title: mTOR binds to the promoters of RNA polymerase I- and III-transcribed genes.
abstract: Target of rapamycin (TOR) is a conserved regulator of gene expression from yeast to humans. In budding yeast, TOR is associated with ribosomal DNA (rDNA) promoter, which is critical for ribosome biogenesis and transfer RNA (tRNA) synthesis. Whether mTOR behaves similarly in mammalian cells is unknown. Here, we report that mTOR is detected at several different promoters in human and murine cells, including that of rDNA and tRNA genes. The association of mTOR with these promoters is regulated by growth signals and sensitive to rapamycin. Together, our observations suggest that mTOR is closely involved in gene regulation at the promoters, which is a conserved mechanism to control RNA polymerase I- and III-dependent genes that are critical for protein synthesis and cell growth.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, NJ, USA.
authors.forename: Chi Kwan
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Tsang
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: X F Steven
authors.initials: XF
authors.lastname: Zheng
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D047369:Chromatin Immunoprecipitation; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006801:Humans; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D012318:RNA Polymerase I / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012320:RNA Polymerase III / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D058570:TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases
chemical_list: D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; C546842:MTOR protein, human; C546843:mTOR protein, mouse; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D058570:TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases; D012318:RNA Polymerase I; D012320:RNA Polymerase III