scholarly journals mTOR Pathways in Cancer and Autophagy

Cancers ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mathieu Paquette ◽  
Leeanna El-Houjeiri ◽  
Arnim Pause
Keyword(s):  
Cell Death ◽  
Cell Growth ◽  
Signaling Pathways ◽  
Molecular Level ◽  
Clinical Implications ◽  
Serine Threonine Kinase ◽  
Threonine Kinase ◽  
Evolutionarily Conserved ◽  
Stress Signals ◽  
The Relationship

TOR (target of rapamycin), an evolutionarily-conserved serine/threonine kinase, acts as a central regulator of cell growth, proliferation and survival in response to nutritional status, growth factor, and stress signals. It plays a crucial role in coordinating the balance between cell growth and cell death, depending on cellular conditions and needs. As such, TOR has been identified as a key modulator of autophagy for more than a decade, and several deregulations of this pathway have been implicated in a variety of pathological disorders, including cancer. At the molecular level, autophagy regulates several survival or death signaling pathways that may decide the fate of cancer cells; however, the relationship between autophagy pathways and cancer are still nascent. In this review, we discuss the recent cellular signaling pathways regulated by TOR, their interconnections to autophagy, and the clinical implications of TOR inhibitors in cancer.

scholarly journals Target of Rapamycin in Control of Autophagy: Puppet Master and Signal Integrator

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (21) ◽  
pp. 8259
Author(s):  
Yosia Mugume ◽  
Zakayo Kazibwe ◽  
Diane C. Bassham
Keyword(s):  
Degradation Pathway ◽  
Target Of Rapamycin ◽  
Serine Threonine Kinase ◽  
Threonine Kinase ◽  
Photosynthetic Organisms ◽  
Downstream Effectors ◽  
Evolutionarily Conserved ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
Stress Signals ◽  
And Function

The target of rapamycin (TOR) is an evolutionarily-conserved serine/threonine kinase that senses and integrates signals from the environment to coordinate developmental and metabolic processes. TOR senses nutrients, hormones, metabolites, and stress signals to promote cell and organ growth when conditions are favorable. However, TOR is inhibited when conditions are unfavorable, promoting catabolic processes such as autophagy. Autophagy is a macromolecular degradation pathway by which cells degrade and recycle cytoplasmic materials. TOR negatively regulates autophagy through phosphorylation of ATG13, preventing activation of the autophagy-initiating ATG1-ATG13 kinase complex. Here we review TOR complex composition and function in photosynthetic and non-photosynthetic organisms. We also review recent developments in the identification of upstream TOR activators and downstream effectors of TOR. Finally, we discuss recent developments in our understanding of the regulation of autophagy by TOR in photosynthetic organisms.

scholarly journals Dual Roles of Serine-Threonine Kinase Receptor-Associated Protein (STRAP) in Redox-Sensitive Signaling Pathways Related to Cancer Development

2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ravi Manoharan ◽  
Hyun-A Seong ◽  
Hyunjung Ha
Keyword(s):  
Cell Proliferation ◽  
Cell Death ◽  
Signaling Pathways ◽  
Intracellular Signaling ◽  
Transforming Growth Factor ◽  
Human Cancer ◽  
Tumor Formation ◽  
Serine Threonine Kinase ◽  
Receptor Associated Protein ◽  
Threonine Kinase

Serine-threonine kinase receptor-associated protein (STRAP) is a transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) receptor-interacting protein that has been implicated in both cell proliferation and cell death in response to various stresses. However, the precise roles of STRAP in these cellular processes are still unclear. The mechanisms by which STRAP controls both cell proliferation and cell death are now beginning to be unraveled. In addition to its biological roles, this review also focuses on the dual functions of STRAP in cancers displaying redox dysregulation, where it can behave as a tumor suppressor or an oncogene (i.e., it can either inhibit or promote tumor formation), depending on the cellular context. Further studies are needed to define the functions of STRAP and the redox-sensitive intracellular signaling pathways that enhance either cell proliferation or cell death in human cancer tissues, which may help in the development of effective treatments for cancer.

scholarly journals Regulation of the tumour suppressor Fbw7α by PKC-dependent phosphorylation and cancer-associated mutations

2010 ◽  
Vol 432 (1) ◽  
pp. 77-87 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joanne Durgan ◽  
Peter J. Parker
Keyword(s):  
Mammalian Cells ◽  
Tumour Suppressor ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Serine Threonine Kinase ◽  
Threonine Kinase ◽  
Pkc Protein Kinase C ◽  
Specific Regulation ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Substrate Binding Domain

Fbw7 (F-box WD40 protein 7) is a major tumour suppressor, which mediates the degradation of several potent oncogenes. PKC (protein kinase C) comprises a serine/threonine kinase family that can promote transformation when dysregulated. In the present study, we investigated the relationship between Fbw7 and PKC. Multiple members of the PKC superfamily interact with the substrate-binding domain of Fbw7. However, we find no evidence for Fbw7-mediated degradation of PKC. Instead, we demonstrate that Fbw7 is a novel substrate for PKC. Two residues within the isoform-specific N-terminus of Fbw7α are phosphorylated in a PKC-dependent manner, both in vitro and in mammalian cells (Ser10 and Ser18). Mutational analyses reveal that phosphorylation of Fbw7α at Ser10 can regulate its nuclear localization. Cancer-associated mutations in nearby residues (K11R and the addition of a proline residue at position 16) influence Fbw7α localization in a comparable manner, suggesting that mislocalization of this protein may be of pathological significance. Together these results provide evidence for both physical and functional interactions between the PKC and Fbw7 families, and yield insights into the isoform-specific regulation of Fbw7α.

scholarly journals Death Receptor-Induced Activation of Initiator Caspase 8 Is Antagonized by Serine/Threonine Kinase PAK4

2003 ◽  
Vol 23 (21) ◽  
pp. 7838-7848 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nerina Gnesutta ◽  
Audrey Minden
Keyword(s):  
Cell Death ◽  
Cell Survival ◽  
Intracellular Signaling ◽  
Death Receptor ◽  
Caspase 8 ◽  
Death Domain ◽  
Serine Threonine Kinase ◽  
Threonine Kinase ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Promote Cell Survival

ABSTRACT Normal cell growth requires a precisely controlled balance between cell death and survival. This involves activation of different types of intracellular signaling cascades within the cell. While some types of signaling proteins regulate apoptosis, or programmed cell death, other proteins within the cell can promote survival. The serine/threonine kinase PAK4 can protect cells from apoptosis in response to several different types of stimuli. As is the case for other members of the p21-activated kinase (PAK) family, one way that PAK4 may promote cell survival is by phosphorylating and thereby inhibiting the proapoptotic protein Bad. This leads in turn to the inhibition of effector caspases such as caspase 3. Here we show that in response to cytokines which activate death domain-containing receptors, such as the tumor necrosis factor and Fas receptors, PAK4 can inhibit the death signal by a different mechanism. Under these conditions, PAK4 inhibits apoptosis early in the caspase cascade, antagonizing the activation of initiator caspase 8. This inhibition, which does not require PAK4's kinase activity, may involve inhibition of caspase 8 recruitment to the death domain receptors. This role in regulating initiator caspases is an entirely novel role for the PAK proteins and suggests a new mechanism by which these proteins promote cell survival.

scholarly journals Altered transcriptional activity of c-fos promoter plasmids in v-raf-transformed NIH 3T3 cells.

1990 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 6073-6078 ◽  
Author(s):  
Z Siegfried ◽  
E B Ziff
Keyword(s):  
Cell Growth ◽  
Transcriptional Activity ◽  
Early Response ◽  
Regulatory Elements ◽  
3T3 Cells ◽  
Serine Threonine Kinase ◽  
Threonine Kinase ◽  
Untransformed Control ◽  
Early Response Genes ◽  
Nih 3T3

In cells transformed by v-raf, an oncogenic counterpart of the serine/threonine kinase Raf-1, regulatory elements of the c-fos promoter were active under conditions of cell growth or stimulation for which they were inactive in untransformed control cells. This suggests that v-raf transforms by deregulating transcription of early response genes.

scholarly journals PAS kinase: An evolutionarily conserved PAS domain-regulated serine/threonine kinase

2001 ◽  
Vol 98 (16) ◽  
pp. 8991-8996 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Rutter ◽  
C. H. Michnoff ◽  
S. M. Harper ◽  
K. H. Gardner ◽  
S. L. McKnight
Keyword(s):  
Pas Domain ◽  
Serine Threonine Kinase ◽  
Threonine Kinase ◽  
Pas Kinase ◽  
Evolutionarily Conserved

scholarly journals SIRT7 Deacetylates STRAP to Regulate p53 Activity and Stability

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (11) ◽  
pp. 4122 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miao Yu ◽  
Xiaoyan Shi ◽  
Mengmeng Ren ◽  
Lu Liu ◽  
Hao Qi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Cycle ◽  
Cell Proliferation ◽  
Cell Death ◽  
Cell Cycle Arrest ◽  
Creb Binding Protein ◽  
Serine Threonine Kinase ◽  
Receptor Associated Protein ◽  
Threonine Kinase ◽  
P53 Signaling ◽  
Cycle Arrest

Serine-threonine kinase receptor-associated protein (STRAP) functions as a regulator of both TGF-β and p53 signaling that participates in the regulation of cell proliferation and cell death in response to various stresses. Here, we demonstrate that STRAP acetylation plays an important role in p53-mediated cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. STRAP is acetylated at lysines 147, 148, and 156 by the acetyltransferases CREB-binding protein (CBP) and that the acetylation is reversed by the deacetylase sirtuin7 (SIRT7). Hypo- or hyperacetylation mutations of STRAP at lysines 147, 148, and 156 (3KR or 3KQ) influence its activation and stabilization of p53. Moreover, following 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) treatment, STRAP is mobilized from the cytoplasm to the nucleus and promotes STRAP acetylation. Our finding on the regulation of STRAP links p53 with SIRT7 influencing p53 activity and stability.

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