Body building: regulation of shape and size by PI3K/TOR signaling during development.
Growth of organisms and their constituent parts responds to both intrinsic and extrinsic cues during development: organisms of a given species generally grow at a predictable rate and to a specific body size, but individuals can modify this program during development in response to environmental conditions. Recent experiments, using gene knockouts and targeted overexpression, have revealed the central role of a signaling network controlled by the PI3K and TOR kinases in this regulation. These signaling molecules control growth by coordinately regulating a large number of cell biological processes. This review focuses on the cellular activities regulated by PI3K and TOR during development, and discusses how changes in different aspects of cellular metabolism may interact to regulate growth.
Neufeld
Thomas P
TP
Department of Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA. neufeld@med.umn.edu
D000818:Animals; D001343:Autophagy; D002455:Cell Division; D004330:Drosophila; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D008954:Models, Biological; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D011494:Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction; D008941:Spindle Apparatus; D058570:TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases
D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases; D011494:Protein Kinases; D058570:TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases; C416303:target of rapamycin protein, Drosophila; C546843:mTOR protein, mouse