explain why cells are sensitive following short exposures to rapamycin and may be useful in guiding the use of rapamycin analogues that are entering clinical trials as novel antitumor agents.
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PMID:Rapamycin causes poorly reversible inhibition of mTOR and induces p53-independent apoptosis in human rhabdomyosarcoma cells. 1002 80

Endogenous IGF-I regulates growth of human intestinal smooth muscle cells by jointly activating phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) and ERK1/2. The 70-kDa ribosomal S6 kinase (p70S6 kinase) is a key regulator of cell growth activated by several independently regulated kinases. The present study characterized the role of p70S6 kinase in IGF-I-induced growth of human intestinal smooth muscle cells and identified the mechanisms of p70S6 kinase activation. IGF-I-induced growth elicited via either the PI3K or ERK1/2 pathway required activation of p70S6 kinase. IGF-I elicited concentration-dependent activation of PI3K, 3-phosphoinositide-dependent kinase-1 (PDK-1), and p70S6 kinase that was sequential and followed similar time courses. IGF-I caused time-dependent and concentration-dependent phosphorylation of p70S6 kinase on Thr(421)/Ser(424), Thr(389), and Thr(229) that paralleled p70S6 kinase activation. p70S6 kinase(Thr(421)/Ser(424)) phosphorylation was PI3K dependent and PDK-1 independent, whereas p70S6 kinase(Thr(389)) and p70S6 kinase(Thr(229)) phosphorylation and p70S6 kinase activation were PI3K dependent and PDK-1 dependent. IGF-I elicited sequential Akt(Ser(308)), Akt(Ser(473)), and mammalian target of rapamycin(Ser(2448)) phosphorylation; however, transfection of muscle cells with kinase-inactive Akt1(K179M) showed that these events were not required for IGF-I to activate p70S6 kinase and stimulate proliferation of human intestinal muscle cells.
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PMID:IGF-I elicits growth of human intestinal smooth muscle cells by activation of PI3K, PDK-1, and p70S6 kinase. 1244 11

Although interactions between estrogen and growth factor signaling pathways have been studied extensively, how growth factors and progesterone regulate each other is less clear. In this study, we found that IGF-I sharply lowers progesterone receptor (PR) mRNA and protein levels in breast cancer cells. Other growth factors, such as epidermal growth factor, also showed the same effect. The decrease of PR levels was associated with reduced PR activity. Unlike progestins, IGF-I does not utilize the proteasome for down-regulating PR. Instead, the IGF-I-mediated decrease in PR levels is via an inhibition of PR gene transcription. In addition, the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway was found to be specifically involved in this IGF-I effect. Our data also suggest that the IGF-I down-regulation of PR is not mediated via a reduction of estrogen receptor (ER) levels or activity. First, IGF-I induced ligand-independent ER activity while reducing ER-dependent PR levels. Second, whereas PR and cyclin D1 are both ER up-regulated, IGF-I increased cyclin D1 levels while decreasing PR levels. Third, constitutively active PI3K or Akt induced ER activity but reduced PR levels and activity. Taken together, our data indicate that IGF-I inhibits PR expression in breast cancer cells via the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway. Because low or absent PR in primary breast cancer is associated with poor prognosis and response to hormone therapy, our results suggest that low PR status may serve as an indicator of activated growth factor signaling in breast tumor cells, and therefore of an aggressive tumor phenotype and resistance against hormonal therapy.
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PMID:Insulin-like growth factor-I inhibits progesterone receptor expression in breast cancer cells via the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin pathway: progesterone receptor as a potential indicator of growth factor activity in breast cancer. 1255 65

MYCN and insulin-like growth factor (IGF) system are important for the pathogenesis and development of neuroblastoma. We previously reported evidence of a direct linkage between MycN and the IGF system in KP-N-RT human neuroblastoma cells, where IGF-I induced both MycN expression at the RNA level and G1-S cell cycle progression through the IGF-I receptor (IGF-IR)/ MEK/ mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway (A. Misawa et al., Cancer Res, 2000; 60:64-9). Our data also showed the possibility of a potent IGF-IR downstream signal cascade that accelerates progression into the S-phase, other than the MAPK pathway. In this study, we further investigated the role of this alternative pathway in the growth of neuroblastoma cells. A phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitor wortmannin blocked IGF-I-mediated induction of MycN. Our data suggest that the inhibition of MycN by wortmannin was transmitted through the MAPK pathway. Progression of the cell cycle from G1 to S phase was inhibited up to 90% by wortmannin or rapamycin, an inhibitor of mTOR, which acts downstream of PI3K. Despite its effects on induction of MycN and on progression through S phase, wortmannin did not block proliferation of neuroblastoma cells. On the other hand, rapamycin inhibited both IGF-I-induced cell cycle progression and cell proliferation in complete medium, although it had no effect on IGF-I-mediated MycN induction. Our study indicates maintenance of cell proliferation requires mTOR function, which is independent of MycN induction in human neuroblastoma cells.
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PMID:Rapamycin inhibits proliferation of human neuroblastoma cells without suppression of MycN. 1256 80

The membrane type 1 matrix metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP) has been identified as a major activator of MMP-2 - a process involving the formation of a trimolecular complex with TIMP-2. We previously identified the IGF-I receptor as a positive regulator of MMP-2 synthesis. Here, we investigated the role of IGF-IR in the regulation of MT1-MMP. Highly invasive Lewis lung carcinoma subline H-59 cells express MT1-MMP and utilize it to activate their major extracellular matrix degrading proteinase-MMP-2. These cells were transiently transfected with a plasmid vector expressing a luciferase reporter gene downstream of the mouse MT1-MMP promoter. IGF-I treatment increased luciferase activity in the transfected cells by up to 10-fold and augmented endogenous MT1-MMP mRNA and protein synthesis by up to 2-3-fold, relative to controls. MT1-MMP induction and invasion were blocked by the PI 3-kinase inhibitors LY294002 and wortmannin and by rapamycin, but not by the MEK inhibitor PD98059. Overexpression of a dominant negative Akt mutant or of the tumor suppressor phosphatase and tensin homologue, PTEN, in these cells also caused a significant reduction in MT1-MMP expression and invasion. The results demonstrate that IGF-IR controls tumor cell invasion by coordinately regulating MMP-2 expression and its MT1-MMP-mediated activation and identify PI 3-kinase/Akt/mTOR signaling as critical to this regulation.
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PMID:Type 1 insulin-like growth factor regulates MT1-MMP synthesis and tumor invasion via PI 3-kinase/Akt signaling. 1259 84

Ser/Thr phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate IRS-1 regulates insulin signaling, but the relevant phosphorylated residues and their potential functions during insulin-stimulated signal transduction are difficult to resolve. We used a sequence-specific polyclonal antibody directed against phosphorylated Ser(302) to study IRS-1-mediated signaling during insulin and insulin-like growth factor IGF-I stimulation. Insulin or IGF-I stimulated phosphorylation of Ser(302) in various cell backgrounds and in murine muscle. Wortmannin or rapamycin inhibited Ser(302) phosphorylation, and amino acids or glucose stimulated Ser(302) phosphorylation, suggesting a role for the mTOR cascade. The Ser(302) kinase associates with IRS-1 during immunoprecipitation, but its identity is unknown. The NH(2)-terminal c-Jun kinase did not phosphorylate Ser(302). Replacing Ser(302) with alanine significantly reduced insulin-stimulated tyrosine phosphorylation of IRS-1 and p85 binding and reduced insulin-stimulated phosphorylation of p70(S6K), ribosomal S6 protein, and 4E-BP1; however, this mutation had no effect on insulin-stimulated Akt or glycogen synthase kinase 3beta phosphorylation. Replacing Ser(302) with alanine reduced insulin/IGF-I-stimulated DNA synthesis. We conclude that Ser(302) phosphorylation integrates nutrient availability with insulin/IGF-I signaling to promote mitogenesis and cell growth.
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PMID:Nutrient-dependent and insulin-stimulated phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate-1 on serine 302 correlates with increased insulin signaling. 1462 99

The matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 has been recognized as a major mediator of basement membrane degradation, angiogenesis, tumor invasion, and metastasis. The factors that regulate its expression have not, however, been fully elucidated. We previously identified the type I insulin-like growth factor (IGF-I) receptor as a regulator of MMP-2 synthesis. The objective of the present study was to investigate the signal transduction pathway(s) mediating this regulation. We show here that in Lewis lung carcinoma subline H-59 cells treated with IGF-I (10 ng/ml), the PI 3-kinase (phosphatidylinositol 3'-kinase) /protein kinase B (Akt) and C-Raf/ERK pathways were activated, and MMP-2 promoter activity, mRNA, and protein synthesis were induced. MMP-2 induction was blocked by the PI 3-kinase inhibitors LY294002 and wortmannin, by overexpression of a dominant-negative Akt or wild-type PTEN (phosphatase and tensin homologue deleted on chromosome 10), and by rapamycin. In contrast, a MEK inhibitor PD98059 failed to reduce MMP-2 promoter activation and actually increased MMP-2 mRNA and protein synthesis by up to 30%. Interestingly, suppression of PI 3-kinase signaling by a dominant-negative Akt enhanced ERK activity in cells stimulated with 10 ng/ml but not with 100 ng/ml IGF-I. Furthermore, at the higher (100 ng/ml) IGF-I concentration, C-Raf and ERK, but not PI 3-kinase activation, was enhanced, and this resulted in down-regulation of MMP-2 synthesis. This effect was reversed in cells expressing a dominant-negative ERK mutant. The results suggest that IGF-I can up-regulate MMP-2 synthesis via PI 3-kinase/Akt/mTOR (the mammalian target of rapamycin) signaling while concomitantly transmitting a negative regulatory signal via the Raf/ERK pathway. The outcome of IGF-IR (the receptor for IGF-I) activation may ultimately depend on factors, such as ligand bioavailability, that can shift the balance preferentially toward one pathway or the other.
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PMID:Dual regulation of MMP-2 expression by the type 1 insulin-like growth factor receptor: the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt and Raf/ERK pathways transmit opposing signals. 1499 22

Circumvention of chemoresistance in the B-cell neoplasm multiple myeloma (MM) might be achieved by targeting certain intracellular signaling pathways crucial for survival of the malignant clone. The use of the macrolide rapamycin, selectively inhibiting the phosphoprotein mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) downstream of, for example, insulin-like growth factor-I receptor (IGF-IR), possibly represents such a molecular mode of therapy. By using a panel of MM cell lines we showed that rapamycin induced G0/G1 arrest, an effect being associated with an increase of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p27 and a decrease of cyclins D2 and D3. Interestingly, in primary, mainly noncycling MM cells, rapamycin, at clinically achievable concentrations, induced apoptosis. More important, rapamycin sensitized both MM cell lines and primary MM cells to dexamethasone-induced apoptosis. This effect was associated with a decreased expression of cyclin D2 and survivin. The phosphorylation of the serine/threonine kinase p70S6K at Thr389 and Thr421/Ser424 was down-regulated by rapamycin and/or dexamethasone. Strikingly, the combinatorial treatment with rapamycin and dexamethasone suppressed the antiapoptotic effects of exogenously added IGF-I and interleukin 6 (IL-6) as well as their stimulation of p70S6K phosphorylation. The induction of apoptosis by rapamycin and dexamethasone despite the presence of survival factors was also demonstrated in primary MM cells, thus suggesting this drug combination to be active also in vivo.
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PMID:Rapamycin sensitizes multiple myeloma cells to apoptosis induced by dexamethasone. 1507 Jun 96

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


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