Nutrient sensing in the mTOR/S6K1 signalling pathway

2007 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 236-238 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Gulati ◽  
G. Thomas

Nutrient overload induces constitutive S6K1 (S6 kinase 1) activation, which leads to insulin resistance by suppressing insulin-induced class I PI3K (phosphoinositide 3-kinase) signalling [Um, Frigerio, Watanabe, Picard, Joaquin, Sticker, Fumagalli, Allegrini, Kozma, Auwerx and Thomas (2004) Nature 431, 200–205]. This finding gave rise to the question of the mechanism by which nutrients, such as AAs (amino acids), enter the mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin)/S6K1 signalling pathway. Counter to the prevailing view, our recent studies have shown that the AA input into the mTOR/S6K1 signalling pathway is not mediated by the tumour suppressor TSC1 (tuberous sclerosis complex 1)/TSC2 or its target, the proto-oncogene Rheb (Ras homologue enriched in brain). Instead, we found that the AA input was mediated by class 3 PI3K, or hVps34 (human vacuolar protein sorting 34). In brief, ectopic expression of hVps34 drives S6K1 activation, but only in the presence of AAs, and this effect is blocked by small interfering RNAs directed against hVps34. Moreover, stimulation of cells with AAs increases hVps34 activity, as indicated by the production of PI3P (phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate). PI3P mediates the recruitment of proteins containing FYVE (Fab1p, YOTB, Vac1p and EEA1) or PX (Phox homology) domains to endosomal membranes, with PI3P-rich micro-domains acting as signalling platforms. Additional evidence indicating hVps34 as the mediator of AA input to S6K1 came from experiments in which S6K1 activation was attenuated by ectopic expression of a cDNA containing two FYVE domains, which bind to PI3P, preventing binding of proteins containing either FYVE or PX domains [Nobukuni, Joaquin, Roccio, Dann, Kim, Gulati, Byfield, Backer, Natt, Bos, Zwartkruis and Thomas (2005) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 102, 14238–14243].

2007 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 239-241 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. Yan ◽  
J.M. Backer

The class III PI3K (phosphoinositide 3-kinase), Vps34 (vacuolar protein sorting 34), was first identified as a regulator of vacuolar hydrolase sorting in yeast. Unlike other PI3Ks, the Vps34 lipid kinase specifically utilizes phosphatidylinositol as a substrate, producing the single lipid product PtdIns3P. While Vps34 has been studied for some time in the context of endocytosis and vesicular trafficking, it has more recently been implicated as an important regulator of autophagy, trimeric G-protein signalling, and the mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin) nutrient-sensing pathway. The present paper will focus on studies that describe the regulation of hVps34 (human Vps34) intracellular targeting and enzymatic activity in yeast and mammalian cells.


2016 ◽  
Vol 473 (15) ◽  
pp. 2251-2271 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan M. Backer

The Class III phosphoinositide 3-kinase Vps34 (vacuolar protein sorting 34) plays important roles in endocytic trafficking, macroautophagy, phagocytosis, cytokinesis and nutrient sensing. Recent studies have provided exciting new insights into the structure and regulation of this lipid kinase, and new cellular functions for Vps34 have emerged. This review critically examines the wealth of new data on this important enzyme, and attempts to integrate these findings with current models of Vps34 signalling.


2009 ◽  
Vol 417 (3) ◽  
pp. 747-755 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ying Yan ◽  
Rory J. Flinn ◽  
Haiyan Wu ◽  
Rachel S. Schnur ◽  
Jonathan M. Backer

The mammalian Class III PI3K (phosphoinositide 3-kinase), hVps34 [mammalian Vps (vacuolar protein sorting) 34 homologue], is an important regulator of vesicular trafficking, autophagy and nutrient sensing. In yeast, Vps34 is associated with a putative serine/threonine protein kinase, Vps15, which is required for Vps34p activity. The mammalian homologue of Vps15p, hVps15 (formerly called p150), also binds to hVps34, but its role in hVps34 signalling has not been evaluated. In the present study we have therefore compared the activity and regulation of hVps34 expressed without or with hVps15. We find that hVps34 has low specific activity when expressed alone; co-expression with hVps15 leads to a marked increase in activity. Notably, beclin-1/UVRAG (UV radiation resistance-associated gene) activation of hVps34 requires co-expression with hVps15; this may be explained by the observation that beclin-1/UVRAG expression increases hVps34/hVps15 binding. Regulation of hVps34 activity by nutrients also requires co-expression with hVps15. Finally, given a recent report that hVps34 activity requires Ca2+/CaM (calmodulin), we considered whether hVps15 might be involved in this regulation. Although hVps34 does bind CaM, we find its activity is not affected by treatment of cells with BAPTA/AM [1,2-bis-(o-aminophenoxy)ethane-N,N,N′,N′-tetra-acetic acid tetrakis(acetoxymethyl ester)] or W7. Removal of CaM by EDTA or EGTA washes has no effect on hVps34 activity, and hVps34 activity in vitro is unaffected by Ca2+ chelation. The results of the present study show that, in mammalian cells, hVps34 activity is regulated through its interactions with hVps15, but is independent of Ca2+/CaM.


2021 ◽  
Vol 49 (11) ◽  
pp. 030006052110583
Author(s):  
Xiaodong Luo ◽  
Yangyang Gong ◽  
Liuyun Cai ◽  
Lei Zhang ◽  
Xiaojing Dong

Objective Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a prevalent endocrine disorder in women of reproductive age. Chemerin has recently been discovered as a novel adipokine associated with obesity and metabolic syndrome. Excessive autophagy activity and overexpression of autophagy-related genes in follicular granulosa cells are important mechanisms of PCOS. This study aimed to investigate the effect of chemerin on autophagy in PCOS. Methods A rat model of PCOS was established by subcutaneous injection of testosterone propionate under a high-fat diet. Expression levels of chemerin and its receptor CMKLR1 were determined by real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blot. Proliferation and apoptosis of human granulosa cells in vitro and expression of autophagy-related genes were examined using bafilomycin A1 (autophagy inhibitor) and Torin1 (autophagy inducer). Results Chemerin and CMKLR1 expression were significantly increased in the ovary in a rat model of PCOS. Ectopic expression of chemerin promoted the proliferation and inhibited the apoptosis of COV434 cells. Ectopic expression of chemerin also induced autophagy by inhibiting the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway. Conclusions Chemerin and CMKLR1 were overexpressed in PCOS rats. Chemerin promoted autophagy through inhibiting the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway, and may provide a potential target and biomarker of PCOS.


Cell Stress ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (12) ◽  
pp. 176-182
Author(s):  
Clarissa Braun ◽  
Karl Katholnig ◽  
Christopher Kaltenecker ◽  
Monika Linke ◽  
Nyamdelger Sukhbaatar ◽  
...  

Programmed cell death protein 4 (PDCD4) exerts critical functions as tumor suppressor and in immune cells to regulate inflammatory processes. The phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) promotes degradation of PDCD4 via mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1). However, additional pathways that may regulate PDCD4 expression are largely ill-defined. In this study, we have found that activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase p38 promoted degradation of PDCD4 in macrophages and fibroblasts. Mechanistically, we identified a pathway from p38 and its substrate MAP kinase-activated protein kinase 2 (MK2) to the tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) to regulate mTORC1-dependent degradation of PDCD4. Moreover, we provide evidence that TSC1 and TSC2 regulate PDCD4 expression via an additional mechanism independent of mTORC1. These novel data extend our knowledge of how PDCD4 expression is regulated by stress- and nutrient-sensing pathways.


Cells ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 1363
Author(s):  
Jun Luo ◽  
Yoshinobu Odaka ◽  
Zhu Huang ◽  
Bing Cheng ◽  
Wang Liu ◽  
...  

Dihydroartemisinin (DHA), an anti-malarial drug, has been shown to possess potent anticancer activity, partly by inhibiting the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) complex 1 (mTORC1) signaling. However, how DHA inhibits mTORC1 is still unknown. Here, using rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) as a model, we found that DHA reduced cell proliferation and viability in RMS cells, but not those in normal cells, which was associated with inhibition of mTORC1. Mechanistically, DHA did not bind to mTOR or FK506 binding protein 12 (FKBP12). In addition, DHA neither inhibited insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor (IGF-1R), phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K), and extracellular signal-regulated kinase ½ (Erk1/2), nor activated phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) in the cells. Rather, DHA activated AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). Pharmacological inhibition of AMPK, ectopic expression dominant negative or kinase-dead AMPK, or knockdown of AMPKa attenuated the inhibitory effect of DHA on mTORC1 in the cells. Additionally, DHA was able to induce dissociation of regulatory-associated protein of mTOR (raptor) from mTOR and inhibit mTORC1 activity. Moreover, treatment with artesunate, a prodrug of DHA, dose-dependently inhibited tumor growth and concurrently activated AMPK and suppressed mTORC1 in RMS xenografts. The results indicated that DHA inhibits mTORC1 by activating AMPK in tumor cells. Our finding supports that DHA or artesunate has a great potential to be repositioned for treatment of RMS.


2008 ◽  
Vol 410 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan M. Backer

The Class III PI3K (phosphoinositide 3-kinase), Vps34 (vacuolar protein sorting 34), was first described as a component of the vacuolar sorting system in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and is the sole PI3K in yeast. The homologue in mammalian cells, hVps34, has been studied extensively in the context of endocytic sorting. However, hVps34 also plays an important role in the ability of cells to respond to changes in nutrient conditions. Recent studies have shown that mammalian hVps34 is required for the activation of the mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin)/S6K1 (S6 kinase 1) pathway, which regulates protein synthesis in response to nutrient availability. In both yeast and mammalian cells, Class III PI3Ks are also required for the induction of autophagy during nutrient deprivation. Finally, mammalian hVps34 is itself regulated by nutrients. Thus Class III PI3Ks are implicated in the regulation of both autophagy and, through the mTOR pathway, protein synthesis, and thus contribute to the integration of cellular responses to changing nutritional status.


2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 206-210
Author(s):  
Feng Chen ◽  
Bei Zhang

Lupeol exhibits multiple pharmacological activities including, anticancerous, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant. The aim of this study was to explore the anticancerous activity of lupeol on ovarian cancer cells and examine its mechanism of action. To this end, increasing concentrations of lupeol on cell viability, cell cycle, and apoptosis in Caov-3 cells were evaluated. Lupeol inhibited cell viability, induced G1 phase arrest in cell cycle, increased cell apoptosis, and inhibited the ratio of phospho-Akt/protein kinase B and phospho-mammalian target of rapamycin/mammalian target of rapamycin. In conclusion, these data suggest that lupeol may play a therapeutic role in ovarian cancer.


Cells ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 746
Author(s):  
Yingzhuo Ding ◽  
Yan Li ◽  
Gaurav Chhetri ◽  
Xiaoxin Peng ◽  
Jing Wu ◽  
...  

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the most common neurodegenerative movement disorder, characterized by progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra, intraneuronal deposition of misfolded proteins known as Lewy bodies, and chronic neuroinflammation. PD can arise from monogenic mutations, but in most cases, the etiology is unclear. Viral infection is gaining increasing attentions as a trigger of PD. In this study, we investigated whether the PD-causative 620 aspartate (D) to asparagine (N) mutation in the vacuolar protein sorting 35 ortholog (Vps35) precipitated herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection. We observed that ectopic expression of Vps35 significantly reduced the proliferation and release of HSV-1 virions; the D620N mutation rendered Vps35 a partial loss of such inhibitory effects. Tetherin is a host cell protein capable of restricting the spread of encapsulated viruses including HSV-1 and SARS-Cov-2, both of which are implicated in the development of parkinsonism. Compared with cells overexpressing wildtype Vps35, cells expressing mutant Vps35 with D620N had less Tetherin on cell surfaces. Real-time and static cell imaging revealed that Tetherin recycled through Vps35-positive endosomes. Expression of Vps35 with D620N reduced endosomal dynamics and frequency of motile Tetherin-containing vesicles, a sign of defective production of recycling carriers. Our study suggests that the D620N mutation in Vps35 hinders Tetherin trafficking to cell surfaces and facilitates virus spread.


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