title: Amino acid regulation of autophagosome formation.
abstract: Amino acids are not only substrates for various metabolic pathways, but can also serve as signaling molecules controlling signal transduction pathways. One of these signaling pathways is mTOR-dependent and is activated by amino acids (leucine in particular) in synergy with insulin. Activation of this pathway inhibits autophagy. Because activation of mTOR-mediated signaling also stimulates protein synthesis, it appears that protein synthesis and autophagic protein degradation are reciprocally controlled by the same signaling pathway. Recent developments indicate that amino acid-stimulated mTOR-dependent signaling is subject to complex regulation. The mechanism by which amino acids stimulate mTORdependent signaling (and other signaling pathways), and its molecular connection with the autophagic machinery, is still unknown.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Biochemistry, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Alfred J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Meijer
mesh_terms: D000596:Amino Acids / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D001343:Autophagy / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000494:pharmacology; D010588:Phagosomes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D011494:Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects*; D058570:TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D007328:Insulin; D011494:Protein Kinases; C546842:MTOR protein, human; D058570:TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases