mTOR regulation of autophagy.
Nutrient starvation induces autophagy in eukaryotic cells through inhibition of TOR (target of rapamycin), an evolutionarily-conserved protein kinase. TOR, as a central regulator of cell growth, plays a key role at the interface of the pathways that coordinately regulate the balance between cell growth and autophagy in response to nutritional status, growth factor and stress signals. Although TOR has been known as a key regulator of autophagy for more than a decade, the underlying regulatory mechanisms have not been clearly understood. This review discusses the recent advances in understanding of the mechanism by which TOR regulates autophagy with focus on mammalian TOR (mTOR) and its regulation of the autophagy machinery.
Jung
Chang Hwa
CH
Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
Ro
Seung-Hyun
SH
Cao
Jing
J
Otto
Neil Michael
NM
Kim
Do-Hyung
DH
D000818:Animals; D001343:Autophagy; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D008954:Models, Biological; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology; D013312:Stress, Physiological; D058570:TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases
D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D058570:TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases